The Health Blog

The technique of injecting children with vaccines made from weakened viruses has reduced measles, mumps, and rubella (German measles) to only a few thousand cases of each a year, the lowest levels in history. (The rubella vaccine is critical for any woman of childbearing age because, if she becomes pregnant, the virus can blind, deafen, or retard her unborn child.)
Despite these successes, vaccine science is not without controversy over the relative safety of live versus killed viruses and bacteria.
Those who favor live vaccines point with pride to the success of the live Sabin polio vaccine (named for Dr. Albert Sabin), which practically wiped out polio. Made from thoroughly enfeebled, but live, viruses, it is touted today as one of the safest of the live vaccines. Nevertheless, it causes 5 to 10 cases of paralysis in the United States each year. Although it protects the vaccinated person from disease, the virus in the vaccine somehow regains its strength and may contaminate others.
Dr. Salk and other proponents of his killed virus vaccine say that it is safer than and just as potent as the live Sabin vaccine. They point to another vaccine, DTP, a single vaccine that contains no living matter yet has all but obliterated three long-feared childhood diseases: diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough, also called pertussis. (These three infections are caused by bacteria. Bacteria are perhaps a hundred times larger than viruses, and, unlike viruses, they can reproduce outside cells. They do their damage by emitting poisons.)
But even vaccines made from killed viruses and bacteria are not without problems. From a controlled British study, it has been determined that the DTP vaccine causes brain damage in one child in 310,000. Nevertheless, without vaccination, the incidence of death by whooping cough increases by 19 times, and the likelihood of brain damage quadruples. So, its advocates insist, taking the vaccine is much safer than not taking it.
In response to the need for new vaccines – and questions about existing ones -the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has set up a priority list of 10 inoculations against serious germ maladies. High on that list are finding a new, safer vaccine for whooping cough and winning approval from the Food and Drug Administration for the chicken pox vaccine.
The institute also advocates a live vaccine for influenza, which kills 10,000 people a year.
Several vaccines made from killed influenza virus already exist. They particularly benefit older, chronically ill people who have lung, heart, and other health infirmities. But only 20 percent of this high-risk group takes the shots. If all such high-risk people were inoculated, says the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, flu vaccines could save an additional 5,000 lives in the United States.
But because the flu plays tricks on scientists, the influenza virus presents its own special, problem. With each flu season, several different viruses may circulate in the population, so that the old vaccine doesn’t work. Health officials hope that a live vaccine will be easier to manufacture and administer than a killed one. For one thing, if a new flu virus appears on the scene, scientists can quickly tailor-make a vaccine to stop that epidemic. For another, the new vaccines may be sprayed into the nose. Researchers believe that people may be more willing to inhale a vaccine than to take shots.
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Clinical findings
Excessive secretion by the thyroid gland leads to an increase in the metabolic rate by as much as 50 per cent. Some of the symptoms are weight loss, nervousness, increased appetite, prominent eyes, and enlarged thyroid gland. The increased metabolic rate leads to rapid loss of glycogen from the liver, and some tissue wasting, and in severe cases to signs of cardiac failure. Calcium and phosphorus excretion is often increased, resulting in osteoporosis. Most patients are treated with anti-thyroid drugs to bring the metabolic rate to normal. In some instances surgery is required.

Dietary management
If there has been much weight loss a diet supplying 3000 to 4000 kcal and 100 to 125 gm protein is needed. Snacks are provided between meals and at bedtime. Mineral and vitamin supplements are often prescribed. Coffee, tea, alcohol, and tobacco are usually eliminated because of their stimulating properties.
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When you need a pick-me-up, rather than habitually reaching for coffee and sweets, items that ultimately increase stress, take something that’s good for you. Pantothenic acid (500-1,000 mg daily) and vitamin C (2,000-3,000 mg daily) are extremely important building blocks for the adrenal glands. Also important for normalizing blood sugar levels are zinc and other trace minerals, such as chromium. The proper mineral balance is essential for alleviating such hypoglycemic symptoms as irritability, fatigue, and dizziness. Licorice root supports adrenal function as well, although people taking it should check with their physician if they have blood pressure problems, as this herb is known to elevate blood pressure.

There are other important steps you can take to support adrenal function: Avoid environmental toxins when possible, minimize stress where you can, and cut down on your consumption of simple-sugar foods. This last factor in particular can make a big difference in your adrenal wellness.

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There are two considerations that are very important in choosing toys for children:

1. The safety of toys should be uppermost. Make sure that the toy is sturdy, and will not break in the hands of energetic youngsters. Toys should be free of sharp edges or protruding parts, should be made from materials that are not toxic (remember that young children like to explore toys with their mouths) and they should not have small parts that can be swallowed or inhaled. If in doubt about a toy, advice can be obtained from the local child safety centre (see p. 29).

2. Buy toys that stimulate the child’s learning and creativity, not those that encourage aggressive and violent behaviour. There is increasing community concern about ‘anti-social toys’. These include victim dolls or figures (which have often grotesque malformations or injuries), war toys, or violent toys such as guns or knives. There is increasing evidence that such toys can adversely influence children’s attitudes, values and behaviour. For example, a child’s language and play when using war toys is often very aggressive. Research shows that aggression established in childhood tends to be carried through into adolescence and adult life. Unfortunately, these toys are often promoted heavily during children’s television shows, so that children may ask parents to buy them. This should be resisted.

The careful choice of toys can have beneficial effects on a child’s behaviour and development, and also minimise the chances of potentially serious injury.

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The Catastrophizer: This person pulls away from sexuality and most of life. The health problem becomes overwhelming, distracting him or her from any personal or marital strength that could save intimacy and contribute to healing. “When I lost my breast, I lost everything,” reported the wife. “The cancer took more than my breast, it took my marriage.” The husband offered help. “But, honey, your cancer was cured. There are no signs of it at all. You licked it. It’s gone.” She stared angrily at him. “You’ll never know what it’s like to sit on a time bomb like this. It could come back. If you want sex, go somewhere else. If that is all I am to you, even at a time like this, then leave me.” The husband offered her his handkerchief for her tears and she threw it to the floor.

Unlike the Accepter, this person is defeated and asks repeatedly, “Why me?” While such concerns are a natural phase of illness, the Catastrophizer remains stuck at this phase, mistaking diagnosis for verdict. He or she may withdraw from sex as a form of self- or partner punishment in a misguided attempt to strike back at the terrible injustice he or she has suffered. The Catastrophizer is the innocent prisoner of their health problem, while the Accepter is more the overwilling victim.

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DIRECTED?

Psychologists refer to the concept of “locus of control.” Some of us are strongly influenced by our inner feelings and sensations. Others are more reactive to outside cues. Which seems to be your style?

“He doesn’t spend much time with feelings,” reported the wife. “He’s a realist. See it, do it, and that’s it.”

“Yes,” agreed the husband. “And she is all feelings. There is not a bone of practicality in her.”

This “locus of control” issue becomes important in sexual interaction. Some partners respond to sexual stimulation coming from within, from feelings and sensations that seem to originate from the psyche. Others react to visual or touch stimulation almost exclusively, are more haptic, sensation-oriented. How would you characterize yourself and your partner on this branch of the love map, reactive to the outside or active from the inside?

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Sometimes the infection spreads through the blood and may cause an acute arthritis, usually involving only one joint.

Blood tests are unreliable and the diagnosis can be made on smear or culture from the affected area.

Most cases respond to a short course of injected penicillin. The long-acting penicillins, sometimes used in treating syphilis, are ineffective and so are penicillin tablets taken by mouth.

Penicillin derivatives such as amoxycillin are effective when given by mouth.

Some strains of gonococci, mainly from South-East Asia, are resistant to penicillin and so other drugs are necessary. Spectinomycin may be given as a single injection or the other tetracycline antibiotics given by mouth.

Non-specific or non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU or NSU) is essentially a male disorder. Following exposure some two to three weeks later a man may develop a discharge and pain on passing urine. As a rule, the symptoms are not as marked as with gonorrhoea.

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Following the attack, the person will recover, usually in a matter of minutes. There is no need to summon an ambulance or a doctor unless one fit follows on top of another or the person does not regain consciousness within 10 minutes.

If you remain calm and protect the epileptic from danger during the fit, on recovery he will usually be able to tell you who he is and whether he has had these before.

If so, once he has recovered, he is usually able to go about his business. If the fit is the first one, medical help should be sought.

A few who have epilepsy may suffer severe and persistent convulsions and may be mentally retarded. These may require institutional care and be unemployable. These cases are difficult to manage but they are in the minority.

Those with epilepsy should let their friends and workmates know so that, if they have a convulsion, those around them will know what to do.

Epilepsy in itself is not an inherited disorder, although a low threshold to attacks may run in families. The children of epileptics have one chance in 40 of developing the disorder, whereas generally the risk is one in 200.

It is important for all of us to remember that the great majority of those with epilepsy can have this controlled by drugs and lead normal lives.

If you suffer from this disorder or have a relative or friend who does, or if you are an employer and reluctant to employ an epileptic, contact the Epilepsy Association or Foundation in your State.

What they offer the epileptic is hope, what they offer the community is knowledge, what they ask in return is understanding.

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There is one type of cancer where screening almost certainly does make a difference to the outcome and that is cancer of the cervix (neck of the womb). Why is this so when it isn’t for our previous example of lung cancer? One reason is that most of the cervix can be easily seen with a speculum (internal examination). Cells can be gently scraped from the outer part of the cervix and from the part that we can’t see on internal examination—the small inner canal leading to the womb. This is the Pap smear which, when correctly taken, contains samples from all parts of the cervix to be examined under the microscope. What we cough up does not contain cells from every part of our lungs. The cells in the lung samples are only those that have fallen off by themselves, with the Pap smear they are gently scraped off. Next, the cells of the cervix go through a recognisable pre-cancer stage. This means that cells which are very likely to develop into cancer if left untreated can be identified under the microscope in the Pap smear. It takes quite a few years for pre-cancer to develop into actual easier Which can spread.

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As a rule, tests to check the central nervous system are only recommended if there is good reason to suspect a problem there. One exception is in certain types of leukaemia and lymphoma, which have a high chance of spreading to the meninges. With these, it is advisable to check for meningeal involvement right from the start. If the tests are clear, preventative treatment may be recommended as part of a treatment plan aimed at curing the cancer altogether.

Normal X-rays do not show up the brain or spinal cord at all, because they are completely enclosed in bone. A radio-isotope scan is one way of ‘seeing’ the brain. Unlike for liver and bone, the substance that is injected is not concentrated in the brain cells. What it actually shows up are the areas that have more than the usual amount of blood flowing through them. Cancer deposits show up because they nearly always have a greater blood flow than the normal parts of the brain. The CT scan is another way of showing cancer deposits in the central nervous system. The deposits usually let through less X-rays than the normal brain and spinal cord.

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