June 2nd
Radiation after an operation is often recommended when it is either suspected or definitely known that cancer cells have been left behind. You will remember from the chapter on surgery that the chances of not being able to completely remove the cancer can be reduced by careful assessment before the operation. Postoperative radiation is more [...]
Read more of PREVENTION OF LOCAL RECURRENCE – RADIATION AFTER AN OPERATION…
June 1st
Radiation treatment is often recommended before or after surgical removal of a primary cancer. It is important that you understand what can be gained by doing this.Firstly, as I mentioned in the previous section, the addition of radiation to surgical removal of a primary cancer very rarely makes any difference to the chance of complete [...]
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May 20th
Biting is a distressing manifestation of aggressive behaviour in young children. More common in boys than girls, it is most common in the toddler and preschool age groups. The behaviour can be directed against parents, siblings or peers.
Cause
The immediate cause of biting is often the child being angry or frustrated, usually at not getting his [...]
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May 18th
A proper diet and enough sleep are also very important in helping raise our threshold to stress. If we have eating problems it is important we seek advice to help re-establish normal eating patterns.
Returning to healthier sleep patterns can be difficult, and this is where the meditation technique can play an important role.
Although we have [...]
Read more of ANXIETY DISORDERS/WORKING THROUGH THE RECOVERY: TAKING CARE OF OURSELVES…
May 17th
As with any treatment, you need to weigh the likely ‘benefit’ against the likely ‘cost’. These are some of the questions to which you will need answers:
-What is the aim of the surgery?
-What is the chance of achieving that aim?
-Would there be a better chance of achieving that aim if I had other forms of [...]
May 15th
Close monitoring will show any dangerously abnormal heart rhythms before they go on to develop fibrillation. The abnormal rhythm can then be reversed by the injection of drugs.
Should ventricular fibrillation occur, it can be reversed by using a defibrillator machine to give an electric shock directly over the heart.
Mobile intensive care units (MICA) are ambulances [...]
May 8th
The amount of care your skin requires is dependent on its type. If your skin is oily, such as might be the case if you are an adolescent, it will require different attention from that required for a dry elderly skin. Similarly, if you are fortunate enough to have inherited an olive or pigmented skin, [...]
May 7th
The aim of treating reactive hypoglycaemia is to prevent sudden large increases in blood sugar levels. If the blood sugar level can be prevented from increasing quickly, then excessive unnecessary amounts of insulin will not be produced and the blood sugar levels will not plunge to abnormally low levels.
Smooth steady blood sugar levels can be [...]
May 7th
Chronic nephritis, or chronic glomerulonephritis, means that the kidneys are damaged, and that blood and protein are found in the urine as a result. It may follow on from an acute attack, or it may simply appear for no apparent reason. Sometimes it may flare up after recurring throat infections by the streptococcal germ.
There may [...]
Read more of BABY AND CHILDHOOD URINARY TRACT DISORDERS: CHRONIC NEPHRITIS…
April 28th
Known also as Pre-menstrual Syndrome, PMT refers to a range of symptoms experienced by women in the leadup to their menstrual period. Common physical symptoms include fluid retention, sore breasts, pimples and abdominal cramps. Many women also feel irritable and depressed and will cry more easily when pre-menstrual. Some become clumsy and accident prone as [...]