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Useful herbs

HOPS
Humulus lupulus
Used as a soporific to treat insomnia, anxiety, indigestion, and also for the relief of menstrual pain and neuralgia.
HOREHOUND Marrubium vulgare
Beneficial for disorders of the gall bladder and the stomach, it can also be used to treat menstrual pain. It is specifically of use in bronchial disorders.
HORSERADISH
Cochlearia armoracia
Eaten raw, it stimulates digestion and treats bronchial disorders. It clears the head and relieves congestion and sinusitis and the related pain.
HORSETAIL
 Equisitum arvense
Having a high silica content, horsetail can be used to clean pewter. A potent diuretic, it can be drunk as a tea to remove gall or kidney stones. It promotes coagulation and corpuscle growth, reducing internal and external bleeding.
IRISH MOSS
Chondrus crispus
Known as carrageen, Irish moss is a gelatin derived from seaweed and is used in pharmaceutical products. Its soothing properties are useful for bronchial and digestive irritations, and it is also nutritious and used for treating convalescents.
JUNIPER
Juniperus communis
Used internally as a urinary antiseptic and to stimulate appetite. The oil can be used in a vaporiser for bronchial infections. It is a diuretic which stimulates the kidneys.
KELP
Fucus vesiculosus
Kelp is used in the treatment of disorders of the thyroid gland and to treat overweight people; it contains iodine.
KOLA Cola nitida
Kola is a heart stimulant and is high in caffeine. It is used to treat headaches, migraine and depression.
LIME FLOWERS
Tillia cordata
In combination with hawthorn and mistletoe, the flower can be used to treat hypertension, cardiac disease and high blood pressure.
LIQUORICE
 Glycyrrhiza glabra
Liquorice root can be used as an expectorant in respiratory complaints, and it is well-known for its laxative properties. It is also used as an anti-inflammatory drug, possessing similar qualities to prednizone.
MILK THISTLE
Silybum marianum
Used as an appetite stimulant and an aid to digestion, the powdered seeds can be used in certain cardiovascular disorders. This herb has also been used to treat leg ulcers and varicose veins. It protects the liver from toxins and is used to treat hepatitis.
MULLEIN
Verbascum thapsus
Specifically used for respiratory disorders, working as an expectorant and a sedative. Externally an oil from the flowers can treat haemorrhoids, bruises, nappy rash and warts.
OATS
Avena saliva
Oats are nutritious and soothe the intestinal tract. The seeds are good for the heart and relieve nervous anxiety. The oatmeal is used for skin disorders and the dried straw is used as tea for chest complaints.
OLIVE OIL
Olea europaea
Apart from its culinary delights it has laxative properties, relieves ulcers, and it is believed to reduce cholesterol. Externally the oil is used on bruises, burns and bites, and softens dry skin and hair. Eating this flavoursome oil can enrich dry skin, relieve itchy scalp, add lustre to the hair.
The mucilage on the seed swells when ingested and is effective for constipation, and also diarrohea. It helps lower blood cholesterol. Its most effective use is for Irritable
Bowel syndrome and in cases of colitis. It is sometimes used to treat cystitis
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 General Health

News

EPILEPSY AND PREGNANCY

Women with epilepsy are quite often concerned about getting pregnant. There appear to be five reasons for this concern. They wish to know:
if they are likely to hand their epilepsy on to their children;
whether their fits will get worse during pregnancy;
whether it is safe for the baby that the mother should take anticonvulsants drugs during pregnancy;
if there will be any problems in the newborn baby from these drugs;
if they can safely breast feed the baby.
With regard to handing on epilepsy to one’s children – as mentioned earlier, if one parent has epilepsy, the chances of one of the children having epilepsy are no greater than in the population at large. If both parents have epilepsy, it would appear that the risk of a child having epilepsy is about 10 per cent. So in fact the chance of a child inheriting epilepsy, particularly idiopathic epilepsy, is negligible.
As far as seizures during pregnancy are concerned, the situation is not as clear as it might be. There is evidence that for some women, seizure control may deteriorate, while for others there may in fact be no change or even an improvement. A patient told me recently that “she would like to remain pregnant forever” as she had not had a single fit during her pregnancy, compared with six fits in the preceding nine months!
As a general working rule, it is suggested that people who have more than one grand mal fit a month are those who are most likely to have a deterioration in seizure control during pregnancy. The deterioration, if it occurs, is most likely during the first three months of pregnancy. There are a number of theories why this may happen, but none has been proved. It may be of value to check the blood anticonvulsant levels during pregnancy, especially if there is a deterioration in seizure control. The blood levels may fall, necessitating an increase in dosage during the pregnancy.
The main concern for parents is whether the anticonvulsants can harm the unborn baby (foetus). It is known by most people with epilepsy that this is a potential hazard. The effects include physical abnormalities in the baby, a process known as teratogenesis. Abnormalities have been reported in the offspring of mothers on all the commonly used anticonvulsants with the exception of carbamazepine. This is particularly applicable to phenytoin, barbiturates and sodium valproate. Babies born to mothers who have been on carbamazepine have not been shown to have any physical abnormalities, but have a smaller head size than other babies. This has not been shown to be any handicap to the babies who have been followed up for five years.
The risk of abnormalities in the baby is difficult to assess, but it seems to be most common in mothers on polytherapy (receiving numerous drugs), especially if they are on three or more anticonvulsants. The risk in mothers on phenytoin, with or without other medications, appears to be about a 10% chance of the baby showing features of the ‘foetal hydantoin’ syndrome. This syndrome consists of cleft palate, abnormalities of the fingers, possible heart abnormalities and mild mental retardation. Thus, at present, if it is possible, it would seem wise to try to change patients over to carbamazepine before conception. This may not be possible in all patients and, of course, many women will first visit their doctor when already pregnant, at which time there is no purpose in making the change.
Anticonvulsants taken by the mother during pregnancy may have some effects on the baby immediately after birth, as they are transmitted to the baby across the placenta. These include the possibility of a mild bleeding tendency and some drowsiness. In mothers who have been taking barbiturates, the infant may occasionally show features of a withdrawal reaction with irritability, jitteriness and poor sucking. None of these features is [...]

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Articles

ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION SYMPTOMS

Most patients have a combination of two or more of these problems. They are usually first given a thorough medical history and examination to determine the extent of the prob­lem and to hopefully pinpoint a cause. I want to briefly outline the nature of these four symptoms so that your problem will make more sense to you as a patient if you are experiencing any of them.

PRESCRIBED DRUGS

Taking prescribed medications with most vitamins is safe as is taking herbal complexes that are available through health food stores. However, you should always check with your doctor, your pharmacist or your naturopath. They are all trained to know what can go with what.

Weight loss

Overweight is most commonly a result of overeating and lack of exercise. Overweight and fluid retention often go together with people who have glandular problems or under-active thyroids. In such cases an iodine and phosporous deficiency may be the cause.