Fractures

Now that it’s summertime, take extra care when going to the beach, or surfing, or island hopping. Fractures are common especially when engaging in outdoor activites. 

According to the medical dictionary, a fracture is the medical term for a broken bone. They say the average person has two fractures during a lifetime. 

There are many types of fractures but the main categories are: displaced, non-displaced, closed and open.

In a displaced fracture, the bone snaps and the ends are not aligned. In a non-displaced fracture, the bones are broken but are aligned. A closed fracture is when there are no open wounds or puncture in the skin, while an open fracture is one in which the bone breaks through the skin.

Other types of fracture are:

• Complete fracture: when bone fragments separate completely
• Linear fracture: when the fracture is parallel to the bone’s long axis
• Transverse fracture: when the fracture is at a right angle to the bone’s long axis
• Oblique fracture: when it is diagonal to a bone’s long axis
• Spiral fracture: when at least one part of the bone has been twisted
• Impacted fracture: when the fragments are driven into each other
• Avulsion racture: when a fragment is separated from the main mass

Next week we shall discuss homeopathic remedies for a broken bone. - J.P.

Fainting

Some people are prone to fainting spells. This happens when the brain does not get enough oxygen. According to the medical dictionary, syncope, the medical term for fainting or passing out, is defined as a transient loss of consciousness, characterized by rapid onset, short duration, and spontaneous recovery, due to low blood flow to the brain.  This can be caused by emotional stress; physical pain; a sudden change in body position, like standing up too quickly (postural hypotension); low blood sugar; abnormal heart rhythm; stroke; or heart attack. Common faints (not linked to disease) tend to take place in a warm, crowded room, or when your stomach is empty, or when you’re in pain, or after an injury. Poor physical condition can leave you more prone to fainting.

Here are some dos and don’ts to remember if someone faints.

Do:

• Catch the person before he or she falls.
• Place the person in a horizontal position, with the head below the level of the heart and the legs raised to promote blood flow to the brain. 
• Turn the victim’s head to the side, so the tongue doesn’t fall back into the throat.
• Loosen any tight clothing.
• Apply cold, moist towels to the person’s face and neck.
• Keep the victim warm, especially if the surroundings are chilly.

Here’s what you shouldn’t do:

• Don’t slap or shake anyone who’s just fainted.
• Don’t try to give the person anything to drink, not even water.
• Don’t allow the person who’s fainted to get up until the sense of physical weakness passes, and then be watchful for a few minutes to be sure he or she doesn’t faint again.

Used with permission from A Year of Health Hints by Don R Powell, PHD and the American Institute for Preventive Medicine, copyright 2010. www.healthylife.com

Ulcers

No one knows exactly what causes ulcers, but doctors think they’re due to a combination of excess stomach acid and failure of the stomach’s inner lining to protect it from the acid.  

Symptoms:

• Pain that recurs, each cluster of attacks lasting from several days to several months
• Pain that feels like indigestion, heartburn, or hunger
• Nausea
• Unintentional weight loss or loss of appetite

If you have ulcer, pain can be soothed in various ways:

• Eat smaller, lighter, more frequent meals for a couple of weeks. Big, heavy lunches and dinners can spell trouble for people with ulcers. Frequent meals tend to take the edge off pain.
• Avoid anything that will stimulate excess stomach acid. That includes coffee (regular and decaffeinated), tea, alcohol, and soft drinks containing caffeine.
• Discontinue use of aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicine, which irritate the stomach lining.
• Try anatacids (with your physician’s okay) on a short-term basis. (Don’t try to self-medicate an ulcer. You may soothe the symptoms without treating the problem itself.)
• Don’t smoke. Smokers get ulcers more frequently than nonsmomkers do.
• Try to inimize stress in your life. Stress doesn’t cause ulcers but for some people, stress triggers the release of stomach acid – and subsequent ulcer flare-ups.

Used with permission from A Year of Health Hints by Don R Powell, PHD and the American Institute for Preventive Medicine, copyright 2010. www.healthylife.com

Heartburn Treatment and Prevention

Treatment of heartburn consists of avoiding as many contributing factors as possible, plus the following:   

• Sit straight, and stand up or walk around whenever you can. Bending over or lying down makes it too easy for gastric secretions to move up the esophagus.
• If heartburn bothers you at night, raise the head of the bed slightly.
• Keep your weight down.  In people who are overweight (or women who are pregnant), the upper portion of the stomach can bulge through the diaphragm.
• Eat small meals.
• Don’t eat for 2 to 3 hours before bedtime.
• To coat your stomach and neutralize acids, take 1 to 2 tablespoons of a nonabsorbable liquid antacid such as magnesium hydroxide every 1 to 2 hours. (Note: People with heart disease, kidney disease, or high blood pressure should consult a phsician before taking antacids.  Many are high in sodium and may not be permitted on a restricted diet.
• Drink a glass of milk; it may help further. Milk acts as  a protective coating, but it’s not as effective as antacid.

Used with permission from A Year of Health Hints by Don R Powell, PHD and the American Institute for Preventive Medicine, copyright 2010. www.healthylife.com