The blog is about health and gives useful information on health and disease.

A medicinal herb used in Europe since ancient times, St Johns wort or hypericum has recently caused excitement among scientists with its anti-viral action against the HIV virus which causes AIDS. This proven anti-viral activity may also lead to a breakthrough in the treatment of multiple sclerosis although research into its effect on both these retroviruses is still in its early stages.

St Johns wort taken internally has a proven effect on anxiety and depression and a reputation for suppressing urination, useful knowledge for parents of bedwetting children. It is a sedative and will relieve the pain of neuralgia as well as lessen the irritability triggered by menopausal change.

The aromatic herbal oil easily extracted from the plant’s bright yellow flowers has astringent and anti-inflammatory properties and is an excellent dressing for sunburn and superficial wounds.

St Johns wort grows well in Australia, so well in fact that it is considered a noxious weed in some states.

*58\69\2*

When married couples try but fail to have children, both the wife and husband need to be tested. There are several possible causes. In men, the Journal of the American Medical Association (249:2947) reports, perhaps the easiest type of infertility to treat is caused by a deficiency of vitamin C. This vitamin is also known as ascorbic acid, a name reflecting its ability to prevent scurvy (a disabling illness, with painful bruising around the bones that used to afflict sailors after months at sea without fresh fruit or vegetables).

A much less severe vitamin C deficiency, which is by no means severe enough to produce scurvy, can cause male infertility due to clumping together of the spermatozoa. Failure of separation prevents sperm from swimming towards the ovum. Mild deficiencies of this nature are diagnosed by measuring the concentration of vitamin C in the blood. The infertility can easily be overcome in a few weeks with one or two tablets of vitamin C (500 mg each) taken every day by mouth.

*161\143\2*

Acute gastroenteritis is a highly contagious infection of the digestive tract. It is probably caused by viruses, only a few of which have been identified. There is evidence that the disease may also be caused by some types of Escherichia coli bacteria. These bacteria are normally found in the human intestines, and most types of the bacteria are known to be harmless and even beneficial.

This disease is readily transmitted from person to person. Symptoms may begin within one to four days after being exposed to the germ. The disease is not generally serious except in young babies, who may become dehydrated (a serious loss of body fluids). Acute gastroenteritis has no relationship to true influenza (a disease of the respiratory tract).

Signs and symptoms

Acute gastroenteritis causes sudden vomiting or diarrhea and cramps. The disease may last one to three days or as long as a week. Fever may be high (40°C), low (38.3°C), or absent. Blood in diarrhea is rare. Occasionally, if vomiting is severe, there are small amounts of blood in the vomit, and petechiae (red spots) may appear on the face.

Acute gastroenteritis is more easily identified if there are other cases in the family or neighborhood. It occasionally may be confused with dysentery and food poisoning.

Home care

Treat both vomiting and diarrhea by limiting food intake to clear liquids until the illness subsides. To avoid dehydration, give the child plenty of the following clear liquids: tea, water, flavored gelatin water, and commercial mineral and electrolyte mixtures. Do not give the child milk. Paracetamol is better for relief of fever than aspirin because aspirin occasionally aggravates vomiting in some children.

Precautions

• Practice good hygiene. Be sure to wash your hands before going from the patient to other children in the house. Wash hands carefully before preparing food.

• If a young child develops the disease, watch carefully for signs of dehydration (infrequent urinating, dryness in the mouth, sunken eyes, drowsiness, rapid or slow breathing, sunken soft spot in the scalp). If any symptoms of dehydration appear, call your doctor.

• Do not give anti-diarrheal medications to children, since side effects are common and can be dangerous.

• If there is blood in the stools, high fever, prostration (extreme weakness or collapse), or severe or prolonged diarrhea (more than two to three days), call your doctor. Dysentery may be the cause.

Medical treatment

Your doctor will confirm the diagnosis by knowledge of what illnesses are occurring in the community, by the circumstances of the child’s illness, and by absence of other physical findings on examination. Blood count and a stool culture might be required if diagnosis is in doubt. Otherwise, your doctor’s treatment will be the same as home treatment. If there is evidence of dehydration in an infant, hospitalization will be necessary in order to give the child intravenous fluids.

*79/84/5*

Fit in some folic acid and some Bs. Folic acid as well as vitamins B12 and B6 can help reduce levels of an amino acid in the blood called homocysteine that has been found to damage arterial tissue.

“I think there is real promise here,” says Ronald M. Krauss, M.D., head of molecular medicine at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory at the University of California in Berkeley and chairman of the Nutrition Committee of the American Heart Association. “Although we do not have direct evidence that reducing homocysteine can reduce the risk for heart disease, we strongly recommend that people ensure adequate intakes of folic acid and  vitamins,” says Dr. Krauss. Folate (the form of folic acid in foods) is found in fruits such as oranges; in vegetables such as asparagus, beans, and Brussels sprouts; and in fortified grains and cereal products. The Daily Value for folic acid is 400 micrograms, and the Daily Value of vitamins B6 and B12 is 2 milligrams and 6 micrograms, respectively, Dr. Krauss says. You may need to take a multivitamin to get that much in a day, however, he adds.

Fill up on fiber. Whether it helps soak up cholesterol or simply prevents you from overeating isn’t clear. But the American Heart Association says that getting 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day can cut your risk for heart disease.

“The reasons why are still elusive, but people who eat more fiber have less heart disease,” says Dr. Ascherio. One simple way to make sure that you get more fiber in your diet is choosing a breakfast cereal that’s high in fiber. Look for brands that provide at least 5 grams of fiber per serving. “Some cereals have surprisingly little fiber, and others are really high. Check the side of the box,” he says.

Check your flax. Research has shown that eating bread made with flaxseed may help reduce cholesterol levels. A natural blood thinner, flaxseed apparently helps combat thickening of the blood as we age, says Tom Watkins, Ph.D., laboratory director of the Kenneth Jordan Heart Research Center in Mont Clair, New Jersey.

“Flaxseed oil is rich in alpha-linoleic acid, and in our own studies that appears to be beneficial,” says Dr. Ascherio. If you don’t have a taste for flaxseed or never bought one of those trendy bread machines, consider munching on a handful of walnuts. “There’s increased evidence that walnuts reduce the risk of heart disease because they’re also high in alpha-linoleic acid,” he says. Found in soybean and corn oil, polyunsaturated fat is much better for your heart than saturated fat.

Trash trans fatty acids. Better living through chemistry? Not always. When food manufacturers wanted to make margarine stiffer and lengthen the shelf life of other products, they created what are called trans fatty acids-a nutritional Frankenstein harder on your heart than even the dreaded saturated fat. “There’s no question that trans fatty acids have the worst effect on blood cholesterol,” says Dr. Ascherio. “Not only do they increase the bad cholesterol, but also they reduce the good cholesterol, or HDL cholesterol.” To purge trans fatty acids from your diet, avoid foods containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, suggests Dr. Ascherio. But be vigilant. It’s found in prepared foods from bread to frozen French fries.

*88/36/5*

Fill the tub ankle-deep with cold water. Holding onto a firmly anchored rail, march in place for a few seconds or minutes (as long as you can comfortably tolerate). Then rub your feet briskly with a towel.

Done twice daily, this technique creates a remarkable sense of well-being…and is great for relieving exercise-related leg cramps. Some believe that it builds resistance to disease.

Done at night, cold-water treading promotes sound sleep— yet it has an eye-opening effect when done in the morning.

To prevent or relieve headache pain, fold a washcloth in half, dip it in ice water and wring it out. Place it on your head or neck. Rewet it every few minutes to keep it cold.

To relieve a sore throat or laryngitis, fold a cotton cloth in thirds, wet it with cold water and wring it out. Wind it once around the neck and fasten with a safety pin. Over the cloth, wrap a wool scarf.

Leave this wrap in place as long as you like. With the cold trapped against the skin by the wool, the body continues to divert more warming blood to the area—helping break up congestion.

*23/47/1*

Most couples never experience sexual healing—because they’re too quick to give up on their relationship. It takes at least four years to achieve the intimacy needed for sexual healing. Most couples split after only three years. Why do so many couples split? Because of lack of intimacy. Intimacy doesn’t just happen. You make it happen by treating your partner with care and genuine affection…and by taking the time to really connect, both in casual conversation and via sex.

Three factors are central to a sexually healing relationship…

Commitment. Affairs and on-again-off-again sexual relationships are not healing because the two people never form a meaningful bond.

Consideration. The bond between a couple must extend beyond the bedroom. Each partner must continually express tenderness and caring toward the other—by smiling…touching…being polite…giving compliments…and showing respect.

Honesty. There must be no secrets within the relationship—only total connection and total confidence.

*18/47/1*

dream: Your dream self has sex with someone you’re not attracted to in real life—perhaps even a member of a gender you’re not attracted to.

meaning: Despite the conventional wisdom, these dreams usually don’t mean that you’re secretly attracted to the person or that you’re unhappy with your current relationship. More often, they show that you’re attracted to a quality this person has. Perhaps your dream partner is the wittiest person you know, and you would like to get in touch with your funny side…or he’s very confident, and you would like to be more confident.

what you can do: Work on developing the qualities you admire. Think about how you would act if you had those qualities and then act that way, taking small, modest steps at first.

*39/47/1*

dream: There are two distinct types of falling dreams. In one, you step off a sidewalk or some other small drop and feel yourself fall a short distance. In the other, you feel like you’re falling a great distance, such as over the edge of a cliff.

meaninc: The “short fall” dream is particularly common during the December holiday season. It might suggest that you’re feeling overwhelmed by a suddenly hectic schedule or a long list of commitments.

The “long fall” dream is common among successful people who are experiencing concerns about a temporary risk or loss of control. A businessman might have this dream after going into debt for the first time to expand his company. The dream indicates that the possibility of failure is weighing on you— even if you know rationally that the risk is worth taking.

what you can do: Reflect on situations that you can control, such as eating or spending habits. Adjust your expectations and pace where possible so that you can avoid heading for a “fall.”

*34/47/1*

These three stretches—each done while standing—loosen the joints and ease muscular tension.

Arm roll. Hold your arms out to the side, elbows straight, hands held up as if stopping traffic. Rotate your arms forward in three large circles, then backward in three large circles. Then do three small circles in each direction.

Head roll. With arms at your sides, bend your head forward while relaxing the muscles in the back of your neck. Slowly tilt your head to one side, then back, then to the other side, then to the front.

Do this head rotation three times clockwise, then three times counterclockwise.

Side stretch. Keep your feet slightly more than shoulder-width apart, with arms held out to the side. Inhale deeply. Then exhale as you bend to the right. Slide your right hand down your right thigh toward the knee, and bring your left arm overhead. Breathe in, and return to an upright position.

Do the same stretch on your left side. Repeat three times on each side.

*29/47/1*