Antidepressants Blog

I, myself, agree with the views of Pastor Baumhauer of Vienna on this subject. Since I am in accord with him, I quote here from his statements literally:

The increased research of hereditary factors will enable Iriscopy, as well as the constitution of an individual, to be determined in the widest sense. By constitution, one understands the total of inherited and acquired factors, which determine the actual quality of the blood and lymph, and which in turn result in the state of the remaining bodily organs and tissues. In short: the entire constitutional condition of a man in his ability to withstand the disease producing influences. A constitution reflects the genotype insofar as it is qualified by hereditary factors. Beyond that, it may be modified within certain limits by environmental influences occurring during the course of life (domestic circumstances, nutrition, social factors).

However, it must be stipulated that it is not disease as such but only the dispositions which are transmitted, and that, moreover, from the very first moment of intra-uterine life an effective influence is required to precipitate the actual disease. The total of these tendencies and influences provides the complete picture of the constitution of man (phenotype).

The most valuable aspect of Iriscopy lies in the ability to make a rapid estimation of the human constitutional disposition by an examination of the colour and structure of the iris. The colour of eyes, hair and skin is collectively referred to as the complexion, and these three generally remain in close relation to each other. Since this complexion derives from the blood and other body fluids, certain inferences may be drawn regarding the composition of the blood as well as the morphological structure of the whole organism. The constitution is thus comprehended in terms of chemical and biological functions. Let us take the ground colour of the iris as the principal criterion for the classification of constitution. We thus obtain three main groups:

i. Blue iris—blond hair, fair skin

ii. Grey iris—mixed and compound forms

iii. Brown iris—dark hair, dark skin

It is obviously possible to draw finer differences, such as the lighter and darker shades within all three colourings, but these will here be disregarded. Let us now attempt, in a general way, to give the characteristics of the three different constitutions.

Blue iris: The blue iris is the expression of thinner blood. We have here nothing less than the lymphatic constitution known of old. Von Paltauf has written:

Enlargement of tonsils, lymph nodes, extended lymph node complex of the follicles at the base of the tongue, enlargement of the spleen and the presence of an abnormally large thymus gland at a time when this should have quite disappeared.

Their origin lies in the lymphatic constitution of childhood, during which the lymphatic system and the lymph are already in a condition of hyperfunction. Arising from a continuance of this lymphatic constitution throughout childhood, certain lymphatic and torpid conditions develop during growth and puberty, of which the main examples are: adenoidal growths, nasal polypi, enlarged tonsils, swollen lymphatic cervical glands, swelling of the thyroid gland, and transitional states developing Basedows syndrome and exophthalmic goitre. These are the typical characteristics of this iris colour.

This type has a particularly distinct predisposition with regard to the respiratory system: asthenic pulmonary states, pleuritic and bronchitic conditions, haemoptysis and tuberculosis, here produce most victims. There is also a greater tendency to reabsorption of uric acid with greater accumulation in blood and body fluids, giving rise to rheumatic and neuralgic disturbances. Arteriosclerosis and corneal opacity is more frequent with this type. Heart and kidneys are found to be more easily susceptible.

To summarise: the following are the typical characteristics—blue iris,

lymphatic-rheumatic-tubercular constitution.

Grey Iris: The grey iris, which is due to the reinforcement of the connective tissue fibres of the vascular layer, has a constitutional similarity with the blue iris, but with a special tendency to rheumatic-catarrhal affections involving septic skin conditions such as acne, furunculosis, obstinate skin eruptions; and as a secondary consequence of suppressed perspiration strong catarrhal secretions from all the mucous membranes.

As a result of insufficiency of the renal secretions with noticeably disturbed conditions of quality and quantity of the urine, there arise many unrecognised and difficult conditions of disease of obscure origin.

Summarising: The grey iris is the sign of a rheumatic-catarrhal constitution.

Brown Iris: The brown iris results from a larger concentration of pigment cells, and suggests above all a greater concentration of blood and body fluids.

An admixture of a greater or smaller quantity of bile pigment frequently lends the eye a greenish shimmering lustre. Because of the concentration of blood, and arising from various environmental and domestic influences, the deficient digestion of this type is a characteristic feature with a special predisposition to diseases of the digestive system, of the gastro-intestinal canal along with the associated organs: gastric atony, nervous dyspepsia, constipation, with their secondary states of flatulence, stomach pains, and gastric and duodenal ulcers. These unfavourable tendencies more frequently appear in the female sex with the following consequents—cephalalgia (headaches), cholelithiasis, appendicitis, abdominal plethora (abdominal stasis—particularly of the portal system) and signs of congestion, as well as neurasthenia (sensitive nervous weakness) and hysteria (also psychoneurosis).

The functional tendencies consist of a morbid sensitivity of the liver, so that slight disturbances of bile secretion arise from dietetic errors, such as jaundice, hepatic eclamapsia, and inflammation of the gallbladder. Concentrated and cholesterin-rich blood may also aggravate any tendency to new growths.

To summarise: Brown iris—gastric-bilious-carcinomatous constitution.

Thus, by observing the basic iris colour, one may determine in every human being the relatively weak aspect of his organism which is in the slightest degree susceptible to

disease-producing influences, and which therefore merits particular consideration from the outset.

It by no means always requires a complicated and exhaustive clinical examination, but merely Iriscopy in conjunction with the history, sex, age and occupation, in order to establish the constitution with its particular predispositions, and thereby to determine quite easily in what respects it has a prophylactic significance.

Apart from the colour of the irisis, there is also the actual structure, with its special indications of a constitutional deterioration in the resistance of the total organism, and a decrease in general vitality. Of particular significance is the integrity of the anterior (superficial) layer of the iris as revealed by the greater or lesser degree of delicacy and strength, and through which it is possible to see the underlying supportive connective tissues and vascular layer. This integrity is an indication of the resistance factor in the total organism.

Disregarding the colour of the iris, and assessing only the integrity of the anterior superficial layer we have the following:

1. Ideal Iris: a fine textured iris with an unbroken surface, without crypts or contraction rings (nerve rings).

2. First-grade Iris: an iris texture with little trophic change affecting the anterior layer, although small crypts are evident, especially in the area of the iris-wreath. People with such an iris are in general extremely resistant of constitution, and mostly enjoy untroubled health.

3. Normal Iris: partial atrophic change of the anterior layer, revealing larger portions of the deeper vascular layer, a greater prominence of the iris-wreath, and disproportionate distribution of pigment.

4. Degenerative Iris: almost complete atrophy of the anterior layer, honeycomb-like network of the connective tissues of the vascular sheath, a star-shaped distortion of the iris-wreath, and considerable infiltration of the chromatophors in the deeper layers of the stroma, indicating a deep degeneration of the vital state, and at the same time suggesting the detrimental effects upon the organism of hereditary influences.

The difficult question of the connection of the constitution with a definite mento-emotional habitus can merely be referred to here. The influence of the soma upon the psyche and the reverse is firmly established, as well as the supremacy of the mind over everything material. A satisfactory explanation for it is given only by the theory of psychophysical correlation in human nature, in which body and soul, although essentially different from one another, are yet naturally co-ordinated in combinations which constitute human substance.

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Care of your thermometer

After each use, the thermometer should be shaken down below “normal” and washed with soap and cold water. Sterilize the thermometer by soaking it in a solution of rubbing alcohol before storing it in its case. Place it back in the medicine cabinet where it will be handy the next time you need it. Do not let children treat the thermometer as a toy.

Treatment of fever

The most reliable medications for lowering fever are aspirin and paracetamol, a non-aspirin pain reliever found in some over-the-counter preparations. You can give one children’s aspirin or the equivalent amount of paracetamol for every 7 kilos of weight. This dose can be repeated every four hours. Other basic guidelines for administering aspirin or paracetamol include:

1. Do not awaken the child to give aspirin or paracetamol.

2. Do not mix aspirin and paracetamol or alternate between the two.

3. Call the doctor if fever persists longer than 48 hours or if other signs of illness are present.

Keep a feverish child lightly clothed or covered to allow the body heat to escape. This, too, will help lower a fever.

Other methods of reducing a fever include placing the child in a lukewarm bath or encasing the naked child in a wet sheet. A child with a consistently high temperature should be under the care of a doctor.

Although giving the child aspirin has long been the accepted home treatment for lowering a fever, aspirin should not be used if the child has chicken pox or influenza. A condition called Reye’s syndrome has been possibly linked to the use of aspirin in the treatment of chicken pox or influenza. Reye’s syndrome is a relatively rare type of encephalitis, or inflammation of the brain, accompanied by changes in the liver, and it usually starts after the child has begun to recover from chicken pox or influenza.

It has not been proven that aspirin causes or promotes Reye’s syndrome, but it is recommended that aspirin not be given to children with chicken pox or influenza. Instead, sponge baths and aspirin substitutes such as paracetamol – which has not been linked to Reye’s syndrome – should be used to manage the fever and other symptoms.

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Home care

Wash the wound with soap and water, then examine it for any embedded dirt or other foreign matter. Inspect the wound carefully under good light, if necessary with a magnifying glass. To stop the bleeding, place a square of sterile gauze over the abrasion and apply gentle pressure directly to the wound.

If there is no dirt in the wound, apply a non-stinging antiseptic, cover the abrasion with a sterile bandage, and keep it covered until it heals completely and the scab falls off by itself. If the abrasion is in an area that is moved constantly (at a joint, for example), swab the scab periodically with an antibiotic or antiseptic ointment to keep it flexible and to avoid cracking.

If dirt is embedded in the wound, scrub gently. Sometimes, dirt will work its way out of the wound if you keep the abrasion covered and apply liberal amounts of antibiotic ointment twice a day.

Precautions

•     Do not treat an abrasion that involves the full thickness of the skin. Have the doctor look at it.

•     Remove dirt from an abrasion, both to guard against infection and to prevent the dirt from being permanently sealed under the skin.

•     It is unlikely, but not impossible, that tetanus will follow an abrasion; since minor abrasions are seldom treated by a doctor, take the precaution of keeping the child’s tetanus boosters up to date.

•     Impetigo may begin at the site of an abrasion; if it occurs, refer to the section on Impetigo.

Medical treatment

If an abrasion is deep and badly soiled, your doctor may apply a local anesthetic to the region and scrub out the dirt with a brush or a substance that will dissolve the dirt.

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The good news is that there’s plenty you can do to beat high blood pressure. And while you’re on the way, you can have the satisfaction of knowing that you’ll be defying heart disease and stroke as well. In fact, researchers poring over data from the famed Framingham Heart Study have found that the combination of lower cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and a decline in cigarette smoking can dramatically reduce heart disease deaths. Here’s how.

Make a DASH for it. Even if you don’t already have high blood pressure, the results of a study called Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) may make you want to run to your nearby produce stand. The 11-week study compared three diets: a standard high-fat American diet, which was the control diet; a diet high in fruits and vegetables; and a “combination diet” that was low in saturated fat, total fat, and cholesterol, and high in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products. When it was over, the average blood pressure for the combination diet group was 5.5 millimeters of mercury systolic and 3-0 millimeters of mercury diastolic lower than the control diet group. Among those with high blood pressure, the combination diet group’s average blood pressure was 11.4 millimeters of mercury systolic and 5.5 millimeters of mercury diastolic lower than the control diet groups.

A typical day of eating from the combination platter? It consists of 7 to 8 servings of grains (as in bread or cereal); 4 to 5 servings of vegetables; 4 to 5 servings of fruits; 2 to 3 dairy products; up to 2 servings of meat, poultry, or fish; and 2 1/2 servings of fat and oils (the equivalent of 2 1/2 teaspoons of oil).

Strive for fitness. Research has also shown that the fittest guys have the lowest blood pressures and cholesterol levels. And when followed over many years, the rate of death from cardiovascular disease is higher in the least fit than in the most fit. Thirty minutes of aerobic exercise at least three times a week is a good start. And add some weight training to the mix when you’re ready for more, suggests Dr. Pickering.

Pick up the pace. If you’re a runner concerned about high blood pressure, you may want to pick up the pace. Researchers from the National Runners Health Study discovered that running faster had a 13-3 times’ greater impact on lowering blood pressure than a leisurely jog. The researchers noted that “the principle should apply to any sustained and vigorous exercise, such as cycling and swimming.”

Tame your tongue. Does talking fast raise blood pressure? Researchers measured the blood pressures and heart rates of 111 cardiac patients as they read the U.S: Constitution rapidly for two minutes, then slowly for two minutes. Rapid reading triggered a rise in the subjects’ blood pressures and heart rates, according to the study. Never forget: You have the right to remain silent.

Shake the salt. Not all the experts agree, but for now it’s probably a good idea to limit salt intake to help shake high blood pressure. It may just bring it down a few points or even prevent it. The American Heart Association recommends eating no more than 6 grams of salt a day. In case you’ve never counted, a teaspoon of salt is about 6 grams. But when tracking your salt intake, keep in mind that lots of prepared foods contain massive amounts of added salt.

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Alcohol avoidance

Alcohol aggravates the situation. Sleep study units are constantly asked to review obese, moderate to heavy-drinking males with a snoring problem. Treatment for most of these individuals is entirely in their own hands, with success being directly proportional to motivation and willpower.

Posture

A common observation made by snorers and their sleeping partners is that the condition is significantly worsened when the offender lies flat on his back. The observation has prompted several investigations into the effects of posture on snoring. Without doubt, improvement brought about by either lying to one side or by raising the head and shoulders can be attributed to the mobility of structures like the tongue and soft palate which present less of an obstruction to the airway in these positions than in the lying (supine) position. There is disagreement on the effects of posture on those patients who experience occasional complete airway closure during sleep, with some reports of significant improvement in nocturnal symptoms while others claim no improvement at all. Experimentation with various sleeping positions would have to be the simplest and one of the first modes of treatment considered by any snorer, and can be employed while other measures (such as weight loss) are being taken.

Surgery

Medical attention is justified when simple measures offer little or no improvement. Surgery is appropriate in some instances but the range of surgical techniques is as varied as the underlying causes. An operative procedure known as uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, thankfully shortened to UPPP, has been employed successfully to treat heavy snoring. It involves extensive removal of soft tissue from the oropharynx but should by no means be considered minor surgery. There are conflicting reports on the efficacy of UPPP in the treatment of snoring and upper airway obstruction. There would seem to be a role for the procedure in the treatment of “uncomplicated” snoring but there is considerable disagreement on its usefulness for the sleep apnoea syndromes. In most cases, however, the severity of snoring is diminished after UPPP.

Other forms of surgery aim to either correct or remove structural anomalies which encourage snoring. Examples include mandibular reconstruction for a small or poorly positioned jaw, removal of nasal polyps and other corrective procedures to improve nasal breathing, and the removal of enlarged tonsils and adenoids in both children and adults.

Treatment of underlying disease

Occasionally, patients suffering metabolic disturbances caused by a hormonal imbalance will experience generalized symptoms such as fluid retention or excessive bone growth. Hypothyroidism (myxoedema) is one such example in which fluid retention, particularly around the neck, combined with a decrease in muscle tone, promotes snoring. Specific medication is the cure for hypothyroidism and associated snoring.

Other devices

Mouth appliances, inserted like a mouth guard, are now available which force the user to breathe through the nose by occluding the mouth, thereby bypassing the upper segment of the soft palate. These devices may well work for some but are unlikely to help where a large proportion of the upper airway is prone to collapse or if there are coexisting structural impediments to breathing below the nasopharynx. They are not recommended for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea.

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Historically, the prevention of disease has been the greatest and most important contribution to the health of the western world but simply to think of preventive medicine in terms of public health is far too narrow a perspective today.

The first phase of preventive medicine was indeed this rather authoritarian, organizational public health approach. It was based on the need to control infectious illnesses using environmental control imposed on people ‘for the good of the community’. In this way clean water became the norm, sewers took away waste, food was inspected and its quality improved, and pest-infested slums were cleared. All of this did wonders for life expectancy. In white women in the US life expectancy increased from 40 years in 1855 to 55 years in 1920. Almost all of this increased life-span came about because of the reduction in infant death rates. Little, if any, change was made to the longevity of those who survived to middle life. In 1855 a 45-year-old American could expect to live another 24.6 years and in 1910 the figure was 25.5 years. Hardly a stunning advance!

As well as the giant steps forward being taken in sanitation, immunology began to blossom as a medical growth area and diphtheria, whooping cough, measles, polio and smallpox came under control.

Initially this era of prevention was characterized by individual heroism and leadership together with more health laws. The amount of voluntary action on the part of the public was minimal. Certainly immunization required the individual to turn up to be vaccinated but otherwise preventive medicine was a ‘painless’ procedure that was done to an individual.

The second phase in the development of preventive medicine actually started before the ending of the first and came with the discovery of anaesthesia and antiseptics. Phase two, then, was that made possible by increasing technology and financial investment. Undoubtedly the greatest triggers to the growth of medical knowledge were the two world wars in this century. Knowledge of anaesthesia and antiseptics lay dormant until the vast number of operations done in World War I made advances necessary on an unprecedented scale. By World War II sulpha drugs (1935) and penicillin (1940) had been developed and the modern pharmaceutical industry as we know it was born. This opened up for the first time the idea of massive capital investment in the health field. In the first phase of the growth of prevention, public health measures were seen as a way of improving the nation’s strength and wealth and a way of maintaining a vigorous population which could produce goods and services in a fast-growing capitalist society. In the second phase the goal of a healthy population became obscured as the health industry took on a life of its own. Today, doctors make the financial decisions which control this vast industry and often they make them in splendid isolation-thinking only in the context of their relationship with an individual patient.

This has led to the enormous sickness industry we now see. Yet for all this so-called advance and expenditure the life-span of a five-year-old has increased by only 2.9 years since 1940. The limits to this kind of medicine are all too apparent. It has been calculated that the elimination of all cancers of the cervix, for example, as a cause of death would add only three-tenths of a year of life to that which the average woman currently enjoys. If after fifty years of screening and gynecological examinations her fate is that of many old people-to live alone in relative poverty-just how valuable are these extra three and a half months to her anyway?

The third phase of preventive medicine is now with us, as we start to consider health in the context of our environment-in short, man in his ecological setting. The excitement and drama of the last forty years’ growth in medicine is beginning to wear thin and people are beginning to look at prevention in personal terms-as something they actually have a hand in and for which they have a responsibility.

It has been calculated that more disease, disability and premature death could be prevented by eliminating alcohol and tobacco abuse and by restricting the use of cars than by any foreseeable increase in expenditure on health. But it is not true that individuals are solely to blame now that doctors can do so little to help. The medical profession can’t shrug its shoulders and say, ‘Look what we’ve done for you, you should be grateful.’ It is no new concept that the choice as to how an individual uses his or her life rests with him or her. But the fact that there is a personal responsibility for health does not absolve doctors, nurses, politicians or administrators from responsibility, nor does it free them to ignore prevention on the grounds that it is something the individual ought to be doing for him or herself.

Phase three of the story of prevention involves the individual taking the dominant role-and this is what this book is about: personal prevention.

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Constipation is a very common problem in older people. Because so many people with dementia are old, many of them also suffer in this way. As mentioned in the section on incontinence, severe constipation can actually cause a form of faecal incontinence and if severe enough it can, strangely, sometimes lead to incontinence of urine as well. Many people only empty their bowels every three or four days and if this has been their normal routine, there is no point in trying to persuade them to empty their bowels more frequently. If, however, as for most people, this has been a daily routine, it doesn’t really matter if it becomes a little less frequent, such as every alternate day. This is particularly true if the person concerned is eating significantly less than he or she used to.

One of the best ways of keeping bowels functioning normally is to ensure that there is an adequate amount of roughage, or fibre in the diet. This helps the bowels to move the food along from one end of the alimentary tract to the other. A diet that is high in convenience foods, sweets, and cake is unlikely to contain an adequate amount of fibre. Wholemeal bread, cereals containing bran, and fresh fruit and vegetables are among the most palatable forms of fibre.

Some people have used purgatives all their lives and under these circumstances constipation can be very difficult to cure, adequate fibre intake on its own being insufficient to restore normal bowel function. If there is a problem, the doctor or the district nurse can usually assess its severity and recommend treatment.

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Just as loss of the sense of time with consequent repeated questioning can be very wearing, so can repeated questioning about other matters. It is often something that you can’t do anything about, as no matter how much reassurance you provide and no matter how many times you answer the questions, they will continue to be asked. It may result from just the memory loss but there is often a background of insecurity and the need for constant reassurance.

Sometimes writing down the answer to a complex question on a piece of paper or on a blackboard can be helpful, as the sufferer can then be diverted to the answer without the need for a lengthy explanation. More usually, however, the question is a simple one with a simple answer and writing things down just creates additional work and does little to help relieve the situation. Under these circumstances it is best to arrange to escape from time to time, to give yourself breathing-space. If you detect that the repetitive questioning is really a need for reassurance based upon a feeling of insecurity, perhaps provide feedback in the form of love and affection at times when it is not being sought and no questions are being asked. If the questioner’s needs are only fulfilled by getting a response to repeated questioning, this reinforces the pattern. If, however, the sufferer appreciates that he or she is loved and wanted and that this is true without having to seek attention, the questioning may occur less frequently.

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