Archive for May, 2009
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COMMON INFECTIONS OF CHILDHOOD: COUGH CAUSE AND CLINICAL FEATURES
Cough is one of the commonest symptoms of childhood and is sometimes difficult to treat. A cough tends to linger on in young children, often disturbing sleep and everyday functioning, and is distressing to children and parents alike. Cause There are many causes of a cough in children, including infections (both viral and bacterial), irritations [...]
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GENETIC DISORDERS AND ANTENATAL CARE
Dominant and recessive genes Every cell in the human body contains twenty-three pairs of matching chromosomes, which carry the genetic blueprint determining every human characteristic. Each gene on each chromosome has its corresponding gene on the matching chromosome. One gene is usually dominant over the other, and is expressed as a certain characteristic. Only if [...]
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YOUR MARITAL HEALTH/THE MOST OFTEN ASKED QUESTION: DOES THAT MEAN I WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO HAVE IT
WITH HIM? “I love it when he kisses my vagina and my clitoris. I have my best orgasms that way. He won’t do it anymore. He says it smells and tastes bad. Does that mean I will never be able to have it with him?” ANSWER: If by “it” you mean cunnilingus, then, yes, you [...]
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WHAT IS RADIATION TREATMENT?
The expressions radiation treatment and radiotherapy mean the same thing: treatment with various forms of ionising radiation. The treatment is usually given by beaming the rays through the body from a machine which looks a bit like the ones they take X-rays with. Less commonly, radiation treatment is given by temporarily placing radioactive substances inside [...]
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HYPERTENSION – NON-COMPLIANCE WITH THE DOCTOR’S INSTRUCTIONS
It may take a lot of persuasion to convince a person who feels well, but who has been told his blood pressure is raised, to take tablets which make him feel ill and which interfere with some normal bodily functions. This is the reason most people stop treatment, or continue with a reduced dose. Another [...]
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ALLERGIES TO FOOD – DIFFERENT TYPES OF FOOD
Unfortunately, the history is not always accurate as we all eat many different types of food and may be confused. Sometimes it takes several episodes of an allergic manifestation such as hives before the penny drops and we associate the symptoms with a particular food. If the allergy is due to a breakdown substance, then [...]
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PROSTAGLANDINS—THE NEW HORMONES
Prostaglandins, newly understood hormones, were first discovered and named in 1935 by Dr. U. S. von Euler, a distinguished professor and researcher at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. Dr. von Euler originally believed that these hormones were produced solely by the prostate gland in the male, which is his reason for naming them as he [...]
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SIDE-EFFECTS OF USING TOPICAL CORTICOSTEROIDS
They are primarily local, and may take many forms. Thinning of the skin may occur, with resultant striae or stretch marks appearing as purple or white streaks, particularly in the creases. The skin may also appear aged, with the blood vessels and superficial haemorrhages visible through the more transparent skin, particularly on the face. There [...]
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WHAT DO FATTY ACIDS LOOK LIKE? UNSATURATED FATS
A fatty acid molecule consists of a chain of carbon atoms with hydrogen atoms attached. The end of the molecule with three hydrogens (H) attached to the carbon (C) atom is called the methyl end. The other end is known as the carboxyl end. The chain has an even number of carbon atoms which stretches [...]
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COPING WITH ENDOMETRIOSIS: DIET
Lifestyle and diet play an important role in this holistic approach. A poor diet can result in mineral deficiencies which can burden the lymphatic system with waste. Often the food we eat does not have the nutritional quality necessary for good health. If you don’t have access to organically grown fruit and vegetables (and being [...]