Internal. Elderflower and Peppermint tea (catarrhal). Ginkgo tea.
Tablets/capsules. Ginkgo. Improvement reported in moderate loss.
Topical. Garlic oil. Injection of 3-4 drops at night.
Wax in the ear. Mixture: 30 drops oil Eucalyptus, 1 drop Tincture Capsicum (or 3 of Ginger), 1oz (30ml) Olive oil. Inject 4-5 drops, warm.
Black Cohosh Drops. It is claimed that John Christopher (USA) improved many cases of moderate hearing loss with topical use of 5-10 drops Liquid Extract in 1oz oil of Mullein (or Olive oil).
Pulsatilla Drops. Tincture Pulsatilla and glycerol 50/50. 2-3 drops injected at bedtime. Assists auditory nerve function. (Arthur Hyde)
Nerve deafness due to fibroma of the 8th cranial nerve, or after surgery – oral: Mistletoe tea for temporary relief. ... hearing loss
Menstruation. The regular monthly loss of blood which women sustain as a result of menstruation always puts a strain on the blood-forming organs. If this loss is excessive, then over a period of time it may lead to quite severe anaemia.
Childbirth. A considerable amount of blood is always lost at childbirth; if this is severe, or if the woman was anaemic during pregnancy, a severe degree of anaemia may develop.
Bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract. The best example here is anaemia due to ‘bleeding piles’ (see HAEMORRHOIDS). Such bleeding, even though slight, is a common cause of anaemia in both men and women if maintained over a long period of time. The haemorrhage may be more acute and occur from a DUODENAL ULCER or gastric ulcer (see STOMACH, DISEASES OF), when it is known as haematemesis.
Certain blood diseases, such as PURPURA and HAEMOPHILIA, which are characterised by bleeding.... loss of blood
The most common cause is inflammation of the nasal passages.
Other causes of loss of taste include any condition that causes a dry mouth (see mouth, dry); natural degeneration of the taste buds; damage to the taste eign particles.
Tear production increases in response to eye irritation and emotion.... taste, loss of
Voice This has three varying characteristics: loudness, pitch, and quality or timbre. Loudness depends on the volume of air available and therefore on the size of the chest and the strength of its muscles. Pitch is determined by larynx size, the degree of tenseness at which the vocal cords are maintained, and whether the cords vibrate as a whole or merely at their edges.
In any given voice, the range of pitch seldom exceeds two and a half octaves. Typically, the small larynx of childhood produces a shrill or treble voice; the rapid growth of the larynx around PUBERTY causes the voice to ‘break’ in boys. Changes in the voice also occur at other ages as a result of the secondary action of the SEX HORMONES. Generally speaking, the adult voice is bass and tenor in men, contralto or soprano in women. Timbre is due to di?erences in the larynx, as well as to voluntary changes in the shape of the mouth.
Speech Rapid modi?cations of the voice, produced by movements of the PALATE, tongue and lips. Infants hear the sounds made by others and mimic them; hence the speech centres in the BRAIN are closely connected with those of hearing.
Defects of speech See below, and also SPEECH DISORDERS. MUTISM, or absence of the power to speak, may be due to various causes. LEARNING DISABILITY that prevents the child from mimicking the actions of others is most common; in other cases the child has normal intelligence but some neurological disorder, or disorder of the speech organs, is responsible. Alternatively, complete DEAFNESS or early childhood ear disease may be the cause. STAMMERING is a highly individual condition, but is basically a lack of coordination between the di?erent parts of the speech mechanism. (See also main entry on STAMMERING.) DYSPHASIA is the inability to speak or understand speech, most commonly following brain disease, such as STROKE. APHONIA or loss of voice may be caused by LARYNGITIS or, rarely, a symptom of conversion and dissociative mental disorders – traditionally referred to as HYSTERIA. It is generally of short duration.... voice and speech
Causes: hormone deficiency (Agnus Castus) in females, where it may be associated with failing thyroid or ovarian function. In such cases, other agents include: Helonias, Motherwort, Black Haw bark. Other causes may be pregnancy, the menopause, or simply discontinuing The Pill. Certain skin diseases predispose: ringworm (Thuja), eczema (Yellow Dock), from thyroid disorder (Kelp, Blue Flag root).
Exposure to some cosmetics, excessive sunlight, strong chemicals and treatment of cancer with cytotoxic drugs may interfere with nutrition of the hair follicles. To ensure a healthy scalp a correct mineral balance is essential calling for supplementation of the diet with vitamins, selenium, zinc and silica. Yellow Dock is believed to counter toxicity of chemicals; Pleurisy root opens the pores to promote sweat and action of surface capillaries.
Baldness sometimes happens suddenly; eye-lashes or beard may be affected. Though emotional stress and a run-down condition is a frequent cause, most cases are not permanent, returning to normal with adequate treatment.
Baldness of the eyebrows alerts us to a lowered function of the thyroid gland, being an early outward sign of myxoedema. A pony-tail hair style or the wearing of a crash helmet may cause what is known as traction alopecia. Heavy coffee drinkers invariably lose hair lustre.
Soviet Research favours silica-rich plants internally and as a lotion: Horsetail, Burdock, Nettles, Bamboo gum.
Growth of hair is assisted by improving surface circulation of the scalp which is beneficial for conveying nutrients to the hair roots and facilitating drainage. Herbal vasodilators stimulate hair follicle nutrition and encourage growth: Cayenne, Pleurisy root, Black Cohosh and Prickly Ash, taken internally. A convenient way of taking Cayenne is the use of a pepper-shaker at table.
Topical. Hair rinse. 2-3 times weekly. Infusion: equal parts Yarrow, Sage and Rosemary. 1oz (30g) to 1 pint (500ml) water. Simmer gently five minutes. Allow to cool. Strain before use.
Cider vinegar – minimal success reported.
Day lotion. Liquid Extract Jaborandi half an ounce; Tincture Cantharides half an ounce; Oil Jojoba to 4oz. Shake well before use.
Oily lotion. Equal parts Olive and Eucalyptus oils.
Bay Rhum Lotion. Oil of Bay 50 drops; Olive oil half an ounce; Rum (Jamaica or other) to 4oz. Shake well before use.
Oil Rosemary: rub into hair roots.
Russian Traditional. Castor oil half an ounce; Almond oil 1oz; Oil Geranium 15 drops; Vodka to 6oz. Rub into hair roots.
Aromatherapy. To 1oz Castor oil and 1oz Olive oil add, 10 drops each – Oils Neroli, Lavender and Rosemary.
Gentian plant extract. Japanese scalp massage with extract from roots to thicken thinning hair. Some success reported.
Supplements. B-vitamins, Kelp, Silicea Biochemic salt. Zinc. Low levels of iron and zinc can cause the condition.
Note: Studies show that male occipital baldness confers a risk of heart disease, being associated with a higher total cholesterol and diastolic blood pressure than men with a full head of hair. Frontal baldness has not been found to be associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease and myocardial infarct. “It seems prudent for bald men to be specially vigorous in controlling risk factors for such conditions.” (S.M. Lesko, Journal of the American Medical Association, Feb 24, 1993, 269: 998-1003) ... hair loss
Exposure to a sudden, very loud noise, usually above 130 decibels, can cause immediate and permanent damage to hearing. Normally, muscles in the middle ear respond to loud noise by altering the position of the ossicles (the chain of bones that pass vibrations to the inner ear), thus damping down the intensity of the noise. If these protective reflexes have no time to respond, the full force of the vibrations is carried to the inner ear, severely damaging the delicate hair cells in the cochlea. Occasionally, loud noises can rupture the eardrum.
More commonly, noise damage occurs over a period of time by prolonged exposure to lower levels of noise. Any noise above 85–90 decibels may cause damage, with gradual destruction of the hair cells of the cochlea, leading to permanent hearing loss. Prolonged exposure to loud noise leads initially to a loss of the ability to hear certain high tones. Later, deafness extends to all high frequencies, and the perception of speech is impaired. Eventually, lower tones are also affected.
Sounds at 85–90 decibels or above may cause pain and temporary deafness. Prolonged tinnitus (ringing or buzzing in
the ears) occurring after a noise has ceased is an indication that some damage has probably occurred.... noise-induced hearing loss
Progressive loss of visual clarity is common with advancing age and may be due to a number of disorders (see vision, disorders of).
Sudden loss of vision may be caused by disorders such as hyphaema, severe uveitis, vitreous haemorrhage, or retinal haemorrhage.
Optic neuritis can reduce vision in 1 eye.
Damage to the nerve connections between the eyes and brain, or to the visual area of the brain, can cause loss of peripheral vision and may be a result of embolism, ischaemia, tumour, inflammation, or injury.... vision, loss of