Drugs form the mainstay of the modern treatment of asthma. Most other forms of treatment are unproven and have a limited place, if any, in the treatment of asthma in children. While allergens probably have a role in the triggering of asthma attacks, there is very little evidence that desensitisation (a series of injections designed to make the child less allergic to certain substances) makes any difference either to the frequency or the severity of attacks. Physiotherapy may occasionally have a role to play for some children with asthma, but generally the child is better off participating in regular exercise and sporting activities.

Consideration should be given to factors which may trigger attacks of asthma. Cigarette smoke should be avoided. Exposure to animals that cause symptoms (often household pets) should be minimised or avoided, and the child may be better with non-allergenic bedding if he is affected by goose-down or feathers. In some selected cases, carpets may need to be removed to minimise dust, but this is not usually necessary.

These measures should be balanced with the need to minimise drastic changes to the child’s and family’s living conditions. Change in environment of any significant degree may not be indicated in children with mild or minimal symptoms.

Some of these precipitating factors can and should be avoided. However, most trigger factors cannot be identified, let alone avoided. This means that the mainstay of management of asthma is pharmacological — the appropriate use of medications to prevent and treat symptoms.

*250\90\8*

We must recognize that our society’s emphasis on the drinking/ sexuality connection is strong. “A few drinks and I can really get it on,” was one wife’s report. She means that she experiences sufficient anxiety and insecurity that a chemical is needed to facilitate sexual interaction. The natural chemicals from our own brains are available to us if we will learn to relax, to share, to give a priority to intimacy so that we do not need “quick drugs” to depress us just enough that we can have sex. There is no human activity that is helped by drinking, and if you doubt that, you may be taking very early steps toward a drinking problem yourself. Drinking is ingesting small doses of a toxic substance that affects our nutrition, judgment, speech, perception, coordination, and ability to be truly intimate. It is one of our society’s most serious problems, and the emphasis on the war against drugs should include alcohol as one of the major enemies.

During the treatment program for the couples, all alcohol was prohibited. Every one of the couples found that sex improved once

they were free of their “habit.” Our brains are preprogrammed to “get high,” but our own bodies and brains provide the natural internal chemicals for that high. We seem to have a natural reflex, a joy response, and this joy response is blocked by alcohol, not enhanced by it. The couples found an immediate improvement in communication without alcohol, although at first some couples were awkward, actually in a type of mutual withdrawal state.

“It was like a first date. We just always used to have a drink or two before sex. It was kind of frightening at first, but we really rediscovered each other.” This wife spoke for other spouses who at first resisted the sanction against drinking and then learned what it was like to respond drug-free in a sexual relationship.

If you have a drinking problem, even if you suspect one, get help now. You will not be able to stop alone later, and the earlier you get the help, the less suffering for all concerned. If you are drinking to change how you feel, you have a drinking problem. If you are fighting this issue as you read this material, you probably have a problem with alcohol.

*286\97\8*

The old term for this phase was resolution. One wife referred to it as “restitution.” Prior sexual perspectives saw this phase as essentially a complete reversal of the whole process of the sexual response. Masters and Johnson saw this as “phase-specific ,” a retreat of all prior physiological changes occurring only at the end of the cycle.

The thousand couples did not substantiate this phase. Sometimes the “sex flush,” the reddening of the skin in the facial cheeks and upper chest, would go away quickly and sometimes it would linger on. Instead of a feeling of settling down, some spouses reported a “glowing,” almost a “suspension in time” preceding a readiness for another experience. If we expect “resolution,” a resolving of all of this energy buildup that was talked about so much in the first perspectives, we will probably experience it. If we expect to

“glow,” to enjoy, to share, following a physical or psychological orgasm or at any time in our interaction, then we will be free to do so.

“I never thought of sharing too much after we came. It was a whole new thing. We would lie together and glow. It was like E.T., but the light was not just a heart light. It was all over. We learned to really enjoy this period instead of lying there waiting for it to pass so we could go to sleep,” reported one of the husbands at five-year follow-up. His comments illustrate the importance of not being “phase-specific,” of turning in instead of out for our sexual reference points. Enjoying the full-body response of our partner during intimate relationships does not have to be-preparatory; it can happen at any time.

*113\97\8*

So we have a perfect body, capable of automatic self-repair, without even bothering us with any mundane details of its repair jobs. A program embedded in our DNA and the subconscious mind, developed through billions of years of existence of various lifeforms, automatically manages all repairs to optimise our comfort and performance.

However, there is one very important condition.

As we noticed from the example in the previous chapter, the repair is carried out perfectly and effortlessly, only when the extent of the damage to the body is limited

Let us try to explore the limits to the extent of such damage.

The key question is this :

How much abuse can our body withstand, before it fails to function perfectly ?

It is quite difficult to answer this question without additional information and analysis.

Let us start by examining the ways by which we could possibly abuse our mind-body system during our life. A short list of possible means of abuse is presented below. 1 poisoning.

2. Wrong diet.

3. Overeating.

4. Not enough sleep or rest

5. Accumulation of stress and anxiety

6. Bad hygiene

7. Excessive physical activity

8. Exposure to radiation

9. Exposure to noise

10. Exposure to dust

Note, that in many cases, our limited knowledge does not allow us to predict the extend of the damage and therefore we could easily underestimate the consequences of our actions.

In some cases we can be aware, that we are abusing our body, and I would like to exclude such cases from further consideration. Simply speaking, we should be prepared for facing the consequences of any such abuse, whatever their extent might be.

It is the abuse, which we are not aware of, which is actually the most important. The main reason for such importance is the fact, that without our knowledge and consent such abuse can continue over one’s lifetime. This especially applies to situations, when there is a significant delay in symptoms. As a result we could face problems, without ever realising the reason for them.

Some of the means of abuse listed above are sporadic, while others continue over an entire lifetime. Simple logic dictates that the latter should deserve our special attention, because their source is basically in our ignorance and/or misinformation.

Now, let us go back to our list of possible means of abuse and examine in which areas our ignorance (or pride that we know best) could lead to slow, but more or less continuous damage to our body without our consent.

With respect to radiation the situation is different. We have to use scientific instruments to assess the danger. Japanese had to use Geiger counters to examine their food after World War 2. I have not heard about anyone opposing the view that we should avoid radiation as much as possible, so I will not dispute this either.

The first three items on the list of means of abuse should deserve our special attention.

1.    Poisoning.

2.    Wrong diet.

3.    Overeating.

All three are not clear and objective: it is not clear what exactly is a “poison”, it is questionable just what represents a “wrong” diet and just how much food is actually too much.

As a result, all three forms of abuse may co-exist over an entire lifetime, only because we are misinformed.

Notice, that all three relate closely to our diet (food and beverage consumption).

With regard to exposure to dust and noise, excessive physical activity, bad hygiene, stress and lack of sleep, our conscious mind is notified almost immediately – we feel uncomfortable. It is therefore our responsibility to avoid continuing and repeating such experiences.

*12\96\8*

This would appear not to be so in the U.S., where malpractice suits against doctors have reached epidemic proportions, and where judgments of more than $1 million are given against doctors quite frequently.

To protect himself under these circumstances, the doctor has to take out adequate insurance, and in many states in the U.S. the cost of such insurance has become prohibitive, amounting in some instances to a third of the doctor’s income.

Some lawyers specialise in malpractice suits, agreeing to take a specified percentage of any amount awarded.

In losing cases the fee is either very small or non-existent.

It is now reported that many doctors have decided to cope with this problem by not insuring at all and prominently advertising that fact.

Should a patient wish to sue, he has to obtain his judgement from the personal assets of the doctor, which may not be great and not worth the effort of a civil action.

*480/71/1*

The lifespan of any drug in modern medicine is short.

What seems like a miracle drug soon becomes “old hat” as others with claims of fewer side-effects come on the market.

One group maintaining their usefulness are the beta blockers, the term applied to those drugs with wide-ranging effects on the body and for which new uses keep appearing.

To understand how these drugs work, it is necessary to have some knowledge of the body’s autonomic nervous system.

This is what governs those functions of our bodies which are not under voluntary control. Our heart beats, we breathe, digest and absorb our food and our kidneys eliminate waste products, all independently of our wills.

These actions are under the control of the autonomic nervous system. The sympathetic part of this system, when stimulated, is what makes us get up and go.

The heart beats faster, the blood pressure rises, the breathing becomes deeper and digestion ceases.

The actions of the parasympathetic part of the autonomic nervous system are usually the reverse of those of the sympathetic.

*224/71/1*

Nature provided the whale and the bat with the miracle of an innate sonar system. Scientists studied the process, pretty much duplicating it for its original technological intent—wartime vigilance. During world War II, navy submarines negotiated their way through deepest waters using sonar to detect the location of enemy vessels unseen by peritcopic sighting.

Sonar is the simple process of bouncing high-frequency acoustical vibrations off solid masses. The waves then bounce back in echo patterns that appear as a picture on a specially devised screen. Sonar is the mother of sonography, or ultrasonography, known familiarly as ultrasound—a relatively new and popular diagnostic technique, gaining ever increasing acceptance for confirmation of pelvic abnormalities. It is a convenient way to diagnose both pelvic masses and fetal size (sometimes, too, the sex of the unborn child) during pregnancy. Doctors are choosing sonography over X rays for a variety of diagnoses, especially since ultrasound is completely harmless to the body.

When these high-frequency sounds are projected into the body, the reflected “echo” on the screen indicates the size and location of a tumor. Doctors can freeze the picture of a growth on the screen and measure it. The technique is especially useful in locating uterine fibroids and ovarian cysts, although occasionally, there is difficulty in sonographic diagnosis in defining the precise location of a tumor—is it growing on the side of the uterus or on the ovary? Since ovarian tumors are a more serious matter than uterine masses, laparoscopy might be necessary if sonography proves ineffective as a confirming diagnostic tool.

As with laparoscopy, sonography facilitates an accurate diagnosis when pelvic organs are lifted from view. The “lifting” here is done not with gas, but with water. That is, women prepare for ultrasound testing before coming to the doctor’s office by drinking six to eight glasses of water, thus filling their bladders. The amply filled bladder moves organs up just enough so that the doctor can see the uterus and ovaries more clearly. A practiced ultrasonographer can usually detect a cyst and identify its type (and its contents) by the echo pattern on the screen and determine if the cyst is endometriotic in nature.

Ultrasound has its benefits, but in my opinion, this technique cannot pick up endometriosis in its early stages, when many women really need help in managing the disease and when it is most adroitly treated.

*49\43\4*

This used to be a very common and disfiguring disease in western countries. It still occurs in some underdeveloped countries and atypical forms still appear in western communities. The declining incidence may be largely attributed to better hygiene, less malnutrition, improving living standards, elimination of infected milk herds, and BCG vaccinations.

The disease is caused by the bacillus Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It affects other animals as well as man, and may occur in most organs of the body, particularly the lungs. The type of skin infection depends on the person’s resistance to the germ. When a person with good immunity is infected, the host resistance may be sufficient to confine the infection to fairly localized nodules. If immunity is less effective in localizing the infection, multiple chronic nodules will appear.

There are various forms of tuberculosis. One of these, warty tuberculosis, may begin as a lump, nodule or pustule, which becomes warty. There are no associated enlarged lymph glands, and spontaneous healing of the disease usually occurs.

Another form, primary inoculation tuberculosis, typically takes the form of a raised red lump or ulcer, with associated enlargement of the nearby lymph glands. This may spontaneously heal or may proceed to Lupus vulgaris, the chronic progressive form of tuberculosis.

Lupus vulgaris is the commonest tuberculosis of the skin, and is the chronic progressive form. It usually begins as a brown mark on the face, which becomes lumpy and translucent. It progresses slowly, with resultant scarring and ulceration, leading to severe mutilation. The name lupus’ (Latin for ‘wolf’) is a reference to the wolf-like ugly appearance of the advanced, and fortunately rare, case.

Other rarer forms of skin tuberculosis also exist. The treatment of all forms is as for tuberculosis elsewhere, together with plastic surgery where necessary. The drugs most frequently used are Isoniazid, Paraminosalicylic acid and Streptomycin, either singly or in combination. In certain cases Rifampidn may be used. Treatment is for two to three months. Plastic surgery may be necessary for the rehabilitation of those with disfiguring scarring.

*77\44\4*

Most of the fad diets incorporate a strategy that has some potential merit in fat loss, or perpetuate a belief that has existed for many years. These diets pick and select amongst the techniques and package them as the new wonder diet. Almost all fad diets require strict adherence to a plan, which means that people are not learning how to cope with their own environment. Very few use the main principle espoused in this book which is that for a fat loss plan to be successful, it has to be something that can be done comfortably for life.

Some of the characteristic strategies employed by fad diets, which may be useful in a more ‘balanced’ food intake program, but which are ineffective when used alone are:

Fillers: (e.g. Water drinking and fibre supplement diets, soup diets, macrobiotic diets, liquid protein diets and fruit diets). This strategy works on the principle that if you fill up on high-fibre foods or water then there will be less hunger for other foods. The difficulty is that nutritious foods may be displaced, contributing to a deficient micronutrient intake. Examples are the ‘rice diet’ and the ’soup diet’.

Slowed absorption time: (e.g. High-carbohydrate diets, rice diets, fibre supplements and macrobiotic diets). Bulky, high-fibre foods that require a lot of chewing (e.g. 32 times each mouthful) are encouraged, as is the consumption of water between bites of food. Other strategies include the putting down of utensils after each bite and encouraging conversation between each mouthful. Examples are the ‘bran diet’ and the ’spinach diet’.

*129\186\4*

The uterus is about the size and shape of a small hollow pear with its wide end upwards. Two fine tubes, the Fallopian tubes, branch outwards from the upper part of the uterus towards the ovaries. During reproductive life, a mature egg bursts from an ovary at approximately monthly intervals. In the normal course of events, an egg travels through a Fallopian tube to the uterus. On the way there, conception can occur if the egg meets and fuses with a sperm cell. The resulting embryo may develop into a viable pregnancy if it successfully embeds in the uterus.

The largest part of the uterus, the myometrium, is strong and flexible, being composed of thick bands of muscle and elastic tissue that run in several directions. This muscular web enables the uterus to be either small and tidy, somewhat like a clenched fist or, should conception occur, to stretch and grow into a strong, flexible capsule capable of nourishing and protecting a developing baby. The lower end of the uterus, the cervix, has some specialised functions including the production of lubricative or dense secretions at different times of the menstrual cycle. These secretions help minimise friction during sexual intercourse and seem to have a role in sperm movement through the vagina and cervix. During the Pap or cervical smear test, the cervix is the tissue that is sampled.

In addition to the thick myometrium and the cervix, the other important component of the uterus is its very active inner lining, called the endometrium. This is shed during menstruation or, if circumstances permit and a pregnancy occurs, it provides nutrients to an embryo. Before a girl has her first period (an event referred to as the menarche) and after a woman has her last (menopause), the endometrium usually consists of a thin layer of cells which may grow and be shed slowly without any menstrual bleeding.

The fertile years see a big change with menstruation typically occurring for several days about once every month. In the lead up to the menstrual bleed, row upon row of endometrial cells grow rapidly, influenced by sex hormones from the ovaries (particularly oestrogen and progesterone). Recent research suggests that the shedding process requires substances produced by the endometrium itself (such as the hormone-like prostaglandins and enzymes known as matrix metalloproteinases), together with decreasing levels of sex hormones.

*3\198\4*