БРОНХИАЛЬНАЯ АСТМА — BRONCHIAL ASTHMA

The question of how much sleep a person really needs has occupied the minds of many clever people who, try as they might, have never arrived at a satisfactory answer. Some say that seven or eight hours sleep are necessary if one wants to be rested and ready for work, while others seem to think that they can manage quite well with four or five hours. Regarding those who sleep fewer hours, it is questionable whether the nerve cells will have sufficient time to become regenerated and whether, in time, some deficiency will become apparent. An unusual failing of strength, shorter attention spans and becoming easily tired are definite indications that one is not getting enough sleep, no matter what kind of theories anyone has on the subject.

When should we sleep and for how many hours? There are many different answers to these two questions and it is better if we ask, not other fellow humans, but nature itself — the most appropriate teacher. Nature sets before us a splendid example in the lively, ever-active world of birds. What can we learn from our feathered friends? When and for how long do those cheerful little singers sleep? Well, we all know the answer, don’t we? They begin their songs at the break of dawn when the average person is wasting the sunny hours of an early spring morning lying asleep in bed. They are already about their business and do not return to rest until the last traces of twilight have gone. For the birds this seems to be a natural and proper way of life and, indeed, primitive man adopted it.

*1210/28/1*

Even if you are healthy you should not expose yourself to the sun’s rays indiscriminately if you want to avoid trouble. You will have to be patient and adjust your body gradually, staying in direct sunlight for only short periods at a time. And another thing: it is much better for you to move around in the sun rather than lie in it passively. Sunbathing in half-shade is far healthier and can even be recommended for the sick.

In low-lying areas the sun has little power in the winter months and more and more people prefer to spend their holidays in the mountains. High up in the mountains amidst the snow and ice it is quite common to see girls and young women in their bathing suits. They hope to get an even better tan in winter through the reflection of the snow than they would in summer. Watching this effort could really be a great comfort to the dark-skinned populations of the earth, especially those among them who strive to look as light-coloured as possible and escape the contempt they think white people might have for them because they are dark!

*1141/28/1*

The milk of a diseased cow must be affected in some way, even though the animal might not be tubercular. This is not difficult to understand because it is the same with humans. If a mother is sick, suffering from mineral and vitamin deficiencies, she will be unable to pass on these vital elements to her baby because she lacks them herself. Only a healthy mother can transmit healthy nutrients.

What do we learn from these considerations? That certain basic principles must be put into practice. We have to go full circle if we want to eradicate any mistakes. We have to provide healthy conditions before we can successfully combat today’s nutritional problems. First, we must see to it that the soil is healthy and provides healthy food for the animals. Then we must make sure that their housing is adequate if we want them to produce safe milk. By observing these requirements we can be more certain of better health for the consumer.

*1072/28/1*

Since natural food is indispensable for good health we can count on its benefits. Even if the vitamin content of cherries is relatively low, it is still important, because it is easily absorbed by the body. Cherries contain 0.05 mg per 100 g (2 oz) of vitamin B. This anti-beriberi substance, also known as thiamine, is good for vascular problems, circulation disorders and heart trouble, as well as for low blood pressure. This makes even small quantities of these vitamins welcome. Another of the  complex vitamins, known as nicotinamide, which is used in the treatment of pellagra, is also present in cherries at 0.01 mg per 100 g. If a person’s gums often bleed or are inflamed, or the teeth are loose, natural food rich in vitamin Ñ is needed. In this case we should eat unsprayed, fully ripe cherries. Sour cherries contain more vitamin Ñ than the sweet kind, but they have 1 per cent less sugar. In spite of their sour taste, these cherries are alkaline-forming. They contain less sodium than sweet cherries, but in comparison they have more potassium and sulphur, and are very rich in malic and citric acids.

*1002/28/1*

A low-protein diet is of paramount importance in treating all metabolic and digestive disturbances, high blood pressure, arthritis, rheumatism and gout, and should be adopted for some time. Protein is found chiefly in meat, eggs, cheese, milk and milk products, peas, beans and lentils, so vegetarians should reduce the intake of milk products and pulses (legumes). People who have previously enjoyed a mixed diet ought to refrain from eating pork, sausages and cold meats and restrict the diet to veal, beef, lamb and mutton.

Eggs and cheese and dishes prepared from them should also be avoided. But if you must eat eggs, have a limited amount and eat them raw. They can be beaten and added to cooked soup. Since eggs produce a great amount of uric acid, sufferers from arthritis are better off without them. Women troubled by insufficiency of the ovaries may eat raw eggs in moderate quantities.

*931/28/1*

What conclusion about the liver can we draw from what has been said above? No doubt we are more aware of the need to protect it and if some disorder should arise, we can treat it properly if we are well informed about the right kind of food to eat. For if we ignore the question of diet, we should not be surprised if deficiencies and weaknesses will not respond to treatment. Furthermore, we must be willing to continue observing the basic requirements of a sensible liver diet even after having achieved a significant improvement in our condition. It must be remembered that the liver, despite having recovered from the disorder, is usually still quite sensitive and not immediately as strong as it was previously. That is why it is advisable to be sensible. After all, it should not be all that difficult to keep up a good habit rather than give it up and have a relapse.

*465/28/1*

After the bowels have been cleaned out, the patient should fast for a time. If the heart is not in good condition, take a natural heart tonic. When you feel ready to ear again, start with light cereal gruels. In case the liver is still a bit sensitive, sip raw carrot juice. After two or three days clay mixed with water should be taken; then fast a second time for a little while, providing your

heart can stand it. As soon as the feeling of hunger returns, proper meals can be enjoyed once more.

Such a case of poisoning is similar to the common children’s diseases; when properly treated they promote better health. A fever and strong reactions in the stomach and bowels both help to eliminate wastes from the body, resulting in greater vitality. Even a case of poisoning can thus provide an opportunity for a thorough cleansing. The intestinal mucous membranes and the stomach lining will be cleansed, benefiting the whole body.

Never take chemical medicines which suppress the symptoms and impede the natural functions, for such a course would prove detrimental in the end. Rather, do everything you can to support the functions of the body. If you cooperate with nature you will not make any mistakes in treating illness, because nature is our best teacher. It is only we humans who tend to make mistakes.

*408/28/1*

Since prevention is better than cure, the laudable quality of self-control should help us to overcome unexpected anxieties and problems as quickly as possible, to conquer difficulties rather than letting them conquer us. Of course, this is often a question of experience and practice, for even if we know how to react in difficult situations, old habits may prevail and prevent us from making correct decisions in a calm and collected state of mind. People with a placid nature find it much easier to remain composed when facing unpleasant and distressing events than those who are prone to making split-second decisions without giving sufficient thought to the outcome. The sympathetic nervous system, unfortunately, is not subject to control or reason, but rather to our feelings and emotions. That is why it is always important to remain composed, so that unforeseen situations may be taken in our stride. When the wise King Solomon advised us to take better care of our hearts than of anything else he made a valid and valuable point. We should heed his advice, since ‘out of the heart are the sources of life’, as he said. By keeping our emotions under proper control we are able to reap many benefits, not least with regard to our health. Of the utmost importance is the fact that we thus will be rendering a service to our sympathetic nervous system.

*351/28/1*

Example goes to show that not everything that is meant to be good for us is necessarily good or safe for everyone. Indeed, it is incomprehensible how this salt can be offered as something that is wholesome for everyone without distinction. It should be recommended only for those whose complaint has been diagnosed as hypothyroidism, never for people with an excessive secretion of thyroid hormones, who cannot tolerate iodine.

Of course, it is an undisputed fact that a deficiency of iodine plays a part in the development of goitre, for the thyroid needs iodine for its normal function and development. But it can be found in sufficient quantity and an easily assimilated form in the food we eat, provided our diet consists of wholefoods. Such foods cause no disturbances or damage. However, if you throw away the edible skins from fruits, and vegetables, apple cores, the outer layer of cereals, such as bran, in short, anything that is part of the naturally grown whole, then you will sooner or later have a mineral deficiency. This includes, of course, a lack of iodine, which ultimately will encourage the development of goitre. Instead of recommending the use of iodised salt, it would be far better to educate people to give up eating white flour, refined sugar, canned foods and all other products of our ‘civilised’ way of feeding, and eat only nutritive natural wholefoods.

*295/28/1*

If you reflect on the significance of the blood vessels and the blood, you can benefit from the Bible’s statement that ‘the soul of every sort of flesh is in the blood.’ Goethe’s words in Faust, ‘blood is a unique fluid’, express a similar thought. Everything in the body, its development and functions, depends on our blood and its quality, even our perceptions and feelings. If the blood is sound, our feelings and attitudes will also be healthy. We often hear about hormones, the glandular secretions present in the blood in minute concentrations, and how they influence the functions of the body and its physical activities. But this is not their only influence. They also affect our mental and emotional state and even have a bearing on our character and personality. Hormonal disturbances have been known to cause changes in character. Such thoughts make us feel very uncomfortable about taking another person’s blood through a blood transfusion. Not without reason did God strictly forbid the ancient Jews to take in blood in any form.

*238/28/1*

Almost any type of headache will improve if you can relax. That’s because relaxation releases endorphins, the natural narcotics that block pain receptors in the brain and send the pain threshold soaring.

The majority of headaches are believed to be caused by emotional stress, particularly by anxiety and depression which trigger the fight-or-flight response, sending the body into an emergency state. It follows that the best way to reduce headache is to stay in the opposite state, one of mental calm and deep physical relaxation.

Practicing deep relaxation with muscle tensing is an important form of behavioral medicine. It requires that you assume an active role in your own recovery and it creates a wonderful feeling of being in control and of being on the path to freedom from medication.

An overall assessment of success rates at a sampling of pain and headache clinics showed recently that relaxation training helped approximately 60 percent of chronic headache sufferers to reduce and control their pain enough so that they could resume a normal life. Most people studied were able to reduce their pain level by 70 percent, though not all achieved total relief. In many people, the regular practice of deep relaxation alone made further pain medication unnecessary. While relaxation does not cure the underlying source of headaches, it is certainly one of the most helpful coping techniques.

Relaxation, biofeedback and pain relief imagery are all akin to self-hypnosis. Among their many benefits is relief of chronic muscle tension. This unnecessary tension not only creates tension headaches but keeps shoulder, neck and jaw muscles tightly constricted, constantly draining energy during much of the day.

Surveys based on a simple muscle-tensing relaxation technique at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City found that it provided symptomatic relief for 80 percent of patients suffering from chronic tension headache. Although relaxation appears to benefit tension headaches most, it has also helped relieve the pain of TMJ and combination headaches, and to a lesser extent classic and common migraines.

*79\30\4*

Herbs and other naturally occurring substances are also used in treating headaches with homeopathic medicines. As more and more Americans lose confidence in conventional medical care, they are assuming responsibility for their own health and are turning to new and alternative healing options. The most popular alternative to drug therapy is homeopathic medicine.

Homeopathy uses a number of natural medicines. When given in large doses, these medicines tend to produce side effects. The side effects, or symptoms, of all homeopathic medicines have been carefully observed and catalogued over many years. The principle behind homeopathy is to treat a patient’s symptoms with a homeopathic medicine that produces the same symptoms. The rationale is that when given in very small doses, a well-chosen medication can cure illnesses that have similar symptoms.

Homeopathic medicines are best prescribed by a homeopathic physician. In determining a patient’s symptom profile, a homeopathic physician will consider not only physical but psychological and even spiritual symptoms. Thus homeopathy is clearly holistic. Symptoms are regarded as evidence of the body-mind’s attempts to heal itself. The right homeopathic medicine will stimulate those symptoms and speed the healing process.

*61\30\4*

Fortunately, most migraineurs are sensitive only to one or two of these triggers. But cold can be a trigger for one migraineur in three. These people experience a sharp pain in the, forehead or temple after swallowing ice cream or an iced drink. Often called the «ice cream headache» it is believed to be caused by irritation to nerve endings in the mouth or face. Pain impulses are referred by the trigeminal nerve to the forehead area where they set off blood vessel dilation and create a vascular headache. Exposure to icy winds or to any kind of cold on the face, or to diving into cold water, can also excite nerves that set off a migrainelike pain in the forehead or temple.

Yet another vascular variant is the hangover headache, caused by overindulgence in alcohol, a powerful stimulant dilates arteries inside the skull so that bending forward increases the pain. In this same class are rebound headaches, due to withdrawal from vasoconstrictors such as caffeine, nicotine or ergotamine.

Cluster Headache. While emotional stress is often the underlying cause of cluster headaches. Stage 2 occurs without any sensations. Research has yet to uncover all the mechanisms involved in the cluster process. But several experts have suggested that stress hormones released in Stage 1 cause calcium to flow into the muscular walls of blood vessels in the brain and scalp.

The presence of calcium causes blood vessels to go into spasm and constrict. When cerebral blood vessels spasm, the biochemical histamine is released. Studies have shown that levels of histamine are sharply higher at the onset of a

cluster headache while levels of other biochemicais, such as serotonin, remain constant.

*41\30\4*

Approximately ten percent of people with chronic tension headaches experience an occasional migraine headache superimposed on the tension headache. At this time, their headache worsens and they feel the throbbing pain of a vascular headache in addition to the steady, dull ache of the tension headache.

This is believed to be due to a vascular component in some tension headaches. Most combination headaches are free of aura displays but the symptoms of common migraine are superimposed on those of the tension headache. Such headaches are best treated as migraines until the migraine ends, at which time therapy should be resumed for the tension headache.

Sexual Headaches. Another combination variant is the Benign Sexual Headache. The headache appears in two ways; either as a steady ache starting a few minutes before orgasm; or as a pulsating headache that suddenly begins at or near climax. Either type of headache may persist for several hours.

Headache specialists have suggested that sexual headaches are due to a combination of muscle contraction and blood vessel dilation set off by a sudden increase in blood pressure resulting from the excitement and exertion. These headaches usually appear in middle-aged men who are overweight, sedentary and mildly hypertensive. After several months, they often disappear. Though physically harmless, a benign sexual headache can have a traumatic effect on a person’s love life.

Since a sexual headache could be confused with a stroke, you should consult a physician to confirm that the headache is actually benign. Your doctor may suggest a combination of exercise coupled with gradual weight loss to effectively lower blood pressure and overcome the headache.

TMJ Headaches. A fairly common variant of tension headache is due to the TMJ or Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome. People with deep anxiety often grind their teeth while asleep. This creates a painful spasm in face, neck and jaw muscles, particularly in the temporomandibular joint at the hinge of the jaw. Nerves refer the pain up to the forehead where it manifests as a headache in the temples and behind or below the eyes. A sign that a headache may be due to the TMJ syndrome is tenseness in the jaw on awakening and a reeling that the teeth have been tightly clenched.

The TMJ syndrome can often be relieved through relaxation or biofeedback naming (Chapter 8). Otherwise, one should consult a dentist, preferably a member of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Dentists are generally more aware of the TMJ process than doctors, and most are equipped to solve the problem.

They do so by making a light acrylic splint to be worn between the teeth while asleep. By making the teeth mesh correctly, the splint relaxes the jaw muscles so that they remain unstressed throughout the night. This usually stops the headaches.

*23\30\4*

Contributing to the success of most headache clinks is the growing recognition mat stress is the underlying cause of the majority of headaches. This is hardly surprising since medical science now recognizes that virtually every disorder is stress-related, at least to some extent. Unresolved emotional stress is generally considered to be the underlying cause of at least 80 percent of headaches, with the remainder being due to a variety of other forms of stress, ranging

from the physical stress of noise or flickering lights, to the biological stress of low blood sugar.

Lack of funding, and difficulty in correlating stress to headaches in a laboratory setting, account for the paucity of documented evidence supporting the stress origin of headaches in medical journals. Compared to the $250 million awarded to research diabetes in 1989, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke allotted a mere $1.4 million for headache research. Nonetheless, among headache specialists themselves, there is wide clinical acceptance of stress as the underlying cause of most headaches.

For example, U.S. News (July 31, 1989, page 4) begins its major coverage report on headaches by saying, «Stress has long been considered the principal cause of all headaches». And Arnold Fox, M.D. and Barry Fox, Ph.D., authors of The Beverly Hills Diet, recently advised in Let’s Live Magazine (September 1989, page 59) that we should »start attacking the number one cause of headaches: stress».

Migraines are no exception. Discussing migraine trigger mechanisms, the Migraine Foundation of Toronto, Canada, states in its literature, »Migraine is triggered by precipitating or provoking factors—elements of stress, whether physical, emotional or situational that, given the predisposition, set off the actual headache process». The same literature notes that stress can consist of worry, anxiety, tension, emotional change, excitement, shock, repressed hostility, anger or depression, all arising from life situations.

Again, Dr. Seymour Diamond, director of the Diamond Headache Clinic and National Migraine Foundation, Chicago, stated recently that, «Our modem world is rampant with tension, frustration, anxiety, depression and repressed hostility, all of which can trigger headache pain. A multitude of chronic, recurring headaches are precipitated by stress». And in his headache classic, Headaches, The Drugless Way to Lasting Relief (Celestial Arts, 1987), Harry C. Ehrmantraut, Ph.D. states, «As a general rale, it is safe to say that a tension headache is precipitated by tension in the immediate life situation. This may arise from anger, aggravation, frustration, guilt or related emotional states.»

Several authorities believe that marital stress is one of the most common causes of headaches. To confirm this, Rajan Roy, Ph.D., associate professor of social work and psychiatry at the University of Manitoba, studied 15 married couples. In each marriage, one partner suffered from recurrent tension or migraine headaches and all were experiencing marital stress. After a series of counseling sessions designed to reduce marital stress, 11 of the headache sufferers reported that their headaches were vastly improved.

Certainly, headaches can be provoked by drugs, illness, alcohol or other causes. But the prevailing opinion of most headache specialists is that the majority of headaches are provoked by negative emotions arising out of conflicts concerning job, money, marriage or similar life situations.

*5\30\4*

It is interesting to note that nature is always ready to make amends for our mistakes; so if we are conscious of them and willing to learn from them we will avoid making the same ones again. How strange, therefore, that we can be so thoughtless and, for instance, fail to draw the right conclusion when an analgesic no longer gives the relief that it used to. Instead of admitting to ourselves that the analgesic effect did not mean that the cause of the pain had been cured and that we were acting contrary to nature, we foolishly take ever stronger drugs in order to suppress the pain at all costs.

The conscientious doctor will most certainly do his best to find out the cause of the pain. For example, if the patient complains about pain in the region of the liver, the doctor will not simply prescribe a painkiller, but will check for symptoms of a liver disorder. He will ask whether fats disagree with the patient, what is the colour of the stool, in short, he will do all that is necessary to get to the root of the trouble. Having diagnosed the cause, he can then prescribe the appropriate remedy. At the same time, he will indicate the right kind of diet, including a course of carrot juice. Radishes will be permitted only in very small quantities as a remedy, since large amounts can do considerable harm to the liver. This is how the doctor will inform his patient about the best way he can help himself to improve his health.

If your children have ever had the frightening experience of convulsions — and the problem is not uncommon — you will know that there is very little that can be done to help. Yet there is a herbal remedy that is hardly known, chickweed, its botanical name being Stellaria media. This simple weed can be found in the fields almost the whole year round, giving you ample opportunity to gather it. It is the best possible remedy for children’s convulsions. An infusion of chickweed has to be taken only a few times, whether made from fresh or dried weeds, and the unpleasant symptoms of these convulsions will disappear, often never to return. At the same time, chickweed strengthens the heart and it is this that makes it especially important when treating children. Chickweed is seldom mentioned in books on herbalism because its medicinal uses are very limited. Nevertheless, it deserves full recognition since its effect in curing convulsions is absolutely astounding. What a blessing it will be if the distressed parents can find it in the garden in their hour of need!

When treating eczema and other skin eruptions, it is essential to make sure that the kidneys, liver and intestines are working properly. Bathing the affected area in warm whey, preferably sour whey (Molkosan), is excellent. If you can spend your holidays in the country near a dairy where you can obtain whey, you may be able to do this regularly during your stay. Using bran to bathe the eruptions is also effective. Since eczema is sometimes difficult to cure and may require a great deal of time, you should not forget that the cause may not be internal but external. Some people are allergic to certain substances and plants, for example arnica. Your skin may be allergic to terpenes, in which case you would have to keep away from plants that contain them, such as conifers, and of course floor polishes and other products made with turpentine. Even camomile can provoke eczema, and so can Rhus toxicodendron (poison ivy), and the primula has been known to cause urticaria. So your eczema may well have one of these external causes. As soon as the right one is identified and the necessary measures taken, the eczema will disappear.

Children may break out in a rash when they overindulge in fruit. Strawberries can cause urticaria. In every case it is good to treat and stimulate the kidneys.

Skin rashes can also have their origin in poisoning or in a vitrmin deficiency. It is therefore good to avoid eating, for example, sulphurised dried fruit, and fresh fruit or vegetables that have been sprayed with chemicals. Organically grown spinach and young stinging nettles, preferably prepared as salad and dressed with lemon juice or Molkosan, will eradicate the deficiency and cure the rash in no time at all. Drinking tea made from wild pansy (heartsease) will reinforce the healing process.

*19/28/1*

Should you be troubled with tired feet and legs, finding them even slightly swollen at the end of the day, bathe them in potato or vegetable water. Then wrap them immediately in a cloth that has been covered with hot salt. Do this every evening for a few days and the tiredness in your feet will disappear. If you have some hay flowers or other herbs handy, prepare an infusion and add salt, preferably sea salt, which is more effective than common salt. This salty herbal foot bath will also help you get rid of the tiredness, as well as relieving hot, burning feet. Swollen feet, especially ankles, can be sight of heart trouble.

*8/28/1*