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Below are listed several precautionary rules that everyone should heed when travelling in the tropics.

Walking barefoot, although a pleasant and healthy habit in temperate zones, is hazardous in the tropics. Various parasitic larvae may stick to the skin, penetrate the sole of the foot or the skin between the toes and travel via the lymphatics and the bloodstream to various parts of the body where they can wreak havoc. If you are a nature-lover, who cannot resist the impulse to walk barefoot in these warm areas, make sure you do so only on beaches where the sand has been cleansed by the ocean tides. Even the sand dunes farther back from the beach and which are not in direct contact with sea water are a danger and must be avoided. In tropical and subtropical regions the sand farther back is often contaminated with human excrement, releasing hundreds of thousands of worms and other parasites that can be easily transferred to the foot – and their new host – while walking on the dunes.

In hot, humid, tropical or subtropical regions, it is advisable to take with you, and sleep under, a mosquito net at all times. A net is an excellent protection and prevention from insect bites that could result in malaria, elephantiasis, sleeping sickness, and many other tropical diseases.

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As soon as the patient drinks a little milk or chews some dry rolled oats the acid is neutralised and the pains temporarily subside. Even more effective is wood ash, taken as described in the preceding section, as this is able to neutralise the acid immediately because of its alkaline content. Ashes from birch wood or grapevines have proved to be excellent. The remedy Gastronol contains this ash, as well as condurango.

Hydrochloric acid acts like a disinfectant and kills the germs that cause fermentation and putrefaction. Where there is little hydrochloric acid present, fermentation accompanied by gas formation and bad breath is more likely. It is peculiar, too, that cancer of the stomach generally develops when there is a great lack of hydrochloric acid; the reason for this has not yet been satisfactorily explained. When we come to think of it, how difficult it is for man to find answers and explanations for that which we receive from the hands of our Creator!

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Nettle rash, also known as urticaria, is a peculiar and very unpleasant condition. Although easily diagnosed, the actual cause is another matter. The itching variety of urticaria is accompanied by small pink eruptions on the skin. Identifying the cause of the complaint is often difficult. As a rule, it is recognised that a sensitivity to certain substances or foods is responsible for nettle rash, the kind of hypersensitivity generally referred to as an allergy. Where such a tendency exists, certain foods, such as strawberries, fish, cheese, eggs, seafood, pork and salami may be the allergens that cause such a reaction. There could also be a reaction to certain medications, even if these are biological preparations such as arnica, to cite just one. What can you do if you are susceptible to attacks of urticaria?

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An infusion made from the woody partitions inside the walnut is excellent in cases where the coronary vessels have become hardened, and for cardiac pains and fever. A narrowing of the coronary vessels can often be attributed to chronic nicotine poisoning. The doctor and knowledgeable friends may have encouraged the patient on more than one occasion to quit smoking because of his heart trouble, the so-called angina pectoris. Unfortunately, the nicotine addiction often triumphs over health considerations, and severe chest pains will continue to plague the smoker. Would he continue to smoke if he knew that every severe attack of angina pectoris leaves a small scar in the muscle tissue of the heart? I wonder. Still, his unreasonableness may compel him to carry on smoking and the final result will be a myocardial infarction, death of the tissues in the myocardium. Many weeks resting in bed may bring about an improvement in his condition, but it is not to be mistaken for a cure. For once again, instead of healthy pink muscle tissue, the patient will be left with yet another white scar on the heart. Even so he must consider himself fortunate, as a ‘heart attack’ can sometimes lead to a rupture of the heart, which would be fatal.

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If we want to to have a suitable drink with our vegetable dishes, we should choose something that contains lactic acid, for example diluted Molkosan, or juices, such as beetroot and carrot juices. However, it should be remembered never to make a practice of drinking while there is food in the mouth as this prevents proper mastication and hinders the pre-digestive process.

When suffering from high blood pressure it is important to consider the type of condiments used. Since too much salt can increase the blood pressure, the diet should be very low in salt, just as is necessary in the case of kidney trouble. Instead of using salt without thinking, you must learn the art of proper seasoning. This is something that every cook should know, especially if diet meals have to be prepared. Food should never taste dull or else it will be unappetising. Instead of salt, the following spices and herbs, if used moderately, are better for your health: horseradish, parsley, marjoram, thyme, and if you like, also chillies, paprika, and curry. Garlic adds a pleasant flavour to rice dishes too. The popular herbal salt Herbamare makes seasoning easier and economical to use.

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After a routine exam, a 55-year-old patient cleared her throat as she was getting ready to leave. “Doctor,” she said, “one more thing.”

I motioned to het to sit down. She did, seeming almost embarrassed to bring up what was bothering her.

“My mouth has seemed rather dry lately,” she said. “I find that it’s harder for me to eat, especially foods like toast and crackers.” She added that she had begun to drink water with her meals to help her swallow, which she had never done before.

Dry mouth, or xerostomia, may be due to illness, a change in medication, or a problem with the salivary glands. A stone in the salivary duct can also cause your mouth to become dry. In this case, you’ll definitely know the cause because, in most cases, a salivary duct stone causes a section of the temple or upper neck to swell up. You may also feel a sharp pain in your mouth. A stone is formed by certain chemicals in the duct which then harden and block the duct.

Though doctors once believed that a decrease in saliva production was a natural sign of aging, they now dismiss it. More often, it is something else that affects the salivary glands, although sometimes a patient will complain of the sensation of a dry mouth, or xerostomia, when salivary output is normal.

Though most people might think that having a dry mouth is just an inconvenience, it can lead to other health problems, including an increase in tooth decay.

If you’ve recently developed dry mouth, or if it’s plagued you on and off for years, it’s important to determine the cause, since it can also be a symptom of some serious diseases.

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Description and Possible Medical Problems

Sometimes when a midlife adult complains of hearing loss or a low, constant buzzing and his physician comes up empty-handed, the diagnosis is simpler than either one may have thought.

It’s ironic, but sometimes a drug that is used to treat an ear infection can actually contribute to heating loss. Several kinds of drugs are notorious for inducing a temporary hearing loss that’s usually accompanied by buzzing.

To determine if your hearing loss is due to medication, go through the following checklist:

1. Do I take a lot of aspirin?

2. Has my doctor recently prescribed an antibiotic to treat another illness?

3. Do I frequently take diuretics to control my weight?

If you answered yes to any of these questions and you’ve recently had a noticeable loss of hearing, it’s possible that the medications—both over the counter and prescription—are responsible.

Treatment

Though three classes of dtugs—diuretics, antibiotics, and aspirin—are among the most commonly used and prescribed, they can be exttemely toxic to the eat, or ototoxic. The inner ear is affected since these drugs can damage the tiny hairs and other parts of the inner ear. The ensuing hearing loss, especially in the elderly, may be irreversible. And patients who already have substantial hearing loss shouldn’t be prescribed these ototoxic drugs at all.

Fortunately, less toxic formulations of these drugs are available, so if you’ve had any problems with your hearing in the past, be sure to alert your doctor before he prescribes these medications.

Special Mention for the Elderly

Elderly people with chronic health problems frequently visit several different doctors, who may not always be aware of the medications their colleagues are prescribing. Even though one may prescribe a low-toxicity antibiotic, if another doctor prescribes a similar medication for a separate condition, the combination might be enough to permanently damage an adult’s hearing.

Make sure that each doctor you or an elderly family member sees knows about all the medications that are being taken.

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Description and Possible Medical Problems

It’s not unusual to suddenly lose part or all of your vision for a few seconds as a result of a physical injury—for instance, when you see stars during the impact of a car accident. Your sight will usually be fully restored within a few days.

But what happens when you suddenly become unable to see within a small area or visual field or can see only some of the objects located within that area?

Partial loss of a visual field is commonly known as a scotoma, and it affects people in a variety of ways. A scotoma may result in total blindness to all objects within the affected field, or the affected person may be able to pick out certain large objects but not smaller ones. Sometimes the scotoma will be visible as flashes of light that occur only within a partial visual field; this is called a scintillating scotoma.

A number of health problems can cause a scotoma. Certain eye diseases, such as glaucoma, the inflammation of the optic nerve called optic neuritis, and a retinal disorder called macular degeneration, can cause a scotoma. A scintillating scotoma frequently occurs in people who suffer from migraine headaches. Prompt treatment is necessary in order to prevent permanent damage to your vision.

Treatment

To treat a scotoma, your doctor will first have to address the underlying condition that is causing the partial loss of a visual field. Scotomas that are caused by glaucoma or macular degeneration lessen or disappear when these conditions are treated. A scintillating scotoma will disappear when a migraine subsides. However, with optic neuritis, the vision loss will last until the inflammation of the optic nerve subsides, which can take up to three weeks or more. Since optic neuritis can sometimes be painful, your doctor may recommend that you remain still and quiet and try to restrict your eye movement to hasten your recovery. Optic neuritis can also be an early symptom of multiple sclerosis, so your doctor will want to monitor your health closely to check the progress of the disease.

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You know how it is when you look through a telescope—even though you are focusing on an image, you’re still aware that you’re looking through a tube.

But what if you have this sensation without looking through a telescope? If you notice that you are gradually losing your field of vision in one eye, you may have glaucoma, which is one of the most common eye problems today and one of the leading causes of blindness. In addition to your monocular field loss, other symptoms of glaucoma may include eye pain, blurred vision, and redness. Though glaucoma usually begins in one eye, it will eventually affect the vision in both eyes. As a result, both eyes will have to undergo treatment at the same time, even if only one eye shows symptoms of the disease.

Glaucoma is a condition in which the aqueous humor, the fluid that lubricates the outside of the eyeball, is unable to drain out of the eye normally. This usually occurs because of a blockage in the drainage channel that allows the fluid to drain out of the eye and into the veins that surround the eye.

When the drainage channel is blocked, the fluid drains away more slowly than usual or may become totally blocked. When this happens, the fluid builds up in the eye, creating pressure on the vitreous humor, the gel-like substance that makes up the internal part of the eyeball. This, in turn, presses on the vessels that provide the optic nerve with a steady flow of blood, slowing it down or stopping it completely. And when the blood flow ceases, the nerve begins to die, resulting in a gradual decline of vision.

Glaucoma usually begins to show up in people around the age of 40. There is also a genetic tendency to glaucoma; if a relative had the condition, you should be alert to changes in your eyesight and get medical attention promptly if you notice a one-eye field loss or develop a feeling of looking through a tube.

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Description and Possible Medical Problems

If the upper eyelid of one of your eyes appears to droop a little lower than the other, and if it seems to have sagged more with age, you have a condition known as ptosis.

Ptosis occurs when the muscle responsible for raising the upper eyelid becomes weak over time or when the nerve that controls the muscle is damaged in some way. Ptosis is usually hereditary, and both diabetes and myasthenia gravis—a rare condition in which the nerves of the muscles weaken progressively over a period of time—can aggravate the condition. The degree of droopiness can also vary widely over the course of the day; it may hardly be noticeable in the morning, but by nightfall the eyelid may droop considerably.

Treatment

The good news is that, by itself, ptosis is not a serious problem unless the drooping lid begins to interfere with your vision, or if you believe it is aesthetically unattractive. If this is the case, you should opt for cosmetic surgery that will stop the lid from sagging by removing excess skin from the upper lid.

It’s important for you to determine if the eyelid began to droop suddenly or if the deterioration was gradual, which is a normal sign of aging. If, however, your ptosis is caused by either diabetes or myasthenia gravis, a very rare neurological disease (see “Eyelids That Droop as the Day Progresses” below), you and your doctor need to first address and treat the disease. The drooping lid should return to its previous state after proper treatment of the disease.

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