In a recent Interesting Study which is published in the Australian Science Journal has revealed that Bad moods can actually be good for a person. In this study finding that being sad makes people less gullible ,improves their ability to judge others and also boost memory .This study which was authorized by Psychology Professor Joseph Forgas at the University of New south wales , showed that people in a negative mood were more critical of , and paid more attention to their surroundings than happier people , who are more likely to believe anything they were told.
‘’Whereas positive mood seems to promote creativity, flexibility and reliance on mental shortcuts, negative mood trigger more attentive, careful thinking paying greater attention to the external world.’’For the study Forgas and his team conducted several experiments that started with inducing happy or sad moods in their subjects through watching films and recalling positive or negative events..In one of the experiments , happy and sad participants were asked to judge the truth of urban myths and rumours and found that people in a negative mood were less likely to believe these statements .People in a bad mood were also less likely to make snap decisions based on racial or religious prejudices , and they were less likely to make mistakes when asked to recall an event that they witnessed .The study also found that sad people were better at starting their case through written arguments, Forgas said ‘’ this showed that mildly negative mood may actually promote a more concrete, accommodative and ultimately more successful communication style .’’Positive mood is not universally desirable :people in negative mood are less prone to judgment errors, are more resistible to eyewitness distortions and are better at producing high quality , effective persuasive messages .’’Forgas also wrote that their study suggests that sadness promotes information processing strategies best suited to dealing with more demanding situations’’
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Negative Thinking Boosts Memory !
In a recent Interesting Study which is published in the Australian Science Journal has revealed that Bad moods can actually be good for a person. In this study finding that being sad makes people less gullible ,improves their ability to judge others and also boost memory .This study which was authorized by Psychology Professor Joseph Forgas at the University of New south wales , showed that people in a negative mood were more critical of , and paid more attention to their surroundings than happier people , who are more likely to believe anything they were told.
‘’Whereas positive mood seems to promote creativity, flexibility and reliance on mental shortcuts, negative mood trigger more attentive, careful thinking paying greater attention to the external world.’’For the study Forgas and his team conducted several experiments that started with inducing happy or sad moods in their subjects through watching films and recalling positive or negative events..In one of the experiments , happy and sad participants were asked to judge the truth of urban myths and rumours and found that people in a negative mood were less likely to believe these statements .People in a bad mood were also less likely to make snap decisions based on racial or religious prejudices , and they were less likely to make mistakes when asked to recall an event that they witnessed .The study also found that sad people were better at starting their case through written arguments, Forgas said ‘’ this showed that mildly negative mood may actually promote a more concrete, accommodative and ultimately more successful communication style .’’Positive mood is not universally desirable :people in negative mood are less prone to judgment errors, are more resistible to eyewitness distortions and are better at producing high quality , effective persuasive messages .’’Forgas also wrote that their study suggests that sadness promotes information processing strategies best suited to dealing with more demanding situations’’Saturday, November 21, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
ASPIRIN MAY CAUSE GASTROINTESTINAL BLEEDING
Health researchers warned that Aspirin Can Cause Internal Bleeding ,so patients of Gastrointestinal Bleedings , and and suffering in Dengue Fever may be avoided to use it .Taking aspirin to protect against having a stroke or a heart attack where there is no visible evidence of heart problems should be avoided, according to new medical research published by the DTB (Drugs and Therapeutics Bulletin). Aspirin, it says, is capable of inducing significant internal, gastrointestinal bleeding, and there is no concrete link between it and heart disease death prevention.In its report, the DTB calls on doctors to review all their cases in which aspirin has been prescribed as an anti-heart disease measure.Aspirin is frequently prescribed to patients with histories of heart diseases in order to stop future strokes or heart attacks. This is clearly a reactive measure - one that has been both going on for a long time and is known to be beneficial. What the report is saying, though, is that proactive aspirin prescription - issue of the drug pending the possibility of cardiovascular complications - needs to stop.
Aspirin: Heart Disease Prevention
The number of people in the UK who are being prescribed aspirin as a means of future heart disease prevention is thought to be in the thousands.
Over a four-year period beginning in 2005, a number of guidelines were issued that said aspirin should be used as a preventative measure in patients with no previous, evident heart problems, the Bulletin states. Among the patients groups covered were middle-aged-to-elderly Type 2 diabetics and people suffering from elevated blood pressure.
Aspirin: Gastrointestinal Bleeding:-
More recently, however, a study was published on six assessments that had taken place, and in which 95,000 patients were involved in all. This study -according to the Bulletin - drew attention to the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding episodes taking place within people who had taken aspirin. The same study also suggested that the link between the drug and death rates was fragile."Current evidence for primary prevention suggests the benefits and harms of aspirin in this setting may be more finely balanced than previously thought, even in individuals estimated to be at high risk of experiencing cardiovascular events, including those with diabetes or elevated blood pressure", the Bulletin's editor, Dr Ike Ikeanacho, explained.The new study has the backing of the Royal College of GPs. "Given the evidence, the DTB's statement on aspirin prescription is a sensible one", college chairman Professor Steve Field stated, adding that it would "...support their call for existing guidelines on aspirin prescription to be amended, and for a review of patients currently taking aspirin for prevention."Aspirin (USAN), also known as acetylsalicylic acid (pronounced /əˌsɛtɪlsælɪˌsɪlɪk ˈæsɪd/, abbreviated ASA), is a salicylate drug, often used as an analgesic to relieve minor aches and pains, as an antipyretic to reduce fever, and as an anti-inflammatory medication.Aspirin also has an antiplatelet effect by inhibiting the production of thromboxane, which under normal circumstances binds platelet molecules together to create a patch over damage of the walls within blood vessels. Because the platelet patch can become too large and also block blood flow, locally and downstream, aspirin is also used long-term, at low doses, to help prevent heart attacks, strokes, and blood clot formation in people at high risk for developing blood clots.[1] It has also been established that low doses of aspirin may be given immediately after a heart attack to reduce the risk of another heart attack or of the death of cardiac tissue.The main undesirable side effects of aspirin are gastrointestinal ulcers, stomach bleeding, and tinnitus, especially in higher doses. In children and adolescents, aspirin is no longer used to control flu-like symptoms or the symptoms of chickenpox or other viral illnesses, because of the risk of Reye's syndrome.Aspirin was the first discovered member of the class of drugs known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), not all of which are salicylates, although they all have similar effects and most have inhibition of the enzyme cyclooxygenase as their mechanism of action. Today, aspirin is one of the most widely used medications in the world, with an estimated 40,000 tonnes of it being consumed each year. In countries where Aspirin is a registered trademark owned by Bayer, the generic term is acetylsalicylic acid (ASA).
Adverse effects Gastrointestinal:-
Aspirin use has been shown to increase the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. Although some enteric coated formulations of aspirin are advertised as being "gentle to the stomach", in one study enteric coating did not seem to reduce this risk. Combining aspirin with other NSAIDs has also been shown to further increase this risk. Using aspirin in combination with clopidogrel or warfarin also increases the risk of upper gastrointestinal bleeding.
Central effects:-
Large doses of salicylate, a metabolite of aspirin, have been proposed to cause tinnitus, based on the experiments in rats, via the action on arachidonic acid and NMDA receptors cascade.
Other effects:-
Aspirin can cause prolonged bleeding after operations for up to 10 days. In one study, thirty patients were observed after their various surgeries. Twenty of the thirty patients had to have an additional unplanned operation because of postoperative bleeding. This diffuse bleeding was associated with aspirin alone or in combination with another NSAID in 19 out of the 20 who had to have another operation owing to bleeding after their operation. The average recovery time for the second operation was 11 days.Aspirin can induce angioedema in some people. In one study, angioedema appeared 1–6 hours after ingesting aspirin in some of the patients participating in the study. However, when the aspirin was taken alone it did not cause angioedema in these patients; the aspirin had been taken in combination with another NSAID-induced drug when angioedema appeared.Aspirin causes an increased risk of cerebral microbleeds that is the appearance on MRI scans of 5–10 mm or smaller hypointense (dark holes) patches.Such cerebral microbleeds are important since they often occur prior to ischemic stroke or intracerebral hemorrhage, Binswanger disease and Alzheimers Disease.Monday, November 16, 2009
MOBILE / WIRELESS PHONE RADIATION IN HOMOEOPATHIC PERSPECTIVE
A study in Sweden ‘s rebro University indicates that mobile phones and other cordless telephones have a biological effect on the Brain .It is still too early to say if any health risks are involved , but medical researchers Fredrik S +derqvist recommends caution in the use of these phones, above all among children and adolescents .Few children who regularly use mobile use a handset often or always ,even though the Swedish Radiation safety Authority recommends this. “Children may be more sensitive than adults to radiation from wireless phones.” Says Fredrik S+derqvist , who is presenting this research findings in a new doctoral thesis at +rebro University.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Ulcerative colitis
Ulcerative colitis (Colitis ulcerosa, UC) is a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). For my patient’s interest and information I here present details about this disease.
According to various Medical Dictionaries,Encyclopedias ,Ulcerative colitis is a form of colitis, a disease of the intestine, specifically the large intestine or colon, that includes characteristic ulcers, or open sores, in the colon. The main symptom of active disease is usually constant diarrhea mixed with blood, of gradual onset. Ulcerative colitis is, however, believed to have a systemic etiology that leads to many symptoms outside the intestine. Because of the name, IBD is often confused with irritable bowel syndrome ("IBS"), a troublesome, but much less serious, condition. Ulcerative colitis has similarities to Crohn's disease, another form of IBD. Ulcerative colitis is an intermittent disease, with periods of exacerbated symptoms, and periods that are relatively symptom-free. Although the symptoms of ulcerative colitis can sometimes diminish on their own, the disease usually requires treatment to go into remission.Ulcerative colitis occurs in 35–100 people for every 100,000 in the United States, or less than 0.1% of the population. The disease tends to be more common in northern areas. Although ulcerative colitis has no known cause, there is a presumed genetic component to susceptibility. The disease may be triggered in a susceptible person by environmental factors. Although dietary modification may reduce the discomfort of a person with the disease, ulcerative colitis is not thought to be caused by dietary factors. Although ulcerative colitis is treated as though it were an autoimmune disease, there is no consensus that it is such. Treatment is with anti-inflammatory drugs, immunosuppression, and biological therapy targeting specific components of the immune response. Colectomy (partial or total removal of the large bowel through surgery) is occasionally necessary, and is considered to be a cure for the disease.
Causes
While the cause of ulcerative colitis is still unknown, several, possibly interrelated, causes have been suggested. Some think that the smallest illness could spark the disease.
Genetic factors.A genetic component to the etiology of ulcerative colitis can be hypothesized based on the following:
• Aggregation of ulcerative colitis in families.
• Identical twin concordance rate of 10% and dizygotic twin concordance rate of 3%
• Ethnic differences in incidence.
• Genetic markers and linkages.
There are 12 regions of the genome which may be linked to ulcerative colitis. This includes chromosomes 16, 12, 6, 14, 5, 19, 1, 16, and 3 in the order of their discovery. However, none of these loci has been consistently shown to be at fault, suggesting that the disorder arises from the combination of multiple genes. For example, chromosome band 1p36 is one such region thought to be linked to inflammatory bowel disease.Some of the putative regions encode transporter proteins such as OCTN1 and OCTN2. Other potential regions involve cell scaffolding proteins such as the MAGUK family. There are even HLA associations which may be at work. In fact, this linkage on chromosome 6 may be the most convincing and consistent of the genetic candidates.
Multiple autoimmune disorders have been recorded with the neurovisceral and cutaneous genetic porphyrias including ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, celiac disease, dermatitis herpetiformis, diabetes, systemic and discoid lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, scleroderma, Sjogren's disease and scleritis. Physicians should be on high alert for porphyrias in families with autoimmune disorders and care must be taken with potential porphyrinogenic drugs, including sulfasalazine.
Environmental factors:-
Many hypotheses have been raised for environmental contributants to the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis. They include the following:
• Diet: as the colon is exposed to many dietary substances which may encourage inflammation, dietary factors have been hypothesized to play a role in the pathogenesis of both ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. There have been few studies to investigate such an association, but one study showed no association of refined sugar on the prevalence of ulcerative colitis.
• Diet: A diet low in fermentable dietary fiber may affect ulcerative colitis incidence.
• Breastfeeding: There have been conflicting reports of the protection of breastfeeding in the development of inflammatory bowel disease. One Italian study showed a potential protective effect.
• Several scientific studies have posted that Accutane is a possible trigger of Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative colitis in some individuals. Three cases in the United States have gone to trial thus far, with all three resulting in multi-million dollar judgements against the makers of isotretinoin. There are an additional 425 cases pending.Autoimmune disease.Some sources list ulcerative colitis as an autoimmune disease, a disease in which the immune system malfunctions, attacking some part of the body. In contrast to Crohn's disease, which can affect areas of the gastrointestinal tract outside of the colon, ulcerative colitis usually involves the rectum and is confined to the colon, with occasional involvement of the ileum. This so-called "backwash ileitis" can occur in 10–20% of patients with pancolitis and is believed to be of little clinical significance. Ulcerative colitis can also be associated with comorbidities that produce symptoms in many areas of the body outside the digestive system. Surgical removal of the large intestine often cures the disease.
Alternative theories
Levels of sulfate-reducing bacteria tend to be higher in persons with ulcerative colitis. This could mean that there are higher levels of hydrogen sulfide in the intestine. An alternative theory suggests that the symptoms of the disease may be caused by toxic effects of the hydrogen sulfide on the cells lining the intestine. may be caused by occlusions in the capillaries of the sub- epithelial linings, degenerated fibers beneath the mucosa and infiltration of the lamina propria with plasma cells.
Epidemiology:-
The incidence of ulcerative colitis in North America is 10–12 cases per 100,000 per year, with a peak incidence of ulcerative colitis occurring between the ages of 15 and 25. There is thought to be a bimodal distribution in age of onset, with a second peak in incidence occurring in the 6th decade of life. The disease affects females more than males.The geographic distribution of ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease is similar worldwide, highest incidences in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Scandinavia. Higher incidences are seen in northern locations compared to southern locations in Europe and the United States.As with Crohn's disease, the prevalence of ulcerative colitis is greater among Ashkenazi Jews and decreases progressively in other persons of Jewish descent, non-Jewish Caucasians, Africans, Hispanics, and Asians.
Clinical presentation:-
The clinical presentation[ ulcerative colitis depends on the extent of the disease process. Patients usually present with diarrhea mixed with blood and mucus, of gradual onset. They also may have signs of weight loss, and blood on rectal examination. The disease is usually accompanied with different degrees of abdominal pain, from mild discomfort to severely painful cramps.
Ulcerative colitis is associated with a general inflammatory process that affects many parts of the body. Sometimes these associated extra-intestinal symptoms are the initial signs of the disease, such as painful, arthritic knees in a teenager. The presence of the disease cannot be confirmed, however, until the onset of intestinal manifestations.
Extent of involvement.Ulcerative colitis is normally continuous from the rectum up the colon. The disease is classified by the extent of involvement, depending on how far up the colon the disease extends:
- Distal colitis, potentially treatable with enemas:
- Proctitis: Involvement limited to the rectum.
- Proctosigmoiditis: Involvement of the rectosigmoid colon, the portion of the colon adjacent to the rectum.
- Left-sided colitis: Involvement of the descending colon, which runs along the patient's left side, up to the splenic flexure and the beginning of the transverse colon.
- Extensive colitis, inflammation extending beyond the reach of enemas:
- Pancolitis: Involvement of the entire colon, extending from the rectum to the cecum, beyond which the small intestine begins.
- Iritis or uveitis, which is inflammation of the iris
- Episcleritis
- Musculoskeletal:
- Seronegative arthritis, which can be a large-joint oligoarthritis (affecting one or two joints), or may affect many small joints of the hands and feet
- Ankylosing spondylitis, arthritis of the spine
- Sacroiliitis, arthritis of the lower spine
- Cutaneous (related to the skin):
- Erythema nodosum, which is a panniculitis, or inflammation of subcutaneous tissue involving the lower extremities
- Pyoderma gangrenosum, which is a painful ulcerating lesion involving the skin
- Crohn's disease
- Infectious colitis, which is typically detected on stool cultures
- Pseudomembranous colitis, or Clostridium difficile-associated colitis, bacterial upsets often seen following administration of antibiotics
TETANUS/LOCKJAW
A serious illness in which bacterial infection causes acute contraptions of the muscles of the jaw and the neck. The patient experiences stiffness and pain in the jaw, with rise in temperature. Swallowing is difficult. There is headache and sweating .Immediate medical attention is required because tetanus can be fetal.
Decfinition :- According to the Medical Dictioneris Tetanus, also called lockjaw, is a medical condition characterized by a prolonged contraction of skeletal muscle fibers. The primary symptoms are caused by tetanospasmin, a neurotoxin produced by the Gram-positive, obligate anaerobic bacterium Clostridium tetani. Infection generally occurs through wound contamination and often involves a cut or deep puncture wound. As the infection progresses, muscle spasms develop in the jaw (thus the name "lockjaw") and elsewhere in the body. Infection can be prevented by proper immunization and by post-exposure prophylaxis.
Signs and symptoms:-
Tetanus affects skeletal muscle, a type of striated muscle used in voluntary movement. The other type of striated muscle, cardiac or heart muscle, cannot be tetanized because of its intrinsic electrical properties. Mortality rates reported vary from 40% to 78%. In recent years, approximately 11% of reported tetanus cases have been fatal. The highest mortality rates are in unvaccinated persons and persons over 60 years of age.
The incubation period of tetanus may be up to several months but is usually about 8 days. In general, the further the injury site is from the central nervous system, the longer the incubation period. The shorter the incubation period, the more severe the symptoms. In neonatal tetanus, symptoms usually appear from 4 to 14 days after birth, averaging about 7 days. On the basis of clinical findings, four different forms of tetanus have been described.
Generalized tetanus is the most common type of tetanus, representing about 80% of cases. The generalized form usually presents with a descending pattern. The first sign is trismus, or lockjaw, and the facial spasms called risus sardonicus, followed by stiffness of the neck, difficulty in swallowing, and rigidity of pectoral and calf muscles. Other symptoms include elevated temperature, sweating, elevated blood pressure, and episodic rapid heart rate. Spasms may occur frequently and last for several minutes with the body shaped into a characteristic form called opisthotonos. Spasms continue for 3–4 weeks, and complete recovery may take months.
Neonatal tetanus is a form of generalized tetanus that occurs in newborns. Infants who have not acquired passive immunity because the mother has never been immunized are at risk. It usually occurs through infection of the unhealed umbilical stump, particularly when the stump is cut with a non-sterile instrument. Neonatal tetanus is common in many developing countries and is responsible for about 14% (215,000) of all neonatal deaths, but is very rare in developed countries.
Local tetanus is an uncommon form of the disease, in which patients have persistent contraction of muscles in the same anatomic area as the injury. The contractions may persist for many weeks before gradually subsiding. Local tetanus is generally milder; only about 1% of cases are fatal, but it may precede the onset of generalized tetanus.
Cephalic tetanus is a rare form of the disease, occasionally occurring with otitis media (ear infections) in which C. tetani is present in the flora of the middle ear, or following injuries to the head. There is involvement of the cranial nerves, especially in the facial area.
Pathophysiology:-
Tetanus begins when spores of Clostridium tetani enter damaged tissue. The spores transform into rod-shaped bacteria and produce the neurotoxin tetanospasmin (also known as tetanus toxin). This toxin is inactive inside the bacteria, but when the bacteria dies, it is released and activated by proteases. Active tetanospasmin is carried by retrograde axonal transport to the spinal cord and brain stem where it binds irreversibly to receptors at these sites. It cleaves membrane proteins involved in neuroexocytosis, which in turn blocks neurotransmission. Ultimately, this produces the symptoms of the disease. Damaged upper motor neurons can no longer inhibit lower motor neurons, plus they cannot control reflex responses to afferent sensory stimuli. Both mechanisms produce the hallmark muscle rigidity and spasms. Similarly, a lack of neural control of the adrenal glands results in release of catecholamines, thus producing a hypersympathetic state and widespread autonomic instability.
C. tetani also produces tetanolysin, another toxin whose role in tetanus is unknown.
Diagnosis :-
There are no blood tests that can be used to diagnose tetanus. The diagnosis is based on the presentation of tetanus symptoms and does not depend upon isolation of the bacteria, which is recovered from the wound in only 30% of cases and can be isolated from patients who do not have tetanus. Laboratory identification of C. tetani can only be demonstrated by production of tetanospasmin in mice. The "spatula test" is a clinical test for tetanus that involves touching the posterior pharyngeal wall with a sterile, soft-tipped instrument, and observing the effect. A positive test result is the involuntary contraction of the jaw (biting down on the "spatula"), and a negative test result would normally be a gag reflex attempting to expel the foreign object. A short report in The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene states that in a patient research study, the spatula test had a high specificity (zero false-positive test results) and a high sensitivity (94% of infected patients produced a positive test result). In Homoeopathy Tatanus is treated without any harmful side effects.In this way of treatment also Prophylaxis which can prevent Tetanus.
HOMOEOPATHIC REMEDIES:-
CICUTA 200:
• Convulsion.
• Loss of consciousness.
• Face dark red. Mouth frothing.
• Spasm of masiticatory muscels.
• Raised temperature, headache and sweating.
• Oppressed breathing.
• From injury inflicted upon head and spinal coloumn.
HYPERICUM 200:
• Tetanus feared after punctured wound. Pain shoots up ine the wound along the nerves.
• After development of tetanus.
• To follow ledum in early stages. In later stages only Hypericum.
LEDUM 200:
• First remedy when tetanus is feared. As soon as a wound has been inflicted. Prevents tetanus.
NUX VOMICA 200:
• Violent convulsions of the whole body. Extreme rigidity of the limbs.
• Eyes destroyed, face red.
• Chest drawn in, causing difficulty in breathing.
• Spasm preceded by violent chills and shuddering.
PASSIFLORIA INC (Mother tincture. Thirty drops dose every hour):
• Extreme rigidity of muscles of the neck and of shoulders.
• Difficulty in swallowing.
• Tetanus from punctured wounds.NIGHTMARES
Definition :- According to the encyclopaedia A nightmare is an unpleasant dream. Nightmares cause strong unpleasant emotional responses from the sleeper, typically fear or horror. The dream may contain situation(s) of danger, discomfort, psychological or physical distress. Such dreams can be related to physical causes such as a high fever; in an uncomfortable or awkward position; stress or post traumatic experiences. Sometimes there may not readily be an explanation. If a person has experienced a psychological trauma, the said experience may haunt them in their nightmares. Sleepers may be waken in a state of distress, and be unable to get back to sleep for some time. Eating before bed, which triggers an increase in the body's metabolism and brain activity, is another potential stimulus for nightmares.The term "nightmare" used to refer to what is now called Sleep Paralysis in the 19th century and earlier.
Occasional nightmares are commonplace, but recurrent nightmares can interfere with sleep and may cause people to seek medical help. A recently proposed treatment consists of imagery rehearsal. This approach appears to reduce the effects of nightmares and other symptoms in acute stress disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Medical investigation:-
Studies of dreams have found that about three quarters of dream content or emotions are negative .One definition of "nightmare" is a dream which causes one to wake up in the middle of the sleep cycle and experience a negative emotion, such as fear. This type of event occurs on average once per month. They are not common in children under 5, more common in young children (25% experiencing a nightmare at least once per week), most common in adolescents, and less common in adults (dropping in frequency about one-third from age 25 to 55). Fearfulness in waking life is correlated with the incidence of nightmares .In Homoeopathy there is cure without any side harmful effects
HOMOEOPATHIC REMEDIES :-
ACCONITE NAP 30:
• Anxious dreams, ravings.
CALC CARB 30:
• Some disagreeable ideas always arouse from night slumbers.
• Night terrors.
HYOSCYAMUS 200:
• Intense sleeplessness.
• Nervous system disturbed. Starts up frightened.
• Insomnia in delirium.
SPONGIA 30:
• Wakes up in fright. Feels as if suffocated.
INSOMNIA
Inability to go to sleep or to get sleep for a period sufficient for the needs individual. Chronic inability to sleep .The most common cause of insomnia is worry; the other is depression. Environmental disturbances also cause lack of sleep.Sleeping pills should be avoided as far as possible.Practice some technique to relax. Yoga can help and so can meditation or listening music.
Definition :- According to the definitions in encyclopedias Insomnia is a symptom of any of several sleep disorders, characterized by persistent difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep despite the opportunity. Insomnia is a symptom, not a stand-alone diagnosis or a disease. By definition, insomnia is "difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep, or both" and it may be due to inadequate quality or quantity of sleep. It is typically followed by functional impairment while awake. Both organic and non-organic insomnia without other cause constitute a sleep disorder, primary insomnia. According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services in the year 2007, approximately 64 million Americans regularly suffer from insomnia each year. Insomnia is 1.4 times more common in women than in men.
Types of insomnia:-
Although there are several different degrees of insomnia, three types of insomnia have been clearly identified: transient, acute, and chronic.
1. Transient insomnia lasts from days to weeks. It can be caused by another disorder, by changes in the sleep environment, by the timing of sleep, severe depression, or by stress. Its consequences - sleepiness and impaired psychomotor performance - are similar to those of sleep deprivation.
2. Acute insomnia is the inability to consistently sleep well for a period of between three weeks to six months.
3. Chronic insomnia lasts for years at a time. It can be caused by another disorder, or it can be a primary disorder. Its effects can vary according to its causes. They might include sleepiness, muscular fatigue, hallucinations, and/or mental fatigue; but people with chronic insomnia often show increased alertness. Some people that live with this disorder see things as though they were happening in slow motion, wherein moving objects seem to blend together. Can cause double vision.
Causes:-
Insomnia can be caused by:
• Psychoactive drugs or stimulants, including certain medications, herbs, caffeine, cocaine, ephedrine, amphetamines, methylphenidate, MDMA, methamphetamine and modafinil
• Fluoroquinolone antibiotic drugs, see Fluoroquinolone toxicity, associated with more severe and chronic types of insomnia Restless Legs Syndrome can cause insomnia due to the discomforting sensations felt and need to move the legs or other body parts to relieve these sensations. It is difficult if not impossible to fall asleep while moving.
• Any injury or condition that causes pain. Pain can preclude an individual from finding a comfortable position in which to fall asleep, and in addition can cause awakening if, during sleep, the person rolls over and puts pressure on the injured or painful area of the body.
• Hormone shifts such as those that precede menstruation and those during menopause
• Life problems like fear, stress, anxiety, emotional or mental tension, work problems, financial stress, unsatisfactory sex life
• Mental disorders such as bipolar disorder, clinical depression, generalized anxiety disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, or obsessive compulsive disorder.
• Disturbances of the circadian rhythm, such as shift work and jet lag, can cause an inability to sleep at some times of the day and excessive sleepiness at other times of the day. Jet lag is seen in people who travel through multiple time zones, as the time relative to the rising and setting of the sun no longer coincides with the body's internal concept of it. The insomnia experienced by shift workers is also a circadian rhythm sleep disorder.
• Estrogen is considered to play a significant role in women’s mental health (including insomnia). A conceptual model of how estrogen affects mood was suggested by Douma et al. 2005 based on their extensive literature review relating activity of endogenous, bio-identical and synthetic estrogen with mood and well-being. They concluded the sudden estrogen withdrawal, fluctuating estrogen, and periods of sustained estrogen low levels correlated with significant mood lowering. Clinical recovery from depression postpartum, perimenopause, and postmenopause was shown to be effective after levels of estrogen were stabilized and/or restored.[9][10]
• Certain neurological disorders, brain lesions, or a history of traumatic brain injury
• Medical conditions such as hyperthyroidism and rheumatoid arthritis[11]
• Abuse of over-the counter or prescription sleep aids can produce rebound insomnia
• Poor sleep hygiene, e.g., noise
• Parasomnia, which includes a number of disruptive sleep events including nightmares, sleepwalking, violent behavior while sleeping, and REM behavior disorder, in which a person moves his/her physical body in response to events within his/her dreams
• A rare genetic condition can cause a prion-based, permanent and eventually fatal form of insomnia called fatal familial insomnia
• Parasites can cause intestinal disturbances while sleeping.[citation needed]
• Sometimes a rare case of insomnia is also seen in individuals who have long hours of consistent television watching or computer surfing.[citation needed]
Sleep studies using polysomnography have suggested that people who have insomnia with sleep disruption have elevated nighttime levels of circulating cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone They also have an elevated metabolic rate, which does not occur in people who do not have insomnia but whose sleep is intentionally disrupted during a sleep study. Studies of brain metabolism using positron emission tomography (PET) scans indicate that people with insomnia have higher metabolic rates by night and by day. The question remains whether these changes are the causes or consequences of long-term insomnia. Insomnia can be common after the loss of a loved one, even years or decades after the death, if they have not gone through the grieving process. Overall, symptoms and the degree of their severity affect each individual differently depending on their mental health, physical condition, and attitude or personality.
A common misperception is that the amount of sleep required decreases as a person ages. The ability to sleep for long periods, rather than the need for sleep, appears to be lost as people get older. Some elderly insomniacs toss and turn in bed and occasionally fall off the bed at night, diminishing the amount of sleep they receive.
HOMOEOPATHIC REMEDIES:
ACONITE NAP 30:
• Of the aged.
AMBRA GRISEA 30:
• Cannot sleep from worry. Must get up.
ARNICA 200:
• With restlessness ehen overtired.
ARSENIC ALB 200:
• On account of mental or physical restlessness.
CAMPHOR 30:
• Insomnia with cold limbs.
CANNABIS INDICA 30:
• Obstinate and intractable insomnia. Sleepy but cannot sleep.
CHAMOMILLA 200:
• Sleep lost on account of unbearable pain at night, in bed.
• Rheumatic or abdominal pain.
• Uneasiness an anxiety.
CHINA 200:
• Insomnia in women after copious menstruation. Sleeplessness night after night.
COFFEA 200:
• Sleeplessness on account of mental activity. Flow of ideas.
• The best medicine.
• Unable to sleep due to joy, sorrow, sudden surprise, emotional excitement, fancies and plans for the future, hysteria. (Makes sleeping pills unnecessary.)
NUX VOMICA 200 (One dose needed at 3:00 a.m. or about when sleep is disturbed. Clears the problem in few days):
• Cannot sleep after 3:00 a.m. until towards morning. All problems converge on the mind. Goes to sleep at 5:00 a.m. and wakes up feeling wretched.
RAPHANUS 30:
• sexual insomnia of women. Excessive desire.
• Copious and long menstruation.
CONSTIPATION
Difficult and delayed passage of stool. It is one of the most bothersome problems. Almost every other person suffers from constipation. Over a period of time, this results in tears in the rectum. Constipation leads to headache and overall discomfort. Constipation is usually called mother of diseases ( Umm ul amraaz = in Urdu / Persian )
Some of the best cures are obtained by changing dietary habits. The diet must include fibrous food, lots of vegetables, fruit, and other roughage. Whole-wheat bread should be preferred to while bread. Regular exercise helps.Routine use of laxatives should be avoided. Sufficient quantities of liquids must be consumed.
Causes :-
According to the medical dictioneries the main causes of constipation include:
• Hardening of the feces
o Insufficient intake of dietary fiber
o Dehydration from any cause or inadequate fluid intake
o Medication, e.g. diuretics and those containing iron, calcium, aluminum
• Paralysis or slowed transit, where peristaltic action is diminished or absent, so that feces are not moved along
o Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid gland)
o Hypokalemia
o Injured anal sphincter (patulous anus)
o Medications, such as loperamide, opioids (e.g. codeine & morphine) and certain tricyclic antidepressants
o Severe illness due to other causes
o Acute porphyria (a rare inherited condition)
o Lead poisoning
o Lactose Intolerance
o Dyschezia (usually the result of suppressing defecation)
• Diverticula
o Tumors, either of the bowel or surrounding tissues
• Obstructed defecation, due to:
o Mechanical causes from morphological abnormalities of the anorectum including megarectum, rectal prolapse, rectocele, and enterocele
o Functional causes from neurological disorders and dysfunction of the pelvic floor muscles or anorectal muscles, including anismus, descending perineum syndrome, and Hirschsprung's disease
o Retained foreign body or a bezoar
• Psychosomatic constipation, based on anxiety or unfamiliarity with surroundings.
o Functional constipation
o Constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome, characterized by a combination of constipation and abdominal discomfort and/or pain[8]
• Smoking cessation (nicotine has a laxative effect)[9]
• Abdominal surgery, other types of surgery, childbirth
• Severe dehydration
• Some causes are with particular respect to infants:[10]
o Switching from breast milk to bottle feeds, or to solid meals
o Potty training anxiety
o Hirschsprung’s disease - a condition from birth where the child has a nerve cell defect that affects communication between the brain and bowels
There are many things you can do to prevent constipation. They include :-
• Eating more fruits, vegetables and grains, which are high in fiber.
• Drinking plenty of water and other liquids
• Getting enough exercise
• Taking time to have a bowel movement when you need to
• Using laxatives only if your doctor says you should
• Asking your doctor if medicines you take may cause constipation
It's not important that you have a bowel movement every day. If your bowel habits change, however, check with your doctor.
HOMOEOPATHIC REMEDIES
ALUMEN 200:
• Constipation of the most aggravated kind. No desire for days. Marble-like masses. Rectum full.
• Violent ,ineffectual urging to stool.
• Itching in anus, rectum raw after stool.
ALUMINA 30:
• No desire. No ability.
• From dryness of intestinal tract and lack of peristaltic action. Complete intertia of the rectum. Even soft stool is expelled with difficulty.
• Large stool accumulates inside. Has to strain before and during motion.
• No appetite. Mouth dry. Tongue irritated.
• Stool is hard, dry, knotty.
• Of women with sedentary habits.
• During pregnancy.
• Of infants. Of old persons.
• Worse in the morning, on waking up.
BRYONIA 200:
• Absolutely no desire.
• Stool dry, hard as if burnt. Caused by absence of secretions in the intestines.
CAUSTICUM 200:
• Constipation with tenesmus. Face becomes red while starining to pass stool.
• Can pass stool only when standing.
• Swollen piles; moist, raw, burning.
• Worse on walking.
GRAPHITES 200:
• No urging. No stool for days together. Then blotches appear on the face.
• With hemorrhoids and fissures which burn and itch severely.
• Obese persons of sensitive and sad temperament they are nervous and find it difficult to concentrate.
LYCOPODIUM 200:
• Obstinate constipation. No desire to pass stool although inside is full.
• Flatulence. For days no urge.
• First stool hard; later gushing.
MAGNESIA MUR 200:
• Of infants during dentition. Stool hard, crumbles at the verge of anus.
NAT MUR 200:
• Obstinate retention of stool. Rectum dry, inactive.
• Stool large but difficult to expel.
• Anus torn, bleeding.
NUX VOM 200:
• Frequent desire to pass stool; yet, each time a small quantity is passed.
• Constipation in persons leading a fast life and indulging in alcoholic drinks. Fond of late nights.
OPIUM 200:
• Obstinate constipation. No urge for days. No discomfort.
• Stool hard, dark balls.
PARAFFINE 30:
• Obstinate constipation o children.
• Chronic constipation with hemorrhoids.
PULSATILLA 200:
• Chronic. Troublesome. Dysentery. Diarrhea alternate.
• Stool large, hard, difficult to wake out.
• No two motions alike.
• Blind hemorrhoids with stitching pain.
SEPIA 200:
• Obstinate constipation in children, stool has to be physically removed.
SILICEA 200:
• Typical of teething children. Rectum weak, paralyzed. Expulsive power of the rectum lost, stool protrudes, slips back.
SULPHUR 200:
• Chronic.
• Renders instant help. Acts as a catalyst for other medicines.
FISTULA-ANAL
A very painful channel created between the rectal canal and the skin around the surface of the anus. At times, there is pus formation and slight bleeding.
Definition:- According to the medical Dictionaries A fistula is an abnormal tunnel connecting two body cavities (such as the rectum and the vagina) or a body cavity to the skin (like the rectum to the outside of the body). One way a fistula may form is from an abscess - a pocket of pus in the body. The abscess may be constantly filling with body fluids such as stool or urine, which prevents healing. Eventually the fistula breaks through to the skin, another body cavity, or an organ. Fistulas are more common in Cohn's disease than in ulcerative colitis. Approximately one quarter of people with Cohn's disease develop fistulas.Fistulas often occur in the area around the genitals and anus (known as the perineum).
The four types of fistulas are:
• Enterocutaneous: This type of fistula is from the intestine to the skin. An enterocutaneous fistula may be a complication of surgery. It can be described as a passageway that progresses from the intestine to the surgery site and then to the skin.
• Enteroenteric or Enterocolic: This is a fistula that involves the large or small intestine.
• Enterovaginal: This is a fistula that goes to the vagina.
• Enterovesicular: This type of fistula goes to the bladder. These fistulas may result in frequent urinary tract infections, or the passage of gas from the urethra during urination.
Symptoms
Symptoms of fistulas can include pain, fever, tenderness, itching, and generally feeling poorly. The fistula may also drain pus or a foul-smelling discharge. These symptoms vary based on the severity and location of the fistula.
Diagnosis
Fistulas, depending on their location, can be diagnosed by some of the diagnostic tests often used in IBD. Barium enema, colonoscopy, sigmoidoscopy, or an upper endoscopy may be used.
Another test, a fistulogram, may also be used. In this test, dye is injected into the fistula, and X-rays are taken. The dye helps the fistula to show up better on the X-rays. The dye is inserted into the rectum, similar to an enema, for fistulas that are in the rectum. The dye must be 'held' inside during the procedure. With a fistula that is to the outside of the body, the dye is put into the opening with a small tube. X-rays will be taken from several different angles, so a patient may have to change positions on the X-ray table. As with any other kind of X-ray, remaining still is important .For a suspected enterovesicular (bladder) fistula, an intravenous pyelogram (IVP), another type of X-ray, is performed. Prepping for this test may include a clear liquid diet or fasting, because stool in the colon can obstruct the view of the bladder. The dye (contrast material) is injected into the arm, and several X-rays are taken.
Complications
A fistula may form an abscess when it closes, or if it becomes infected. An abscess is an infection inside a cavity in the body.
HOMOEOPATHIC Remedies :-
CALENDULA (Mother tincture for local application.):
• Provides comfort as well as local healing.
MYRISTICA 200:
• Aborts pus formation. Heals when pus has formed.
• Surgery can be avoided in septic cases by the use of this medicine.
NITRIC ACID 200:
• Rectum feels torn.
• Anal fissures. Splinters in the rectum.
• Would cry if touched on sore anus.
• Bowels constipated. Constriction.
• Violent ,cutting pain after stool, lasting for hours.
• Pain even after soft stool.
• Tenesmus present.
• Difficult healing of anal fistula or fissures. Chronic cases. (Most effective).
SILICEA 200:
• Anal fistula with pus.
• Fissure and hemorrhoids painful.
• Goes deep to heal pus-filled pockets.
• Severe pain. Spasm of sphincter.
• Difficulty in passing stool. Receding stool.
• Anal sphincter irritated.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Colic Pain.( Qolanj = in Urdu )
This is a condition a severe paroxysmal pain in the abdomen, due to spasm, obstruction, or distention of some one of the hollow viscera . There are some kinds of Colic pain .Hepatic colic, the severe pain produced by the passage of a gallstone from the liver or gall bladder through the bile duct .Intestinal colic, or Ordinary colic, pain due to distention of the intestines by gas. Lead colic , Painter's colic, a violent form of intestinal colic, associated with obstinate constipation, produced by chronic lead poisoning. Renal colic, the severe pain produced by the passage of a calculus from the kidney through the ureter.Wind colic.
HOMOEOPATHIC REMEDIES FOR COLIC PAIN:-
ARG NIT 200:
• Painful spot over stomach, from which pain radiates to all parts of the abdomen.
• Severe pain on account of hiatus hernia, below the centre of the rib cage.
• Painful swelling of pit of the stomach.
• Burning and constriction; ulceration of the stomach. Hyperacidity.
ARSENIC ALB 200:
• Pain in food poisoning.
• Unbearable pain with burning stomach upset.
• Pain on account of enlargement of liver and spleen.
• Black, bloody diarrhea.
• Hot food relieves.
• Cold food disagrees.
BELLADONNA 200:
• Burning, cutting pain; distension in stomach.
• Spasm of stomach. Pain as if clutched by a hand.
• Great thirst for cold water.
• Worse jar, pressure. Sensitive to even bedclothes.
BERBERIS VULGARIS 200:
• Stitches in the region of gall bladder. Catarrh of gall bladder.
• Stitching pain in front of kidney, extending to liver, spleen, stomach, groin.
• Worse pressure.
CARBO VEG 200:
• Constrictive, uncreative pain extending to chest with distension of abdomen. Flatulent colic.
• Ulcers in the stomach; burning coals sensation.
CEANOTHUS 30:
• Splenetic enormous enlargement of the spleen. Hypertrophy of the spleen. Pain on the left side.
CHAMOMILLA 200:
• Acute duodenitis. Inflammation and pain of duodenum. Griping pain in region of navel and pain in the small or back.
• Flatulence.
• Child in great agony.
CHIONANTHUS 30:
• Aching an umbilical region. Griping pain, severe spasmodic intestinal pain.
• Feels as if a string were tied in a ‘slip-knot’ around intestines, which was suddenly drawn tight and then gradually loosened.
• Pain in enlarged liver, enlarged spleen. Jaundice.
• Hepatitis pain.
• Gall stone colic.
• Constipation. CICUTA 200:
• Colic with convulsions. CINA 200:
• Twisting pain abou navels. Due to worms of any type.
COLOCYNTHIS 200:
• Agoinisng, cutting pain in abdomen, causing th epatient to double over.
• Child doubles up and tosses in agony.
• Sesation as if stones were being ground together in the abdomen and that it would burst.
• Dysenteric stool each time some food is taken. Stool like jelly with foul odour.
• Colic and cramps in calves.
• Flatulence.
• Better from pressure, hard pressure.
• Worse from anger and indignation.
HEPAR SULPH 200:
• Stitches in the region of the liver, with weakness or coughing. Abscess of the liver.
• Pain in hepatitis.
IPECAC 200:
• Pain of amoebic dysentery with tenesmus. Cutting. Worse around navel. Nauseating.
KALI BI 200:
• Stitches in the region of liver and spleen, through to spine.
• Cirrohosis of the liver.
• Chronic duodenitis.
LYCOPODIUM 200:
• Pain shooting across lower abdomen from right to left. Liver sensitive.
• Chronic appendicitis.
• Flatulence downwards.
MAG PHOS 200:
• Flatulent colic, forcing patient to bend double.
• Constatnt flatus. Bleching of gas but no relief.
• Relief by warmth and pressure.
NUX VOM 200:
• Pressure as of a stone several hours after eating. Colic. Pains so cutting that the patient feels forced to bend double.
• In persons leading an irregular life, eating, drinking and keeping late hours.
PLUMBUM MET 30:
• Excessive excruciating colic radiating to all parts of the body.
• Abdomen retracted as if pulled by a string to the spine.
PODOPHYLLUM 200:
• Gastroenteritis with colic pain and bilious vomiting.
• Gushing, fetid stool. Yellowish stool. Painless. Early morning.
• Worse in summer.
STAPHYSAGRIA 200:
• Severe pain following abdominal operation.
VERATRUM ALB 1000:
• Terrible colic. Abdomen swollen. Cholera with nausea and copious vomiting.
• Sinking, empty, cold feeling in the stomach.
• Rice-coloured, thin, copious stool. Unbearable frequency.
• Collapse. Skin blue. Fa
NAUSEA / VOMITING
Feeling sick at the stomach with a desire to vomit. Accompanied by a distaste, a loathing for food.The impulse to vomit is involuntary and uncontrollable.Nausea is also an adverse effect of many drugs, opiates in particular, and may also be a side-effect of a large intake of sugary foods.Nausea is not a sickness, but rather a symptom of several conditions, many of which are unrelated to the stomach. Nausea is often indicative of an underlying condition elsewhere in the body. Motion sickness, which is due to confusion between perceived movement and actual movement, is an example: the sense of equilibrium lies in the ear and works together with eyesight. When these two "disagree" about the extent to which the body is actually moving, the symptom is presented as nausea, although the stomach itself has nothing to do with the situation. The stomach's involvement comes from the brain's conclusion that one of the senses is hallucinating due to poison ingestion; the brain then induces vomiting to clear the supposed toxin[citation needed.In medicine, nausea can be a problem during some chemotherapy regimens and following general anesthesia. Nausea is also a common symptom of pregnancy, in which it is called "morning sickness". Mild nausea experienced during pregnancy can be normal, and should not be considered an immediate cause for alarm.
HOMOEOPATHIC Remedies for Nausea / Vomiting :-
ARSENIC ALB 200:
• Vomit of bile, blood, green or brown-black mucus mixed with blood.
• Nausea and retching after eating and drinking. Food poisoning.
• Ill effects of vegetable diet, melons and watery fruit, decayed or exposed or otherwise.
ANTIM TART 200:
• Intense nausea; relief on vomiting.
• Retching.
• Tongue thick, white; red edges.
• Body cold; cold water; takes little at a time.
BERBERIS VULGARIS 30:
• Nausea before breakfast.
BISMUTH 30:
• Vomits all fluids. Water vomited as soon as it reaches the stomach.
BRYONIA 200:
• Nausea when rising.
• Pressure in stomach after eating as of a stone.
CADMIUM 30:
• Black vomit. Vomit of mucus; green, slimy, bloody.
• Great prostration.
• Disease running deathwards.
CARBOLIC ACID 30:
• Vomit of dark, olive green, semi-digested food.
• Fermentation inside the stomach.
• Desire for stimulants and tobacco.
CARBO VEG 200:
• In the morning, in pregnancy.
• Weak digestion.
• Acidity. Burning.
CIMICIFUGA 200:
• Nausea, vomiting caused by pressure on spine and cervical region.
COCCULUS 200:
• Due to sea-sickness, travel sickness, car-sickness, flying sickness or motion sickness.
IPECAC 200:
• Persistent nausea. Vomiting.
• Premier remedy.
• No relief from vomit.
• Vomits bile, food, blood, mucus. Colic pain; cutting, from left to right.
• Nausea in any sickness.
• Nausea and vomiting after taking raisins and cakes, etc. fermented, foamy mucous stool. Cutting pain.
• In gastritis. Even a drop of water does not stay in.
• Nausea with headache.
• Pregnancy nausea.
• Fever with nausea; chill, heat and breathlessness.
• Copious red hemorrhage with nausea.
• Pale, twitching face.
MORPHINUM 30:
• Incessant and deathly nausea. Vomit of green fluid.
PHOSPHORUS 200:
• Water is thrown up as soon as it gets warm in the stomach.
SEPIA 200:
• Nausea in the morning before eating.
VALERIANA (Mother tincture 5 drops 4 times a day):
• Child vomits curdled milk in large lumps after nursing. Violent screaming.
VERATRUM ALB 200, 1000:
• Nausea and retching with cholera. Violent nausea.
• Rice-colored, watery stools. Aggravated by drinking water and least motion.
• Chronic vomiting of food with gastric irritability.
• Wants cold water but cannot retain it.
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