Gastroenteritis: From 6 Different Sources
Disorders of the stomach and intestines. A non-specific term for a number of infections caused by viruses, bacteria and protozoa. May be caused by domestic pets, dogs, birds, poultry, farm animals, milk, drugs, environmental poisons.
Symptoms. Onset sudden, with abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, wind, malaise, shock, loose stool. Alternatives. Commence 3-day fast. Agrimony, German Chamomile, Milk Thistle, Ladies Mantle, Marshmallow root, Slippery Elm.
Tea. Combine, equal parts: Agrimony, Gotu Kola, Meadowsweet. 1 teaspoon to each cup boiling water; infuse 10-15 minutes. Half-1 cup thrice daily, or more frequently as tolerated.
Decoction. Fenugreek seeds. 2 teaspoons to each cup water gently simmered 15 minutes. 1 cup freely. Formula. German Chamomile 2; Marshmallow root 1; Goldenseal half; Liquorice quarter. Dose: Powders – 750mg (three 00 capsules or half a teaspoon). Liquid Extracts: 1-2 teaspoons. Tinctures: 1-3 teaspoons. Thrice daily.
Aloe Vera, gel or juice. (Linus Pauling Institute of Science and Medicine) Enemata. 15 drops Tincture Myrrh in 2 pints (1 litre) warm water.
Diet. Commence 3-day fast. Slippery Elm gruel. Bilberries.
Inflammation of the stomach and intestines, usually causing sudden upsets that last for 2 or 3 days. Dysentery, typhoid fever, cholera, food poisoning, and travellers’ diarrhoea are all forms of gastroenteritis. The illness may be caused by any of a variety of bacteria, bacterial toxins, viruses, and other organisms in food or water.
Appetite loss, nausea, vomiting, cramps, and diarrhoea are the usual symptoms. Symptom onset and severity depends on the cause; symptoms may be mild or so severe that dehydration, shock, and collapse occur. Mild cases usually require rest and rehydration therapy only. For severe illness, treatment in hospital may be necessary, with fluids given by intravenous infusion. Antibiotic drugs may be given for some bacterial infections, but others need no specific treatment.
Inflammation of the mucous coat of the stomach and intestine due to bacterial infection
Inflammation of the stomach and small intestines. It is more likely to be infectious than simple gastritis and is often accompanied by fever and general malaise.
In?ammation of the STOMACH and intestines (see INTESTINE), usually resulting from an acute bacterial or viral infection. The main symptoms are diarrhoea and vomiting, often accompanied by fever and – especially in infants – DEHYDRATION. Although generally a mild disease in western countries, it is the number-one killer of infants in the developing world, with more than 1·5 million children dying annually from the disease in India – a situation exacerbated by early weaning and malnutrition. Complications may include CONVULSIONS, kidney failure, and, in severe cases, brain damage.
Treatment This involves the urgent correction of dehydration, using intravenous saline and dextrose feeds initially, with continuing replacement as required. Antibiotics are not indicated unless systemic spread of bacterial infection is likely. (See also FOOD POISONING.)
n. inflammation of the stomach and intestine. It is usually due to acute viral or bacterial infection or to the ingestion of toxins in contaminated foods (see food poisoning). Clinical symptoms are vomiting, diarrhoea, and fever. The illness usually lasts 3–5 days. Fluid loss is sometimes severe, especially at the extremes of age, and intravenous fluid replacement may be necessary. Viral or viral-type organisms (e.g. the *norovirus) are common causes of highly infectious gastroenteritis and, unlike bacterial pathogens, can be spread by aerosol or minimal contact and not necessarily by the faeco-oral route.
Diarrhoea or looseness of the bowels is increased frequency, ?uidity or volume of bowel movements compared to usual. Most people have occasional attacks of acute diarrhoea, usually caused by contaminated food or water or excessive alcohol consumption. Such attacks normally clear up within a day or two, whether or not they are treated. Chronic diarrhoea, on the other hand, may be the result of a serious intestinal disorder or of more general disease.
The commonest cause of acute diarrhoea is food poisoning, the organisms involved usually being STAPHYLOCOCCUS, CLOSTRIDIUM bacteria, salmonella, E. coli O157 (see ESCHERICHIA), CAMPYLOBACTER, cryptosporidium, and Norwalk virus. A person may also acquire infective diarrhoea as a result of droplet infections from adenoviruses or echoviruses. Interference with the bacterial ?ora of the intestine may cause acute diarrhoea: this often happens to someone who travels to another country and acquires unfamiliar intestinal bacteria. Other infections include bacillary dysentery, typhoid fever and paratyphoid fevers (see ENTERIC FEVER). Drug toxicity, food allergy, food intolerance and anxiety may also cause acute diarrhoea, and habitual constipation may result in attacks of diarrhoea.
Treatment of diarrhoea in adults depends on the cause. The water and salts (see ELECTROLYTES) lost during a severe attack must be replaced to prevent dehydration. Ready-prepared mixtures of salts can be bought from a pharmacist. Antidiarrhoeal drugs such as codeine phosphate or loperamide should be used in infectious diarrhoea only if the symptoms are disabling. Antibacterial drugs may be used under medical direction. Persistent diarrhoea – longer than a week – or blood-stained diarrhoea must be investigated under medical supervision.
Diarrhoea in infants can be such a serious condition that it requires separate consideration. One of its features is that it is usually accompanied by vomiting; the result can be rapid dehydration as infants have relatively high ?uid requirements. Mostly it is causd by acute gastroenteritis caused by various viruses, most commonly ROTAVIRUSES, but also by many bacteria. In the developed world most children recover rapidly, but diarrhoea is the single greatest cause of infant mortality worldwide. The younger the infant, the higher the mortality rate.
Diarrhoea is much more rare in breast-fed babies, and when it does occur it is usually less severe. The environment of the infant is also important: the condition is highly infectious and, if a case occurs in a maternity home or a children’s hospital, it tends to spread quickly. This is why doctors prefer to treat such children at home but if hospital admission is essential, isolation and infection-control procedures are necessary.
Treatment An infant with diarrhoea should not be fed milk (unless breast-fed, when this should continue) but should be given an electrolyte mixture, available from pharmacists or on prescription, to replace lost water and salts. If the diarrhoea improves within 24 hours, milk can gradually be reintroduced. If diarrhoea continues beyond 36–48 hours, a doctor should be consulted. Any signs of dehydration require urgent medical attention; such signs include drowsiness, lack of response, loose skin, persistent crying, glazed eyes and a dry mouth and tongue.... diarrhoea
Inflammation of the small intestine. The inflammation may be the result of infection, particularly giardiasis and tuberculosis, or of Crohn’s disease. Enteritis usually causes diarrhoea. (See also gastroenteritis; colitis.)... enteritis
A serious disease occurring in sheep and cattle, and in those who tend them or handle the bones, skins and ?eeces – even long after removal of the latter from the animals. It is sometimes referred to as malignant pustule, wool-sorters’ disease, splenic fever of animals, or murrain. It is now a rare condition in the United Kingdom. The cause is a bacillus (B. anthracis) which grows in long chains and produces spores of great vitality. These spores retain their life for years, in dried skins and ?eeces; they are not destroyed by boiling, freezing, 5 per cent carbolic lotion, or, like many bacilli, by the gastric juice. The disease is communicated from a diseased animal to a crack in the skin (e.g. of a farmer or butcher), or from contact with contaminated skins or ?eeces. Nowadays skins are handled wet, but if they are allowed to dry so that dust laden with spores is inhaled by the workers, serious pneumonia may result. Instances have occurred of the disease being conveyed on shaving brushes made from bristles of diseased animals. A few countries are believed to have developed anthrax as a weapon of war to be delivered by shells or rockets, despite international agreements to ban such weapons.
In the wake of the devastating terrorist attacks on buildings in New York and Washington on 11 September 2001, modi?ed anthrax spores were sent by mail from an unidenti?ed source to some prominent Americans. Several people were infected and a few died. This was the ?rst known use of anthrax as a terror weapon.
Prevention is most important by disinfecting all hides, wool and hair coming from areas of the world. An e?cient vaccine is now available. Treatment consists of the administration of large doses of the broad-spectrum antibiotic, CIPROFLOXACIN. If bioterrorism is thought to be the likely source of anthrax infection, appropriate decontamination procedures must be organised promptly.
Symptoms
EXTERNAL FORM This is the ‘malignant pustule’. After inoculation of some small wound, a few hours or days elapse, and then a red, in?amed swelling appears, which grows larger till it covers half the face or the breadth of the arm, as the case may be. Upon its summit appears a bleb of pus, which bursts and leaves a black scab, perhaps 12 mm (half an inch) wide. The patient is feverish and seriously ill. The in?ammation may last ten days or so, when it slowly subsides and the patient recovers, if surviving the fever and prostration.
INTERNAL FORM This takes the form of pneumonia with haemorrhages, when the spores have been drawn into the lungs, or of ulcers of the stomach and intestines, with gangrene of the SPLEEN, when they have been swallowed.
It is usually fatal in two or three days. Victims may also develop GASTROENTERITIS or MENINGITIS.... anthrax
Small round viruses (see VIRUS) with no distinctive features, which have been isolated from the stools of infants with gastroenteritis (see DIARRHOEA). Most adults have antibodies against these viruses; this suggests that infection is common. There is no treatment.... astroviruses
A group of viruses (so-called because of their wheel-like structure: rota is Latin for wheel) which are a common cause of GASTROENTERITIS in infants (see also DIARRHOEA). They cause from 25 to 80 per cent of childhood diarrhoea in di?erent parts of the world, and in the United Kingdom they are responsible for 60– 65 per cent of cases. They infect only the cells lining the small intestine. In the UK, death from rotavirus is rare.... rotaviruses
Another name for gastroenteritis and infective diarrhoea caused by ingesting contaminated food or water.... delhi belly
Linn.
Family: Palmae; Arecaceae.
Habitat: Cultivated chiefly in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
English: Coconut Palm.
Ayurvedic: Naarikela, Naalikera, Laangali, Tunga, Skandhaphala, Sadaaphala, Trnaraaja, Kuurch- shirshaka.
Unani: Naarjeel, Naariyal.
Siddha/Tamil: Thenkai. Kopparai (kernel of ripe coconut).
Action: Water from tender fruit— cooling, used in thirst, fever, urinary disorders, gastroenteritis, and as a source of K for cholera patients. Fruit—stomachic, laxative, diuretic, styptic, sedative; useful in dyspepsia and burning sensation. Oil from endosperm—antiseptic; used in alopecia. Root—astringent; used in urinary and uterine and disorders.
Tender coconut water is rich in potassium and other minerals and vitamins. It contains reducing sugars 2.222.85%, total sugars 3.5-4.25%; brix 5.56.2%. It is used as a substitute for normal saline in cases of dehydration.Alcoholic extract of coconut shell (2% in petroleum jelly, externally) was found very effective in dermatophyto- sis. Lighter fractions of the tar oil are used as antiseptics.Flowers, mixed with oil, are applied to swellings, leaves to treat abscesses, shoots and ashes of dry meat to deep cuts, grated meat to burns, roots to wounds and gonorrhoea.Shell and fibre—antimicrobial.
Dosage: Dried endosperm—10- 20 g powder. (API Vol. III.)... cocos nucifera
An infection by any one of around 200 viruses, with about half the common-cold infections being caused by RHINOVIRUSES. Certain CORONAVIRUSES, ECHOVIRUSES and COXSACKIE VIRUSES are also culprits. The common cold – traditionally also called a chill – is one of several viral infections that cause respiratory symptoms and systemic illness. Others include PNEUMONIA and GASTROENTERITIS. Colds are commoner in winter, perhaps because people are more likely to be indoors in close contact with others.
Also called acute coryza or upper respiratory infection, the common cold is characterised by in?ammation of any or all of the airways – NOSE, sinuses (see SINUS), THROAT, LARYNX, TRACHEA and bronchi (see BRONCHUS). Most common, however, is the ‘head cold’, which is con?ned to the nose and throat, with initial symptoms presenting as a sore throat, runny nose and sneezing. The nasal discharge may become thick and yellow – a sign of secondary bacterial infection – while the patient often develops watery eyes, aching muscles, a cough, headache, listlessness and the shivers. PYREXIA (raised temperature) is usual. Colds can also result in a ?are-up of pre-existing conditions, such as asthma, bronchitis or ear infections. Most colds are self-limiting, resolving in a week or ten days, but some patients develop secondary bacterial infections of the sinuses, middle ear (see EAR), trachea, or LUNGS.
Treatment Symptomatic treatment with ANTIPYRETICS and ANALGESICS is usually su?cient; ANTIBIOTICS should not be taken unless there is de?nite secondary infection or unless the patient has an existing chest condition which could be worsened by a cold. Cold victims should consult a doctor only if symptoms persist or if they have a pre-existing condition, such as asthma which could be exacerbated by a cold.
Most colds result from breathing-in virus-containing droplets that have been coughed or sneezed into the atmosphere, though the virus can also be picked up from hand-to-hand contact or from articles such as hand towels. Prevention is, therefore, di?cult, given the high infectivity of the viruses. No scienti?cally proven, generally applicable preventive measures have yet been devised, but the incidence of the infection falls from about seven to eight years – schoolchildren may catch as many as eight colds annually – to old age, the elderly having few colds. So far, despite much research, no e?ective vaccines have been produced.... cold, common
Inflammation of the joints due to an abnormal immune response that occurs after an infection of the genital tract, such as chlamydial infection, or of the intestinal tract, such as gastroenteritis. If there is additional inflammation elsewhere in the body, such as in the eyes, the condition is known as Reiter’s syndrome.... reactive arthritis
A type of virus that is one of the causes of gastroenteritis, especially in young children.... rotavirus
Linn.
Family: Umbelliferae; Apiaceae.
Habitat: Cultivated chiefly in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Bihar.
English: Coriander.
Ayurvedic: Dhaanyaka, Kustum- buru, Dhaanyeyaka, Dhanika, Dhanikaa, Dhaanaa, Dhaanya, Dhaniyaa, Kunati, Chhatraa, Vitunnaka.
Unani: Kishneez.
Siddha/Tamil: Kotthamalli.
Action: Stimulant, stomachic, carminative, antispasmodic, diuretic; also hypoglycaemic and anti-inflammatory. Oil—bactericidal and larvicidal. Used in China as a remedy for measles, diabetes, aerophagy and gastroenteritis.
Key application: In dyspeptic complaints, loss of appetite. (German Commission E, British Herbal Pharmacopoeia, Indian Herbal Pharmacopoeia.)Coriander contains 0.5-1% volatile oil, consisting mainly of delta-linalool (55-74%), alpha-pinene and terpinine. It also contains flavonoids, coumarins, phthalides and phenolic acids (including caffeic and chlorogenic).Aqueous extract of the roasted seeds contains large amounts of acetylcho- line and its precursor choline. (Choline is found useful in preventing and curing certain liver disorders.) The extract shows cholinomimetic effects experimentally.Coriandrin, an antiviral agent, has been synthesized from the aerial parts. The plant forms an ingredient of a Pakistani herbal drug (Intellan) which is considered to be a neuro-energizer.In Unani medicine, an infusion of fruits is also used in bleeding piles, neuralgia, cephalalgia and spermatorrhoea.
Dosage: Fruit—1-3 g powder. (API Vol. I.)... coriandrum sativum
A class of bacteria containing the organism responsible for the bubonic plague (YERSINIA PESTIS). In other forms, yersinia is responsible for a variety of infections, such as gastroenteritis, particularly in young children, and arthritis and septicaemia in adults.... yersinia
(Norwalk virus) n. a member of a group of RNA viruses that cause acute gastroenteritis in humans. The faecal–oral route is the typical mode of transmission. Symptoms appear after an incubation period of between 24 and 48 hours. Noroviruses are highly contagious and are implicated in over 50% of all outbreaks of gastroenteritis. Symptomatic treatment with fluid replacement and electrolyte correction remains the mainstay of treatment.... norovirus
n. a highly toxic albumin obtained from castor-oil seeds (Ricinus communis) that inhibits protein synthesis and becomes attached to the surface of cells, resulting in gastroenteritis, hepatic congestion and jaundice, and cardiovascular collapse. It is lethal to most species, even in minute amounts (1 ?g/kg body weight); it is most toxic if injected intravenously or inhaled as fine particles. Ricin is being investigated as a treatment for certain lymphomas, which depends on its delivery to the exact site of the tumour in order to avoid destruction of healthy cells (see immunotoxin).... ricin
It you want to drink a special type of herbal tea, try the rose petal tea. It is aromatic, with a pleasant taste, and you’re bound to enjoy it. It also has important health benefits. Find out more about rose petal tea!
About Rose Petal Tea
Rose petal tea is made from the petals of a flower most adored by many women: the rose. This woody perennial plant has over 100 species which grow in Asia, Europe, North America, and northwest Africa.
Roses grow as a group of erect shrubs, acting like climbing plants. Its stems often have small, sharp thorns. The leaves are oval-shaped with sharply-toothed edges, and they’re about 10cm long. The fruit is called rosehip; it is ripe from late summer to autumn, and it is edible. The flowers usually have 5 petals with two distinct lobes; they are usually pink, white, red, or yellow.
You can make tea both from the rose petals and from the rose’s fruit, the rosehip.
How to prepare Rose Petal Tea
When making rose petal tea, first make sure that the petals you use are free of pesticides. Roses from gardens and flower shops are usually treated with pesticides, and shouldn’t be used to make rose petal tea.
To enjoy rose petal tea, add about two handfuls of properly washed and dry rose petals to a pot with water for three cups of tea. Leave the pot over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until the petals have lost their original color, becoming darker. Stream to remove the petals and sweeten, if necessary, with honey or fruit juice.
Rose Petal Tea Components
Rose petal tea gets many active components from the rose petals: cyclic monoterpene alcohols, geraniol, citronellol and nerol are just a few important ones. It also includes long-chain hydrocarbons (nonadecane, heneicosane).
These active components lead to the many health benefits rose petal tea has.
Rose Petal Tea Benefits
Rose petal tea helps strengthen your immunity, and can be part of the treatment for colds. It is useful if you’ve got a fever, a runny nose, a sore throat, or bronchial congestion. Also, it helps clean your body of toxins.
Drinking rose petal tea can help during menstrual periods, if you’ve got a heavy menstrual flow. It can also reduce menstrual cramps, and helps regulate your period.
Rose petal tea is often used to treat diarrhea and dysentery. It can also help you fight against depression, fatigue and insomnia.
Rose petal tea also acts as a digestive aid, as it protects the gastrointestinal tract. It is often used to treat constipation, gastroenteritis, diarrhea, and dysentery; the tea also nourishes the gastric mucosa. You can drink rose petal tea to treat urinary tract infections, as well.
Rose Petal Tea Side Effects
No important side effects of rose petal tea have been noted. Still, it is considered best not to drink more than 5 cups of tea a day. If you drink too much, you might get some of these symptoms: headaches, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, insomnia, dizziness, and irregular heartbeats.
Spoil yourself with a delicious cup of rose petal tea! Not only will you enjoy its taste, but its health benefits, as well.... enjoy a cup of rose petal tea
Lignum vitae (Guaiacum officinale).Plant Part Used: Stem, wood.Dominican Medicinal Uses: Stem, wood: tincture, orally, for upper respiratory tract infections, skin ailments, arthritis and venereal disease; tincture, externally, for arthritis, rheumatism, joint pain (also orally in small amount); decoction, externally, to prevent hair loss.Safety: Considered safe is used appropriately; adverse effects include skin rash, diarrhea, gastroenteritis and intestinal colic.Laboratory & Preclinical Data: In an animal study of a closely related Guaiacum species, the following effects were shown: anti-inflammatory and hypoglycemic.* See entry for Guayacán in “Part 3: Dominican Medicinal Plant Profiles” of this book for more information, including references.... guayacán
n. a genus of motile rodlike Gram-negative bacteria that inhabit the intestines of animals and humans and cause disease. They ferment glucose, usually with the formation of gas. The species S. paratyphi causes *paratyphoid fever, and S. typhi causes *typhoid fever. Other species of Salmonella cause *food poisoning, gastroenteritis, and septicaemia.... salmonella
A form of obstruction of the bowels in which part of the INTESTINE enters within that part immediately beneath it. This can best be understood by observing what takes place in the ?ngers of a tightly ?tting glove as they turn outside-in when the glove is pulled o? the hand. Mostly, the condition affects infants. Often it occurs during the course of a viral infection or a mild attack of gastroenteritis, or it may be that swelling of lymphoid tissue in the gut provokes the event. The point at which it most often occurs is the junction between the small and the large intestines, the former passing within the latter. The symptoms are those of intestinal obstruction in general (see INTESTINE, DISEASES OF – Obstruction), and in addition there is often a discharge of blood-stained mucus from the bowel. Unless the symptoms rapidly subside, when it may be assumed that the bowel has righted itself, treatment consists of either hydrostatic reduction by means of a barium or air ENEMA, or an operation. At operation the intussusception is either reduced or, if this not possible, the obstructed part is cut out and the ends of the intestine then stitched together. If treated adequately and in time, the mortality is now reduced to around 1 per cent. The condition may recur in about 5 per cent of patients.... intussusception
Linn.
Habitat: Cultivated and naturalized throuhout India. Wild in the Sub-Himalayan tract up to 1,800 m.
English: Persian Lilac, Pride of India.
Ayurvedic: Mahaanimba, Ramyaka, Dreka. (Neem is equated with Azadirachta indica.)
Unani: Bakaayan.
Siddha/Tamil: Malaivembu.
Action: Leaf—diuretic, anthelmintic, antilithic. Leaf and flower—febrifuge, sedative, em- menagogue. Leaf, fruit and stem bark—antileprotic. Leaf, flower, fruit, root bark—deobstruent, resolvent. Seed oil—antirheumatic, insecticidal. Leaves, bark and fruit—insect repellent. Gum— used in spleen enlargement. Heart- wood—an aqueous extract, used in asthma.
The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia ofIn- dia indicated the use of the dried stem bark in increased frequency and turbidity of urine, skin diseases, nausea, emesis, asthma, gastroenteritis, giddiness and vertigo.The bitter constituents are present exclusively in the pericarp, not in the kernel as in the case of Neem fruit. Bakayanin has been isolated from the pericarp (bitter in dilutions of 1 in 10,000).The heartwood also yielded bakaya- nin and a lactone, bakalactone. Leaves gave quercitrin and rutin and tetranor- triterpenoids, salanin and vilasinin.An infusion of the bark is effective against ascariasis. The activity resides in the inner bark which is bitter but not astringent (outer bark contains tannins and is astringent).The ethanolic extract of the leaves is fungicidal and antibacterial. The activity is attributed to azadrine and me- liotannic acid.The fruits are considered poisonous to man and animals; contain melianon- inol, melianol, melianone, meliandi- ol, vanillin and vanillic acid. Vanillic acid analogues show micro- and macro-filaricidal activity.Gedunin, present in the plant, inhibits Plasmodium falciparum, while the seed extract does not show anti- malarial activity against P. berghei.The plant exhibited sedative and psychostimulant properties. Antitu- mour and antiviral activities have also been reported. Intraperitoneal administration of partially purified extracts of fresh green leaves reduced the spread of Tacaribe virus (that causes typical encephalitis) to kidneys, liver and brain in inoculated neonatal mice.
Dosage: Stem bark—5-10 g (API, Vol. IV.); leaf, seed, root—50- 100 ml decoction; 3-5 g powder. (CCRAS.)... melia azedarach
La grippe. An acute contagious viral infection. There are three distinct antigenic types, A, B and C. Droplet infection. Incubation period 48 hours.
Symptoms: chill, shivering, headache, sore throat, weakness, tiredness, dry cough, aching muscles and joints, body temperature rise, fever. Virus tends to change, producing new strains.
Influenza lowers the body’s resistance to infection. For stomach influenza, see: GASTROENTERITIS. Effects of influenza may last for years.
Treatment. (Historical) One of the most virulent strains of history was during the outbreak after World War I. The American Eclectic School of physicians treated successfully with: 5 drops Liquid Extract Lobelia, 5 drops Liquid Extract Gelsemium, and 10 drops Liquid Extract Bryonia. Distilled water to 4oz. 1 teaspoon 4-5 times daily.
Bedrest. Drink plenty of fluids (herb teas, fruit juices). Hot bath at bedtime.
Alternatives. Teas. Elderflowers and Peppermint, Yarrow, Boneset, Pleurisy root.
Tablets/capsules. Lobelia, Cinnamon.
Potter’s Peerless Composition Essence.
Powders. Cinnamon, with pinch of Cayenne.
Dose: 500mg (two 00 capsules or one-third teaspoon) every 2 hours.
Formula. Lobelia 2; Pleurisy root 1; Peppermint quarter; Valerian half. Dose: Liquid Extracts: one 5ml teaspoon. Tinctures: two 5ml teaspoons. Acute cases: every 2 hours in hot water. On remission of temperature: thrice daily.
Nurse Ethel Wells, FNIMH. Half an ounce each: Elderflowers, Yarrow, White Horehound, Peppermint, Boneset. Infuse 2 tablespoons in 1 pint boiling water in a clean teapot. Drink teacupful at bedtime and the remainder, cold, in teacupful doses the following day.
Inhalant. Aromatherapy: 5 drops each, Niaouli, Pine and Eucalyptus oils in bowl of hot water; inhale steam with head covered. See also: FRIAR’S BALSAM. 4 drops Peppermint oil in bath.
Diet. 3-day fast, where possible, with herb teas and fruit juices.
Supplements. Daily. Vitamin A 7,500iu. Vitamin C 3g. ... influenza
Faeces that differ from normal in colour, odour, consistency, or content. Abnormal faeces may indicate a disorder of the digestive system or related organ, such as the liver, but a change in the character of faeces is most often due to a change in diet.
Diarrhoea may be due simply to anxiety or may be caused by an intestinal infection (see gastroenteritis); by an intestinal disorder such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease; or by irritable bowel syndrome. Loose stools may indicate malabsorption. Constipation is generally harmless but, if it develops unexpectedly, may be caused by a large-intestine disorder such as colon cancer.
Pale faeces may be caused by diarrhoea, a lack of bile in the intestine as a result of bile duct obstruction, or a disease that causes malabsorption (such as coeliac disease). Such faeces may be oily, foul-smelling, and difficult to flush away. Dark faeces may result from taking iron tablets. However, if faeces are black, there may be bleeding in the upper digestive tract.
Faeces containing excessive mucus are sometimes associated with constipation or irritable bowel syndrome. Enteritis, dysentery, or a tumour of the intestine (see intestine, tumours of) may result in excess mucus, which is often accompanied by blood.
Blood in the faeces differs in appearance depending on the site of bleeding. Bleeding from the stomach or duodenum is usually passed in the form of black, tarry faeces. Blood from the colon is red and is usually passed at the same time as the faeces. Bleeding from the rectum or anus, which may be due to tumours or to haemorrhoids, is usually bright red. (See also rectal bleeding.)... faeces, abnormal
The heaviness of a person or object. In children, weight is routinely used as an index of growth. In healthy adults, weight remains more or less stable as dietary energy intake matches energy expenditure (see metabolism).
Weight loss or weight gain occurs if the net balance is disturbed.
Weight can be compared with standardized charts for height, age, and sex. At all ages, divergence from the normal weight for height may have medical implications. For example, if weight is below 80 per cent of the standard weight for height, the individual’s nutrition is probably inadequate as a result of poor diet or disease, and if 20 per cent above the standard, he or she is considered to be suffering from obesity. An alternative method of assessment is use of the body mass index (, or Quetelet’s index), obtained by dividing weight in kilograms by the square of height in metres. A healthy weight is 20–25 ; a of greater than 25 indicates that a person is overweight. weight loss This occurs any time there is a decrease in energy intake compared with energy expenditure. The decrease may be due to deliberate weight reduction or a change in diet or activity level. It may also be a symptom of a disorder. Unexplained weight loss should always be investigated by a doctor.
Many diseases disrupt the appetite, which may lead to weight loss. Depression reduces the motivation to eat, peptic ulcer causes pain and possible food avoidance, and some kidney disorders cause loss of appetite due to the effect of uraemia. In anorexia nervosa and bulimia, complex psychological factors affect an individual’s eating pattern.
Digestive disorders, such as gastroenteritis, lead to weight loss through vomiting. Cancer of the oesophagus (see oesophagus, cancer of) and stomach cancer cause loss of weight, as does malabsorption of nutrients in certain disorders of the intestine or pancreas.
Some disorders cause weight loss by increasing the rate of metabolic activity in cells. Examples are any type of cancer, chronic infection such as tuberculosis, and hyperthyroidism. Untreated diabetes mellitus also causes weight loss due to a number of factors.... weight
n. a disorder in which the body becomes hypersensitive to particular antigens (called *allergens), which provoke characteristic symptoms whenever they are subsequently inhaled, ingested, injected, or otherwise contacted. Normally antibodies in the bloodstream and tissues react with and destroy specific antigens without further trouble. In an allergic person, however, the allergens provoke the release of a class of antibodies (IgE) that become bound to *mast cells in the body’s tissues. The subsequent reaction of allergen with tissue-bound antibody (see reagin) also leads, as a side-effect, to cell damage, release of *histamine and *serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine), inflammation, and all the symptoms of the particular allergy. Different allergies afflict different tissues and may have either local or general effects, varying from asthma and hay fever to severe dermatitis or gastroenteritis or extremely serious shock (see anaphylaxis). —allergic adj.... allergy
an illness affecting the digestive system that results from eating food that is contaminated by bacteria or bacterial toxins, viruses, or (less commonly) by residues of insecticides (on fruit and vegetables) or poisonous chemicals such as lead or mercury. It can also be caused by eating poisonous fungi, berries, etc. Symptoms commence 1–24 hours after ingestion and include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and abdominal pain. Food-borne infections are caused by bacteria of the genera *Salmonella, *Campylobacter, and *Listeria in foods of animal origin. The disease is transmitted by human carriers who handle the food, by shellfish growing in sewage-polluted waters, or by vegetables fertilized by manure. Toxin-producing bacteria causing food poisoning include those of the genus Staphylococcus, which rapidly multiply in warm foods; pathogenic *Escherichia coli; and the species Clostridium perfringens, which multiplies in reheated cooked meals. A rare form of food poisoning – *botulism – is caused by toxins produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, which may contaminate badly preserved canned foods. See also gastroenteritis.... food poisoning
(IBS) a common functional bowel disorder characterized by recurrent abdominal pain, altered stool consistency, and variable frequency of defecation. The symptoms, which may differ from individual to individual, may be caused by abnormal contractions of the colon, heightened sensitivity to such stimuli as stretching or distension, stress, and changes in diet. A minority of people may develop symptoms following an episode of gastroenteritis (postinfectious irritable bowel syndrome). Tests may be needed to rule out organic disease. Treatment includes reassurance, dietary manipulation (see FODMAPS), the use of antispasmodics, antidiarrhoeal drugs or laxatives, and drugs that reduce the sensitivity of the bowel (such as low-dose amitriptyline).... irritable bowel syndrome
Health Encyclopedia