Bacteria In House Dust May Help Prevent Allergies

Bacteria in house dust may actually protect babies against developing allergies. Numerous reports suggest that hygiene measures in modernized societies may be partly responsible for the increased occurrence of (asthma-related) diseases in these populations. Read more

Should I Give My Egg-Allergic Child the Flu Shot?

By Sean Kelley

It’s nearly flu season and my wife and I are in a quandary about how to protect our severely allergic son, Graeme. With a normal kid (older than 6 months), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends the flu shot—with good reason. Each year more than 20,000 kids under 5 are hospitalized due to complications from the flu, according to the CDC.

And Graeme, who has asthma, falls into one of the highest risk groups for flu complications, such as bacterial pneumonia or increased asthma attacks.

But he’s also highly allergic to eggs, which means he isn’t supposed to get the shot. The flu vaccine is grown in fertilized chicken eggs and a tiny bit of egg protein can be left over in the final dose. If you’re severely allergic to eggs, you can suffer a bad reaction to the shot, which is why most allergists and the CDC do not recommend it for anyone with egg allergies. Which leaves us in a pickle. Read More

Obesity Worsens Asthma

(HealthDay News) -- New research shows that obese people who have asthma are nearly five times more likely to be hospitalized for the problem and to have lower quality of life and worse control of the disease than those with asthma who are normal weight.

Researchers from Kaiser Permanente, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School evaluated 1,113 adults with asthma, all members of Kaiser, in Oregon, Washington or Colorado.

They asked the patients about their weight, height, smoking habits, other illness, asthma treatment and their quality of life associated with asthma, as well as their asthma control and any hospitalizations related to the condition. They also computed their body-mass index (BMI).

"Even accounting for all of those factors, there was a pretty dramatic difference for obese asthmatics versus non-obese asthmatics," said study authors Dr. Michael Schatz, chief of the department of allergy at Kaiser Permanente, San Diego, and a clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine.

"The most severe was a nearly five times greater risk for being hospitalized for asthma in the prior year," Schatz said. Obesity was defined as having a BMI of 30 or above.

The team reported its findings in the September issue of The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, found other differences associated with obesity. Obese patients with asthma were 2.8 times more likely to have day-to-day problems with quality of life associated with their disease. They were 2.7 times more likely to have poor asthma control, too.

In previous research, Schatz said, obesity has been associated with having more intense asthma.

For those who had asthma and were overweight but not obese, with a BMI of 25 to 29, the findings were not as clear, Schatz said. While the results for the overweight but not obese weren't significantly different than for those of normal weight, "we probably could have used more numbers," Schatz said, explaining that the numbers of overweight but not obese persons may have been too small to tease out a difference. "I wouldn't want to conclude that being overweight [with asthma] is the same as normal weight in terms of risks."

His advice for trying to keep asthma in check? "In general, the best bet would be to be at a normal weight," Schatz said.

The study adds to the base of knowledge about weight and asthma, said Dr. Christopher Cooper, a professor of medicine and physiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles. "This adds additional evidence there is some association between the two," he said.

The study relied on large numbers overall, he said, and the statistics are sound. One limitation is the lack of an intervention, such as following obese asthmatics who lose weight to see if their condition improves, he added.

Exactly why obesity seems to make asthma worse is not known. In the study, Schatz and his colleagues speculated that obese people may have a lower self-image and not adhere to measures to make their asthma better, may not be as adherent to medication, or other factors.

More information
For more on asthma and what can trigger it, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Long-Term Exposure to Incense Raises Cancer Risk

(HealthDay News) -- Exposure to burning incense over long periods of time raises the risk of developing cancers of the upper respiratory tract, a new study shows.

Interestingly, the practice did not increase the overall risk of lung cancer.

"Given that our results are backed by numerous experimental studies showing that incense is a powerful producer of particulate matter and that incense smoke contains carcinogenic substances, I believe incense should be used with caution," said study author Dr. Jeppe Friborg, of the department of epidemiology research at Statens Serum Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark. "That is, frequent use in rooms where people live should be minimized, or at least sufficient ventilation should be secured. In our study, we find the increased risk of cancer to be present in individuals reporting frequent use of incense for many years, thus, repeated exposure for years should probably be avoided."

Others echoed the thought.

"The American Lung Association is going to add it as a risk factor," said Dr. Norman Edelman, chief medical officer of the association. "It's not nearly the danger of smoking a pack a day for 20 years, but it's a danger."

Not only is incense burned regularly as part of daily life in large swaths of Asia, the practice is also popular among certain segments in the West.

Incense burning produces particulate matter and is known to contain possible carcinogens such as polyaromatic hyodrcarbons (PAHs), carbonyls and benzene.

There have also been reports linking the burning of incense with cancer but the results have been inconsistent.

For this study, researchers conducted face-to-face interviews with more than 61,000 Singapore Chinese aged 45 to 74 who were cancer-free at the beginning of the study.

Incense burning almost doubled the risk of developing squamous cell upper respiratory tract carcinomas including nasal/sinus, tongue, mouth and laryngeal. There was an increased risk both in smokers and in nonsmokers, pointing to an independent effect of incense smoke.

There was no overall increased risk of lung cancer, but it did heighten the risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the lung.

Will incense go the way of tobacco? Not necessarily, said some experts.

"Certainly I think bathing yourself in particles is probably not the smartest thing in the world . . . but I think very few people fill up their room with incense," said Dr. Arthur Frankel, a professor of medicine at Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine and director of the Cancer Center, Cancer Research Institute and Division of Hematology/Oncology at Scott & White in Temple.

The findings, which are in the Oct. 1 issue of Cancer, might also point researchers toward other household practices that should be investigated.

"It's a population-based study, which means that you can make an association but not necessarily a conclusion," said Dr. Erin Fleener, a clinical assistant professor in internal medicine at the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine and an oncologist at the Bryan-College Station Cancer Clinic. "It probably promotes more work in the area of routine household items and things we need to be looking at more prospectively to make a clear cause-and-effect relationship."

In general, though, it's not a bad idea to avoid environmental pollutants of various types.

"Anything that affects air quality negatively is not a good thing," said Dr. Len Horvitz, a pulmonary specialist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. "Burning in general and the release of smoke, these things are certainly to be avoided. At the very least, chemical irritants will set off asthma, and that's reversible. Cancer is not reversible."

"This is not unlike the type of risk that one experiences from secondhand tobacco smoke," said Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society. "At the end of the day, people who use incense casually, I don't think that's a cause for major concern, but those cultures which embrace incense as part of their daily lifestyles have to consider this has a real potential risk for cancer."

More information
Visit the National Cancer Institute for more on respiratory cancers.

Telemedicine a Cost-Effective Alternative to ER Visits

(HealthDay News) -- Telemedicine is a cost-effective way to replace more than a quarter of all visits to the pediatric emergency department, according to a community-wide study conducted in New York.

Ailments, such as ear infections or sore throats, that virtually always prove manageable by telemedicine made up almost 28 percent of all pediatric ER visits in Rochester, N.Y., during one year, according to investigators from the University of Rochester Medical Center.

Their findings were presented recently at the 2008 Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting, in Honolulu.

"We learned that more than one in four local patients are using the pediatric emergency department for non-emergencies," lead investigator Dr. Kenneth McConnochie, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Rochester's Golisano Children's Hospital at Strong, said in a prepared statement. "This mismatch of needs and resources is inefficient, costly and impersonal for everyone involved."

McConnochie and his colleagues, who direct a Rochester-based telemedicine program that provides interactive, Internet-based pediatric health-care service to the area, analyzed data for all pediatric visits to the largest emergency department in the city. Based on their experience, they determined at least 12,000 visits were ones they routinely treat with success via telemedicine.

The other visits were either problems that sometimes are treatable through telemedicine, such as asthma attacks; or ones beyond the scope of the technology, such as a serious wound or injury.

"This would've not only freed up emergency resources to people who needed them more, it would have afforded smaller co-pays for parents and more timely, personalized care," McConnochie said.

In related research presented at the meeting, McConnochie suggested that telemedicine could also help insurers and the community by providing better quality care at a lower price -- saving insurers more than $14 per child per year in that local community.

The conclusion was reached by studying two groups of children that were almost identical, but one had access to their doctor's office, the emergency department and telemedicine technology for care, while the second had only the first two options.

"We found that the first group of families, which had access to telemedicine for their children, did in fact access care for illness overall nearly 23 percent more often than the second group," McConnochie said.

But since children with telemedicine access had 24 percent fewer ER visits, which cost about seven times the cost of a doctor office or telemedicine visit, the telemedicine group ultimately still cost insurers less per child over a year.

More information
The Nemours Foundation has more about children's health.

Allergies Can Dig Into Gardening's Fun

(HealthDay News) -- For gardeners with allergies, it can be difficult to enjoy their passion for plants when they have to cope with the misery of sneezing, itchy eyes, congestion and, in some cases, an asthma attack.

"Gardening outside during times of high pollen counts puts patients at risk for severe allergic symptoms," Dr. Warren Filley, an allergist/immunologist in Oklahoma City, said in a prepared statement.

"Avoidance measures, as well as the use of medications and allergy immunotherapy, can make the difference between having fun in the garden and being miserable," said Filley, a long-time gardener who suffers from allergies.

An allergist/immunologist can help determine which plant species are causing allergies and offer advice on the best time of day or season to work in the garden, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI). For example, pollen levels are typically lower on rainy, cloudy and windless days.

Gardeners can also control their allergies by careful selection of plants. Certain flowers, trees and grasses are less likely to produce pollen. These include: cacti, cherry, dahlia, daisy, geranium, iris, magnolia, rose, snapdragon and tulip.

Plants that are highly allergenic include: ash, cedar, cottonwood, oak, maple, pine, saltgrass and timothy.

Skin testing is the best way to determine which plants will trigger allergic reactions in individuals, said the AAAAI, which offered some additional allergy prevention tips for gardeners:

• Whenever working around plants likely to cause an allergic reaction, avoid touching your eyes or face.


• Consider wearing a mask to reduce the amount of pollen spores that you inhale.


• Wear gloves, long-sleeved shirts and long pants to minimize skin contact with allergens.


• Leave gardening tools and clothing, such as gloves and shoes, outside to avoid bringing allergens indoors.


• Shower immediately after gardening or doing other yard work.

More information

The American Academy of Family Physicians has more about allergies.

Farms Shield Kids From Bowel Disease

(HealthDay News) -- Children regularly exposed to farm life as babies are about half as likely as other kids to develop Inflammatory bowel disease such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn disease, German researchers report.

The findings, published in the August issue of Pediatrics, fall into line with what experts in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), allergy and asthma call the "hygiene hypothesis."

That theory "refers to the observation that children living in environments with lower levels of microbial exposure seem to be at higher risk for the development of allergies," explained the study's lead researcher, Katja Radon, of Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich.

Crohn's and ulcerative colitis are autoimmune illnesses, where the body's immune system mistakenly attacks its own tissues. It is possible that this dysfunction may originate, at least in part, in how immune responses develop very early in life, said Dr. Joel Rosh, director of pediatric gastroenterology at Goryeb Children's Hospital, part of the Atlantic Health System in Morristown, N.J.

He pointed out that while rates of IBDs are holding steady in the developing world, they are rising sharply in more affluent nations.

"It's something that we are doing to ourselves," Rosh said.

"The thinking is that if your immune system isn't appropriately challenged at the appropriate time in life, then it might do some wacky things," Rosh added. In other words, a too-clean environment -- while healthy in some ways -- might be less than ideal when it comes to immune-linked illness, experts say.

The German study is one of the first to compare inflammatory bowel disease rates against infant exposures to farm animals and farm life. The German team questioned the parents of more than 2,200 6- to-18-year-old children. More than 300 of the children had ulcerative colitis, another 444 had Crohn's, and almost 1,500 were free of either illness.

Kids with either Crohn's or ulcerative colitis "were less likely to have lived in rural environments and were less likely to have farm contact in the first year of life, before the disease had developed," Radon noted.

In contrast, children who had spent regular amounts of time visiting or living on farms during their first year of life were 50 percent less likely to develop Crohn's as they got older and 60 percent less prone to ulcerative colitis, compared to youngsters who had not had that experience.

Early exposure to cattle, especially, appeared to help keep the diseases at bay, cutting the odds of Crohn's by 60 percent and colitis by 70 percent, the study authors said.

Cattle appeared to have a more potent effect on IBD risk than exposure to household pets, the study found. Household cat and dog exposure has been the focus of much study and debate among allergists and immunologists.

In this study, regular exposure in infancy to cats reduced Crohn's risk by just 20 percent, a statistic the researchers described as only of "borderline significance." Cat exposure was somewhat more useful against colitis, with rates dropping by 50 percent compared to unexposed children.

The cat-cattle discrepancy didn't come as a big surprise to Rosh.

"It seems that it's not so much animals, per se, as it is which animals," he said. "So, the domesticated cat that stays in the corner cleaning himself all day may not be 'dirty enough' to save you."

Radon agreed. "It has also been shown for allergies that farm animal contact is more efficient [in reducing risk] than pet contact. Therefore, it is not surprising that we see the same for inflammatory bowel disease," she said. "The reason might be that the level of exposure to bacteria and fungi in the farm environment is much higher than if you have a cat or dog at home."

Rosh has his own theories as to where the protective element might lie. "They sanitize it in the article, but they do say it can't be a clean animal -- it's got to be livestock. It's got to be something in that environment, and I would say, it's not in the air so much, as in the poop," he said.

So, does all this mean that modern-day babies need to get "back to the land"?

Perhaps not, according to the experts.

"You can't make the leap to say that to protect our children against autoimmune disease, we need to take them to farms, because we don't know yet what the [protective] exposure is," said Dr. Peter Mannon, head of the Clinical Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Research Unit at the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

"Are you supposed to be exposed to hay? To a particular type of vermin? The rats in barns? It's very hard to know," he said. While there's no reason not to bring infants to more pastoral settings, "I would not guarantee that it is going to add any protection," Mannon said.

Radon agreed that "at the moment, we cannot give direct advice to parents" since the study showed no cause-and-effect relationship, only an association.

And she pointed out that society's obsession with cleanliness does have its rewards. "We should not forget that an improved level of hygiene has relevantly contributed to today's health in industrialized countries," she said.

For his part, Rosh said there might be some virtue in letting kids get a little dirty -- a prescription most youngsters should have no problem with.

"I don't mean that we all have to eat dirt, but if we could isolate what is in it that is good, maybe we'd have a good [IBD] treatment," he said. "These various areas of research are going to unlock the secrets that we need to cure these diseases."

More information
There's more on the hygiene hypothesis at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

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Added Pounds Mean Added Risk for Asthma

(HealthDay News) -- Overweight and obese individuals are 50 percent more likely to develop asthma than normal-weight men and women, new research suggests.

Public health efforts to control asthma should therefore emphasize the importance of healthy weight management, the researchers argue in the April issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

"The bottom-line is that being overweight appears to significantly increase the risk of asthma," said study co-author Dr. E. Rand Sutherland, of the National Jewish Medical and Research Center (NJMRC) in Denver. "But the caveat is, that until further studies are done, it won't be clear exactly what type or severity of asthma is present in obese people."

According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, asthma is an incurable but usually controllable chronic disease involving inflammation and narrowing of the airways that carry oxygen into and out of the lungs.

The disease typically provokes recurrent wheezing, coughing, and a hypersensitivity to allergies and affects approximately 20 million Americans, including 9 million children.

A recent national survey found that about 65 percent of Americans are either obese or overweight, and research has long suggested links between asthma and obesity.

In this study, Sutherland and NJMRC colleague Dr. David A. Beuther pored over prior data on the body mass indices -- measurements of body fat based on the height and weight -- of adult asthma patients.

They looked at data from seven prior studies conducted between 1966 and 2006 in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Together, these studies had looked BMI and asthma in more than 333,000 severely asthmatic patients.

During data review, Sutherland and Beuther adopted standard BMI yardsticks, which define "normal weight" as having a BMI of under 25, "overweight" as a BMI between 25 and 29, and "obese" as a BMI more than 30. For example, a person who is 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 145 pounds has a BMI of 22.

The odds of developing asthma grew by 50 percent among patients with a BMI of 25 and up, and the risk climbed as the pounds piled on, the study found.

Women and men appeared to be equally susceptible to the weight-asthma association, they added.

Based on the findings, the researchers believe asthma should be added to the long list of diseases -- including diabetes, sleep apnea, stroke, cardiovascular illness, and arthritis -- for which excess weight is a risk factor.

And because two-thirds of the U.S. adult population are now thought to be obese or overweight, that means millions more Americans may be at risk of developing asthma than was previously thought, they said.

On the up side, "significant weight loss" could potentially reduce asthma cases by as many as 250,000 each year, the researchers said.

Not every overweight person with respiratory symptoms necessarily has asthma, however. The experts noted that excess weight can cause lung volume reduction, chest wall restriction, and breathlessness unrelated to the disease.

"If you're overweight, and you have respiratory symptoms, you don't need to jump to the conclusion that you have asthma," said Sutherland. "But, of course, it would probably be appropriate to have those symptoms further evaluated."

Dr Norman H. Edelman is chief medical officer for the American Lung Association and professor of preventive medicine and medicine at Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, N.Y. He said the findings regarding gender were most interesting.

"There's a lot of work that suggested the [obesity] effect was there in women and not in men," he said. "Certainly, in terms of my own clinical practice, I see people -- men and women -- with asthma that's difficult to manage, and many of them are overweight. But for men, it's something that wasn't clear before, and that's why this analysis is valuable."

But he agreed that proving cause and effect is tricky.

"The problem with asthma is that, unlike many other diseases, it's not like flipping a switch. It's not that you have it or don't have it. There are a lot of people walking around with a little bit of asthma, and they don't even know it," Edelman said. "So, it's not clear if obesity is actually causing the disease or perhaps converting a pre-existing undiagnosed asthma into a severe asthma. So, I don't know if I would say that obesity causes asthma. But certainly, it's a risk factor for clinically significant asthma."

More information
For more on asthma, visit the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

Biofeedback Benefits?

Q: Biofeedback Benefits?You often recommend biofeedback. Can you explain how it works and what it is used for?

A: Biofeedback is a learned mind/body technique that enables you to influence supposedly involuntary physical functions such as blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, and brain waves. During a biofeedback session, a therapist attaches electrical sensors to parts of your body.

The sensors monitor functions such as heart rate variability, blood pressure or muscle tension and translate the information into sound or a flashing light - something you can perceive directly. For example, a temperature sensor on your finger can translate skin temperature into a beep tone that you can hear - the higher the skin temperature, the faster the rate of beeping. With that kind of "feedback" from your body, you can learn to warm your hands by raising your skin temperature.

In doing this you learn to relax the pathways of the sympathetic nervous system that constricts blood vessels. The same pathways can also be used to control the fight-or-flight response, so by relaxing them you achieve a general relaxation response. This is a good thing.

Biofeedback can also be used to control brain activity, muscle tension, and heart rate and is used to help treat a wide range of health problems including asthma, irritable bowel syndrome, migraine headaches, epilepsy, hot flashes and the nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy. It has been approved by the National Institutes of Health for complementary treatment of chronic pain and insomnia.

I often recommend biofeedback for treatment of migraines, high blood pressure, cardiac arrhythmias, ulcers, chronic gastro-intestinal problems, Raynaud's disease and unconscious grinding of the teeth. To find out how effective biofeedback is for treatment of specific health problems, visit the Web site of the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback (http://www.aapb.org/).

To find a certified practitioner, visit the Web site of the Biofeedback Certification Institute of America (http://bcia.affiniscape.com/ ). Computer compatible versions of biofeedback training, such as "The Journey to Wild Divine," are also readily available for home use.
Andrew Weil, M.D.

Bacopa: A Better Memory Booster?

Bacopa: A Better Memory Booster?

Q: What you can tell me about bacopa? I first read about it as a treatment for memory problems. Do you know anything about its effectiveness in treating memory problems or what the recommended dosage should be?

A: Bacopa (Bacopa monnieri) is an herb native to India that has been used traditionally in Ayurvedic medicine to enhance memory, learning and concentration and also to treat anxiety, heart problems, digestive disorders, asthma, and bronchitis. Most of the research on bacopa has been in animals, but a few small studies on humans have also been done.

The single study I've been able to find on bacopa's effect on memory was a small, double-blind, placebo-controlled 12-week trial conducted in Australia with 46 volunteers between the ages of 18 and 60, divided into two groups.

The volunteers in one group were given 300 milligrams of bacopa daily, and the others received a placebo. Prior to the study, the researchers tested all the volunteers to assess their verbal learning abilities, memory and speed of information processing. The tests were repeated five and 12 weeks after the study began. The researchers noted a significant improvement among the volunteers in the bacopa group compared to those in the placebo group.

A review article of some 38 scientific studies of bacopa was published in the March, 2004, issue of the journal Alternative Medicine Review, and noted two small studies that demonstrated an improvement in cognitive function in children as a result of taking bacopa.

A single small-scale human study also found a decrease in anxiety symptoms among patients treated with bacopa.

Bacopa is now being widely promoted as a treatment for memory problems, but I would recommend more proven protective strategies. Keep your mind active by reading newspapers and books, doing crossword puzzles, playing musical instruments, participating in ongoing education, and learning a new language. As far as supplements to enhance memory are concerned, the ones listed below have been studied more thoroughly than bacopa:

Ginkgo biloba. This well-studied botanical remedy increases blood flow to the head, has a reputation as a memory-enhancing agent and may slow the progression of dementia in early onset Alzheimer's disease. You probably won't notice any effects for six to eight weeks. (Look for products standardized to 24 percent ginkgo flavone glycosides and 6 percent terpene lactones; the dose is 60 to 120 milligrams twice a day with food.) Ginkgo has low toxicity, although it may cause mild stomach irritation.

Acetyl-L-carnitine (also called ALC or ALCAR) is an amino acid derivative. Human clinical studies of this compound are currently underway, and the early evidence from animal trials is encouraging. Many people take ALC as a cognitive enhancer. The dose is 500-1,000 milligrams twice a day on an empty stomach. It is nontoxic, but this is an expensive regimen.

Phosphatidyl serine, or PS. A naturally occurring lipid that is a component of cell membranes, PS is considered a brain-cell nutrient. Human studies have reported positive effects on memory and concentration; PS may improve cognitive function in normal adults and may help reverse age-related cognitive decline. The supplement form, derived from soybeans, is readily available, but fairly expensive. The starting dose is 100 milligrams two or three times a day; if this produces positive benefits after a month or more, it may be possible to go on a lower maintenance dose. It is nontoxic.

Andrew Weil, M.D.–
Author of:
Eight Weeks to Optimum Health
Spontaneous Healing
The Natural Mind
The Marriage of the Sun and Moon
Health and Healing
Natural Health, Natural Medicine
From Chocolate to Morphine (with Winifred Rosen)

Children's Health

Children's Health
In this section many common questions related to children’s health are explored.

Contrary to popular belief, children are not "little adults," and the approaches to their health conditions are often markedly different than those used for grown-ups.

The rapid changes that occur during growth and development require special consideration in choosing both treatments and medications.

In some cases, specific treatments have not been well studied in children, but the majority of childhood health concerns are those that parents have been asking about for many generations, and the solutions are tried and true. Information on other childhood conditions can be found in the QA archives.

• Acupuncture
• Attention Deficit Disorder
• Asthma from Exercise
• Bedwetting
• Broken Bones
• Carsickness
• Colicky Babies
• Constipation
• Ear Infections
• Early Puberty
• Fluoride
• Food Coloring
• Head Lice
• Overweight Kids
• Sore Throat
• Teething
• Toy Safety
• Vitamins

Acupuncture
In the United States, acupuncture hasn’t often been used to treat children, mainly because youngsters tend to be afraid of needles.

But several recent studies have suggested that this fear can be overcome and that children can benefit from acupuncture treatment for certain conditions.

The latest study on this subject was conducted at the Harvard-affiliated Children’s Hospital in Boston by Yuan-Chi Lin, MD, an anesthesiologist who specializes in pain management in children. Dr. Lin’s study included 243 youngsters ranging in age from six months to 18 years who were being treated for headaches, stomachaches, back pain and other chronic complaints that often caused them to miss school.

When the study began, the young patients rated their pain as an "8" on a scale of 1 to 10. (One of Dr. Lin’s methods of demonstrating to the kids that the needles won’t hurt is by inserting them first in the children’s parents.)

When the year-long study was over, the average pain rating among the youngsters was a "3." The kids also reported missing less school, sleeping better, and being more able to participate in extracurricular activities as a result of treatment.

In an earlier study at the same hospital, 70 percent of the 47 youngsters participating reported that acupuncture helped relieve their pain and 59 percent of their parents agreed.

The conditions for which these patients were treated included migraines, endometriosis in teenage girls, and reflex sympathetic dystrophy (a syndrome in which pain becomes chronic after an injury).

In this study, 15 children were age 12 or under while 32 were between 13 and 20 years old. Other studies have looked at acupuncture as a treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and cerebral palsy in children.

While not many acupuncturists specialize in treating children, Dr. Lin estimates that about a third of pediatric pain centers nationwide now offer acupuncture to their young patients.

Acupuncture is best used for pain reduction as part of comprehensive treatment that includes relaxation techniques, clinical hypnosis and various forms of bodywork.

Attention Deficit Disorder
Ritalin, a stimulant, remains the most common treatment for Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), also called Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Paradoxically, with ADHD the drug has a calming effect, apparently because it stimulates parts of the brain that regulate activity and attention.

While it can have excellent results in some cases, it is greatly over-prescribed.
There currently is no herbal treatment for ADHD, except possibly coffee, which may work like Ritalin for some patients.

Pediatrician Sandy Newmark, M.D., of Tucson, Ariz., confirms that no herbs have been found effective for treating the main or "core" symptoms of ADHD — that is, lack of focused attention that often leads to poor school performance. And he doesn’t think coffee is a good long-term solution. However, Dr. Newmark notes that herbs can help with some of the associated symptoms. For example, valerian tea can help youngsters with sleeping problems and St. John's wort can help relieve depression. For children under 12, use half the adult dosage.

Dr. Newmark does recommend a dietary supplement, omega-3 fatty acids, for all children with ADHD because levels of omega-3s in the plasma and red blood cells of children with ADHD are lower than in normal children. He also recommends that youngsters with ADHD take a quality multivitamin as well as a good probiotic, a product that contains "friendly" bacteria that can stabilize the digestive tract. You can find milk-free brands in health-food stores.

Make certain that the underlying cause of your child’s disruptive behavior really is ADHD, and that he or she isn’t acting out difficulties at home or expressing frustration with a learning disability. Be sure to rule out hearing or vision problems, allergies, depression or even boredom in a gifted child.

As far as foods are concerned, while there’s no evidence that a dietary approach helps in all cases, a 1993 Cornell University study found that eliminating dairy products, wheat, corn, yeast, soy, citrus, eggs, chocolate, peanuts, artificial colors and preservatives seemed to decrease ADHD symptoms. An even earlier study showed that a low-allergen diet supplemented with calcium, magnesium, zinc and vitamins produced favorable results.

Asthma from Exercise
Exercise can trigger asthma symptoms in children and adults – even those who don't otherwise suffer from the condition - and can aggravate the problem in up to 80 percent of those who do have asthma.

The symptoms – coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath or tightness in the chest – usually come on after exercise, although they can occur soon after exercise has begun. It can be treated with medication and by taking precautions to prevent or minimize symptoms. Here’s a rundown of medication options, provided by pediatrician John Mark, MD, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Arizona who treats asthma in both adults and children.

Albuterol – A short-acting bronchodilator that’s inhaled 15 to 20 minutes prior to exercise and that protects against symptoms for about four to six hours.

Salmeterol – A long-acting bronchodilator that’s inhaled twice a day which offers protection for up to 12 hours. You can also use salmeterol as a preventive before you work out.

Montelukast (Singulair) – A drug that blocks the action of leukotrienes in the lungs, resulting in less constriction of bronchial tissue and less inflammation. Leukotrienes are one of several classes of chemical messengers produced in the body that can trigger bronchial constriction and inflammation. Montelukast is available in pill form and is taken the night before you exercise.

Cromolyn (Intal) – An anti-inflammatory drug inhaled 15 to 20 minutes before exercising that prevents the release of histamines and leukotrienes. It’s most useful in asthma when an allergic component is present.

In addition to medication, the following approaches can help prevent or minimize symptoms:
A very slow warmup. Even to the point that your child reports the beginning feelings of the "tightness" associated with exercise-induced asthma.

Then your child should stop and stretch, or slow down if exercising vigorously. By taking this break, the development of asthmatic symptoms can often be blocked and a normal pace can be resumed. This may take some getting used to, but can sometimes eliminate the need for medication.

Try breath work. The most effective approaches are pranayama techniques – breath control exercises taught in some yoga classes for adults. You can have your child do these after the initial warm-up, again, when the symptoms are almost felt. For most children, you can start with Dr. Weil’s technique for "The Relaxing Breath."

Find a form of physical activity that minimizes exercise-induced symptoms. Sports or activities that have intermittent rest periods (such as tennis, softball and golf) can allow your child to regain control of his or her breathing. Swimming may be better than running outdoors in cold weather, but no type of exercise is off-limits with proper treatment. In fact, some of the world’s top athletes have exercise-induced asthma, and they’re still able to compete successfully in Olympic-level events.

Bedwetting
Although by age 8 most youngsters have outgrown bedwetting, a sizeable minority still haven’t. As a matter of fact, 5 to 10 percent of boys still have enuresis (the medical term for bedwetting) by age 10. Enuresis tends to run in families and, when this is the case, children usually outgrow it at the same age as the parent, sibling or other relative who had the problem did.

No one knows what causes bedwetting, although it is sometimes associated with constipation. If so, simple dietary changes such as eating more fruits and vegetables and drinking more water early in the day can help resolve matters. Pediatrician Sandy Newmark, MD, of Tucson, Ariz., suggests making sure that children aren’t drinking any beverages that contain caffeine (such as some sodas) and trying to limit (within reason) the amount of fluids they drink in the evening.

Dr. Newmark explains that an "enuresis alarm" is the most simple and effective intervention for youngsters. This device is a wristwatch with a sensor that is attached to pajamas so that the alarm sounds at the first sign of wetness.

This system eventually conditions a child to wake when the bladder is full. Dr. Newmark says that the alarms work in about 70 to 80 percent of children. They are available at most drugstores and cost about $50. Be patient with this system since it can take weeks, and sometimes months, to see results.

If the alarm doesn’t help, Dr. Newmark suggests trying hypnosis as a safe and effective treatment. While some pediatricians prescribe drugs for children who wet the bed, using medication is controversial and should be viewed as a last resort. Homeopathic remedies also may be effective; consult a homeopathic practitioner if you want to try this approach.

Broken Bones
Results of a recent study at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., suggest that the rate of wrist and forearm fractures among young girls has increased dramatically in the last 30 years. The study results, published in the Sept. 17, 2003, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that the fracture rate for young girls increased 56 percent from 1969-1971 and 1999-2001.

Boys still suffer more fractures, but the rate of increase among young boys was only 32 percent. Overall, the Mayo Clinic researchers found that the fracture rate among young people had increased 42 percent over three decades.

The researchers had no answers for why this is happening. It is unlikely that youngsters are breaking more bones because they’ve become more physically active. One possibility is that kids may not be getting enough calcium during a period when their bones are growing rapidly.

If so, their bones may never become as dense as they should, which raises the possibility that affected youngsters may be more vulnerable later in life to osteoporosis and hip and vertebral fractures.

The researchers noted that government surveys have shown a decrease in milk consumption among older girls and an increase in consumption of carbonated drinks. The phosphates in carbonated beverages interfere with calcium absorption.

The RDA for calcium is 1,300 mg for young people age 9 to 18. This translates to 4-5 servings of dairy per day, but kids don’t have to drink milk to get their calcium. Other good sources include yogurt, cheese, sea vegetables, collard and mustard greens, kale, bok choy, broccoli, canned salmon and sardines, tofu that has been coagulated with a calcium compound, calcium-fortified soy milk, fruit juice and blackstrap molasses.

Other experts have noted instances of vitamin D deficiency that could contribute to weakened bones. Our bodies make vitamin D with exposure to sunlight, and youngsters who spend too much time indoors may not produce optimal amounts of vitamin D. Spending 10 minutes in the sun without sunscreen a few days each week will do the trick, but it is not a bad idea for kids 12 and older to take a multivitamin supplement that includes 400 IU of vitamin D.

Carsickness
Carsickness, like all types of motion sickness, occurs when the brain receives conflicting signals from the inner ears, eyes, and other parts of the body that sense motion. A child sitting in the back seat of a car may sense movement – her inner ear perceives the motion – but she may not be able to see out the window to see that she is moving. At the same time, her perception is that her body isn’t moving at all. In some children, these conflicting messages can result in very distressing nausea.

One effective remedy for motion sickness comes from an old Chinese fisherman’s remedy of stimulating the acupressure points that control nausea. The updated version of this treatment is done with wristbands equipped with a plastic peg that presses on acupressure points on the inner surfaces of the wrists. The wristbands are available at most drug and health-food stores. Follow package directions carefully – proper placement of the wristbands is critical.

Motion sickness can also be prevented (and treated) with ginger. Mix a half teaspoon of ginger powder in a glass of water and give it to your child 20 minutes before you get in the car. Or give your child two capsules of powdered ginger.

This remedy has proved more effective than Dramamine – with none of the drowsiness that can occur as a side effect of the drug. Ginger snaps, ginger ale and candied ginger can all help with mild nausea, so keep some in the car should someone develop symptoms during the trip. You also could explore homeopathic remedies – and possibly hypnosis – as a long-term solution.

The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests trying to deal with carsickness in children by focusing youngsters’ attention away from their queasiness. Listen to the radio or tapes, sing or talk. Also, direct their attention at things outside the car, not at books or games. Make sure that they look out the front windows, where apparent motion of objects is less.

Colicky Babies
First, exclude other reasons for the baby’s crying. Make sure the infant isn’t running a fever, isn’t lethargic, is eating normally and isn’t having any trouble breathing. Your pediatrician will also want to exclude GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), which can occur among babies (although it is much more common among adults).

The good news about colic is that what you see is what you get – a fussy, crying but otherwise perfectly healthy baby. Some doctors think that this irritating phase may be part of normal development. Between 5 and 28 percent of infants develop colic between when they are two to six weeks old, and usually outgrow it by the time they’re three to four months old.

Here are Dr. Russell Greenfield’s suggestions for dealing with colic – and with the frustration it can breed among parents:

• Try massage therapy, a great way to enhance bonding between parent and child at a time when colic may be interfering with the bonding process.
• Rock your baby rhythmically.
• Turn on music or try the clothes dryer or vacuum cleaner. Sometimes the white noise they produce helps.
• Try cranial osteopathy or homeopathy; both may help and are safe forms of treatment.
• Try herbal remedies such as cooled chamomile or fennel tea. You can get tea bags at the health food store and give the baby one to two ounces at a time, no more than three to four ounces per day.
• Switch to a cow’s milk-free formula, or, if breast feeding, change the mother’s diet to affect what is entering her breast milk (in some cases, a food sensitivity may play a role).
  Swaddle your baby – it provides a nice snug feeling.
• Chill – find a way to relax; try breathing exercises or other relaxation techniques to lower your frustration level.

By the way, the latest international report on colic comes from a Canadian study that found that mothers don’t appear to sustain any lasting psychological effects as a result of dealing with a colicky infant.

Constipation
Constipation is a common problem for children and usually is temporary. Strictly speaking, a child is constipated if he or she has fewer than three bowel movements per week or if the stools are hard, dry, and unusually large or difficult to pass. Because constipation can make bowel movements painful, youngsters may try to avoid having them. (In addition, about 60 percent of constipated children experience recurrent abdominal pain, a common stress-related condition in youngsters.)

The causes of constipation in kids usually are simple and relatively easy to correct: not enough fiber in their diets, not drinking enough liquids or not getting enough exercise. Then, too, constipation can occur when youngsters ignore the urge to have a bowel movement, which they can do for reasons ranging from not wanting to take a break from playing to embarrassment at using a public bathroom or because a parent isn’t around to help when the urge occurs.

Medication can also be a factor. Those that can cause constipation include aspirin and codeine, vitamins with high doses of iron, the bismuth in Pepto-Bismol, as well as some chemotherapy agents (vincristine) and some psychiatric drugs (imipramine).

Sandy Newmark, MD, a pediatrician at the University of Arizona Program in Integrative Medicine, recommends the best ways to deal with constipation in young children, listed here:
Decrease dairy products: They can be constipating. Provide your child with an alternative source of calcium such as soy milk fortified with calcium or a calcium-fortified breakfast cereal.
Increase fluids: Encourage your child to drink lots of water.

Increase fiber: Give your child lots of high-fiber fruits and vegetables as well as high-fiber cereals, whole-grain breads and beans.

Although these measures probably will do the trick, if a child’s episodes of constipation last longer than three weeks and prevent him or her from participating in normal activities, you might want to consult a pediatrician. Don’t be tempted to administer the over-the-counter laxatives designed for children. They can be dangerous to youngsters and should be given only under the direction of a pediatrician.

Ear Infections
Recurrent ear infections can be troublesome during early childhood. Here are two strategies:
Eliminate milk and milk products from your child’s diet for at least two months. This means avoiding all dairy products as well as other foods containing milk in any form. Soy, rice, and nut milks such as almond milk are all right. The protein in milk, casein, is often associated with recurrent ear infections in early life as well as with sinus conditions, eczema, chronic bronchitis, and asthma.

Try cranial osteopathy. It is another good treatment for recurrent ear infections. When performed by a skilled practitioner, this technique can often end cycles of ear infections, sometimes with a single treatment.

The late Bob Fulford, D.O., a leading practitioner of cranial osteopathy, had great success curing recurring infections in young children. He believed that fluid stagnation in the middle ear – caused by restricted breathing – was at the root of the trouble.

Gentle manual manipulation (and sometimes application of a vibrating instrument known as a percussion hammer) opens up breathing, which in turn helps fluid drain from the middle ear. To find a practitioner of cranial osteopathy, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to the Cranial Academy, 8202 Clearvista Parkway, #9D, Indianapolis IN 46256. At the University of Arizona, researchers are now concluding a study funded by the National Institutes of Health's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine on the use of both cranial therapy and Echinacea to break cycles of recurrent childhood ear infections.

Early Puberty
In the United States, there's a virtual epidemic of precocious puberty these days – the onset of puberty at very young ages in both boys and girls. Among Caucasian girls today, 1 in 7 starts to develop breasts or pubic hair before she is 8 years old. Among African-American girls, the number is 1 out of 2! Unfortunately, no one knows why this is happening, although there's plenty of speculation. Precocious puberty can be triggered by tumors in the pituitary gland, hypothalamus, ovaries, or testicles, but these cases are rare. Environmental factors are more likely to blame for the upsurge in cases today. The theory with the most scientific support is that obesity is responsible. I think this may be true, since we've long known that overweight girls mature physically earlier than thin ones.

Research also has suggested that environmental pollution may play a small role. In the spring of 2000, results of a study reported in the Journal of Pediatrics showed that boys exposed to DDE (a breakdown product of DDT) were heavier than their peers, while girls exposed to PCBs were heavier than their peers and tended to reach puberty a bit sooner, even though the actual numbers involved in the study were not deemed statistically significant. (Both DDT and PCBs are chemicals that appear to interfere with the body's own hormones.) Researchers are also looking at other environmental chemicals – among them Bisphenol A (BPA), used in manufacturing plastic – but so far haven't found a definitive link.

Unfortunately, there's not a lot to offer in terms of treatment and no natural remedy that I can suggest. Since it's occurring so often these days, some physicians believe that precocious puberty in girls between the ages of 6 and 8 should be seen as normal and not treated at all. (We do know that the risk of breast cancer later in life increases with an earlier onset of puberty.) The only approved allopathic treatments are two drugs: Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone, GnRH, and Luteinizing Hormone-Releasing Hormone, LHRH, both given by daily injections or at intervals of every three to four weeks. These drugs interfere with the hormonal changes responsible for precocious puberty, in effect putting them on "hold" until the child reaches a more appropriate age (typically between the ages of 11 and 13 in girls). The drugs may also reverse the changes that already have taken place.

The physical changes are only one aspect of what girls must contend with as a result of precocious puberty. Because they look like young women, they're often treated as if they were much older than they are by boys (or men who should know better) and may also be teased by friends and at school. If you are a parent with a child in the midst of precocious puberty, you must keep the parent-child lines of communication open. Make sure that your child understands that despite the change in her appearance, he or she is still a child.

Fluoride
The only children who need fluoride supplements of any type are those who live in communities without fluoridated water supplies or in homes with water purifiers that remove minerals. The easiest, most efficient and most cost-effective means of making sure that children have adequate fluoride to protect against tooth decay is to support fluoridation of your area's water supply.

If your community's water is not fluoridated, your child will need dietary fluoride supplements which are available only by prescription from your dentist or physician. To protect against tooth decay, children need fluoride on a daily basis from the age of 6 months to 16 years. (Pregnant women take fluoride supplements beginning in the sixth month of gestation to ensure strong tooth development in the fetus – check with your obstetrician about this.) The correct dosage for your child must be calculated on the basis of the natural fluoride concentration of your local drinking water as well as your child's age, and the extent of his or her exposure (if any) to other sources of fluoride, such as toothpaste or commercial products.

Some fluoride is present in all water sources, but according to the American Dental Association, most bottled waters don't contain enough to prevent tooth decay. Fluoridation of community water supplies involves adjusting the fluoride content to the optimal level for dental health, 0.7 to 1.2 parts fluoride per million parts water. Too much fluoride can be bad for children's teeth, just as too little is bad. An excess of fluoride can lead to mottled, chalky, white spots on the teeth. Other health risks include weight loss, brittle bones, anemia and weakness. Be aware that there are conflicting reports that continue to fuel the controversy over fluoridation. Yet at proper levels, fluoride is of immeasurable benefit to the teeth – during childhood and throughout life.

Food Coloring
We are seeing more and more strangely colored foods and snacks, but as a precaution, keep children – and adults – away from foods with artificial colorings. The danger is that the chemicals used to create color are energetic molecules, many of which are capable of interacting with and damaging DNA. Anything that damages DNA can injure the immune system, accelerate aging, and increase the risk of cancer. Indeed, many synthetic food dyes once considered safe have turned out to be carcinogenic. Some approved for use in Europe are considered unsafe in the United States, and vice versa.

Dyes are added to foods for the convenience of the manufacturer, not for the health of the consumer. Luckily, these are among the easiest types of food additives to avoid. Try to convey to your children that garishly colored snack foods are weird and unhealthy – rather than attractive – and make it a rule not to buy them. Watch out for labels that list any of the following terms: "color added," "artificial color added," "U.S.-certified color added," or "FD&C red No. 3" (or green or blue or yellow followed by any number; these are FDA-approved food drug and cosmetic dyes).

There is nothing wrong with foods dyed with natural colors obtained from plants. The most common, annatto, is from the reddish seed of a tropical tree. It is widely used in Latin American cooking to make yellow rice and breads, and is also commonly added to butter and cheese to make them yellow or orange. Other safe food colorings are a red pigment obtained from beets, a green one from chlorella (freshwater algae), caramel, and carotene from carrots.
Definitely keep your kids away from bright green ketchup, a product designed specifically to appeal to youngsters.

Head Lice
Head lice are a common nuisance of childhood. Kids pick them up from someone who already has them by wearing each other’s hats, scarves, hair ribbons and other clothes; sharing combs, brushes or towels; or lying on a bed, couch, pillow or even cuddling a stuffed animal that belongs to a child who has lice. Try to discourage this kind of sharing, particularly if you hear that there’s an infestation at school, at a day care center, or wherever your children spend time.

The conventional treatment is one-percent lindane, sold as Kwell lotion. Yet lindane is a cousin of DDT and can harm the nervous system. Natural and safer alternatives include one-percent permethrin cream rinse, sold as Nix and Neem, which is derived from a tree in India. Lice can develop resistance to permethrin products, and they can aggravate asthma in some children, but both are relatively nontoxic. (Neem is sold in garden shops.)

Some California school systems are using a new product called Lice B Gone, a non-toxic, multi-enzyme shampoo made from plant sources that seems to get rid of lice in a single application. It works by softening the glue that holds the nits (lice eggs) to the hair shaft and also dissolves the exoskeletons of adult lice. Since it contains no pesticides, Lice B Gone is considered safe for pregnant women, nursing mothers, young children and people with asthma.

Overweight Kids
You'll probably be happy to hear that not all children who are heavy grow up to be overweight adults. However, we do have an epidemic of childhood obesity in the U.S., and all parents should be aware that for every year that a child remains overweight, his or her chances of growing into an overweight adult increase.

Aside from eliminating sodas or junk food at home, look to physical activity as a way to help your child lose weight. Try for at least half an hour of physical activity each day. Unfortunately, only 25 percent of school-aged children now take physical education classes. If your child doesn't get any exercise at school, it's up to you to make sure he or she does some type of physical activity at home.

Here are some approaches to add exercise to your child's life as well as foods that will help control his or her weight:
Curb screen time. Limit the time your child spends watching television, sitting at the computer or playing video games.
Set a good example. Studies have found that children are more likely to be physically active if their parents and siblings are active, and if they're encouraged to take part in physical activities. Take family walks, hikes or bike rides on a daily basis, if possible.
Emphasize nutritious foods. Don't limit the amount your child eats, but make sure the foods he does eat are low in fat and high in fiber. When making these changes, say that you're doing it for the entire family to avoid drawing attention to your child's need to lose weight.
Eat meals together. Family breakfasts and dinners give you more control over what your child eats and allow you to make sure that everyone gets at least two nutritious meals per day.
Think about drinks. Cut back on fruit juices, sodas and whole milk. Drinks can provide a surprisingly large number of calories per day.
Teach a relaxation technique. If your child eats in response to stress, you might show him how a relaxation technique such as deep breathing can help to calm him.

Sore Throat
The most important thing parents can do when children develop sore throats is to make sure that the problem isn’t strep, a bacterial infection that requires antibiotic treatment. Strep is diagnosed via a throat culture. (Or a rapid strep test, which takes only 10 minutes but is not as accurate.) While the results may not be available for a few days, a doctor often can tell on the basis of observation whether strep is the likely problem and begin immediate treatment with penicillin. The sore throat usually eases in 24 to 48 hours.
Besides a very sore throat, symptoms of strep often include fever, swollen and tender lymph glands under the jaw, and a swollen and marked redness at the back of the throat that may have white dots. Those symptoms don’t always mean strep, but they often do. (Another clue: suspect strep when there are none of the typical symptoms of a viral infection such as a cough, runny nose, hoarseness and eye irritation.)
It is very important to treat strep throat with antibiotics as soon as possible, because in rare cases it can lead to an autoimmune reaction – rheumatic fever – that can affect the joints, heart and kidneys.
To reduce your child’s susceptibility to sore throat, try to build up his or her immune system by administering a course of the Chinese herb astragalus (Astragalus membranaceous) during cold and flu season. You can get astragalus in tincture form or in capsules at the health-food store. Administer one half the adult dose. This herb is safe for regular use.
If your child can gargle, give her a mixture of half hot water and half hydrogen peroxide to use several times a day. Gargling with warm salt water (one-quarter teaspoon salt to one cup of warm water) is also soothing.

Teething
In many infants, the process of teething is painless, causing only some increased drooling and a desire to chew. However, some infants develop tender, swollen gums, may not sleep or eat well, and may run a low fever (under 100 degrees). A fever above 100 degrees or diarrhea suggests problems unrelated to teething.
Here are some recommendations to keep a teething baby comfortable:
Wipe the drool off your baby’s face with a soft cloth (to prevent rashes).
Rub the baby’s gums with a clean finger.
Let your baby chew on a wet washcloth that has been placed in the freezer for 30 minutes (wash it after each use). Alternatively, use a cool spoon or rubber teething ring (take it out of the freezer before it gets so hard that it bruises the tender gums).
Never tie a teething ring around a baby’s neck – it could get caught on something and strangle the child.
Homeopathic teething tablets are a good option. Many parents tell me they have used them successfully to relieve the minor discomforts of teething in their babies.

Toy Safety
Look over the toys you have at home to see if they are age-appropriate for your children. In general, this means making sure they aren't too advanced for the youngest child, but sufficiently sophisticated for the older ones. Homes with infants or toddlers should make sure all toys (and their removable parts) are large enough so they can't be put into a child's mouth and become a choking hazard. (An easy test: A child can choke on any object that fits inside the tube from a roll of toilet paper.)
Parents or grandparents should also be aware that over the last two years toy manufacturers have recalled teethers, rattles, and other products that contain a cancer-causing chemical called diisononyl phthalate (DINP) from the market. Phthalates are used to soften plastics, but high doses have been linked to cancer in mice and rats. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has said the amounts that might have been ingested by small children are not high enough to pose a risk, but it does make sense to toss any soft plastic rattles and teethers that you’ve had more than a year – that's when most toy manufacturers agreed to phase out use of the additive.
The following guidelines for toy safety are from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Consumer Products Safety Commission:
Check the surface and edges of wooden toys. Sandpaper sharp corners and splinters.
Don't give hobby kits, such as chemistry sets, to children younger than 12.
Don't permit children to play with adult darts or other hobby or sporting equipment that have sharp points.
Examine all outdoor toys regularly for rust or weak parts that could become hazardous.
Discard all plastic wrappings on toys before they become deadly playthings.
New toys intended for children under age 8 should be free of glass and metal edges.
Toys with long strings or cords may be dangerous around infants and very young children. Never hang toys with long strings, cords, loops, or ribbons in cribs or playpens where children can become entangled.
Keep toys designed for older children out of the hands of little ones.

Vitamins
Yes, children should take vitamins, mostly because so many kids don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables, and because their diets are often full of processed and refined foods. However, vitamin supplements shouldn’t be substitutes for whole foods, especially fruits and vegetables.
Teach children of any age to enjoy healthy food by involving them in its preparation, even if they’re only in the kitchen to observe. In "The Healthy Kitchen," Rosie Daley and I give a number of ideas for recipes and snacks that kids will like. Also, try to discourage your children from eating too much fast food, processed food, sugar and caffeine (in cola and other soft drinks). There’s no harm in the occasional ice cream, pizza or candy bar in the context of a well-balanced diet, but try to encourage snacking on healthier foods – fresh or dried fruit; a small handful of raw, unsalted nuts such as cashews and walnuts; a piece of flavorful, natural cheese; or a piece of dark chocolate.
As far as supplements are concerned, give children a complete antioxidant formula as well as multiminerals. Be sure to keep the vitamins out of the reach of young children – some supplements for kids taste and look like candy and there is a danger of overdosing, especially when supplements contain iron.

Andrew Weil, M.D.–Author of:
Eight Weeks to Optimum Health
Spontaneous Healing
The Natural Mind
The Marriage of the Sun and Moon
Health and Healing
Natural Health, Natural Medicine
From Chocolate to Morphine (with Winifred Rosen)

Does Drinking Milk Lead to Breast Cancer?

Does Drinking Milk Lead to Breast Cancer?
Provided by: DrWeil.com

Q: Is there any correlation between milk-drinking and breast cancer? I've been reading vegetarian Web sites online that say there could be a link. -- Allison P.

A: Evidence connecting milk consumption to breast cancer is contradictory, but results of a recent study from Denmark suggest that it may play a role in the increasing incidence of the disease during the past 50 years. In a study involving more than 117,000 women, researchers from the Statens Serum Institut found that height is a risk factor for breast cancer, particularly when it stems from a growth spurt between the ages of eight and 14. In Japan, an increase in women's average heights over the last 50 years may be related to milk consumption. During that time breast cancer incidence doubled from 40 to 80 cases per 100,000 women. The findings were published in the October 14, 2004, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Commenting on the results in the same issue, two experts from Harvard Medical School noted that milk consumption increases circulating levels of insulin-like growth factor 1, a growth hormone associated with higher stature. It isn't known yet exactly how this might contribute to childhood growth and breast cancer risk. But if milk drinking is to blame for the increased incidence of breast cancer, the amount consumed during childhood could be the key, not the amount adult women are drinking today.
To confuse matters, an earlier study had suggested that the vitamin D and calcium women get by consuming low-fat dairy products, including skim or low-fat milk lower the risk of breast cancer before menopause but not afterward. These findings came from data drawn from the famed Nurses Health Study, which began in 1976 and includes more than 120,000 nurses in 11 states. In 2002 Harvard researchers published an analysis of information from more than 88,600 of the women showing that consumption of dairy products - either before or after menopause - had no effect one way or the other on the breast cancer risk among postmenopausal women. The study was published in the September 4, 2002, issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Another study, from Norway, published in 2001 also suggested that milk consumption was protective. Data from more than 48,000 premenopausal women researchers showed that childhood milk consumption (regardless of the type of milk and its fat content) was associated with a lower breast cancer risk among women aged 34 to 39 but not among women in their forties. Adult milk consumption also seemed to lower the risk. Among women who drank more than three glasses of milk per day, risk was lowered by about half. The study was published in the Sept. 15, 2001 issue of the International Journal of Cancer.

I recommend against using cow's milk and products made from milk if you have a personal or family history of eczema, asthma, bronchitis, sinusitis, or autoimmunity. If you do drink milk, I urge you to buy only organic brands without the residues of antibiotics and hormones found in conventional brands. In my opinion, those hormone residues may be the factor responsible for increased risks of cancer, especially hormonally driven cancers.

Andrew Weil, M.D. –Author of:
Eight Weeks to Optimum Health
Spontaneous Healing
The Natural Mind
The Marriage of the Sun and Moon
Health and Healing
Natural Health, Natural Medicine
From Chocolate to Morphine (with Winifred Rosen)

Americans Without Health Insurance Climbing

You may have heard about the worrisome study released by the Commonwealth Fund that found a growing percentage of working-age Americans in middle income brackets are going without health insurance, rising from 2001-05 to 41 percent.

By the numbers:

More than half of Americans making less than $20,000 annually have no health insurance.
Some 46 million Americans have no health coverage, as of 2004, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Almost 60 percent of the uninsured who have chronic conditions (asthma or diabetes) skipped their medicines on occasion or went without them altogether because they were too expensive.

Fact is, the cost of conventional health care can be financially devastating, even for those who already have insurance coverage. That's why I urge you so very often to take responsibility for your own health by following a plan like the Total Health Program, so you'll only need health insurance as a catastrophic backup.
USA Today April 26, 2006

Ayurvedic Medicine
Integrated medicine
DrEddyClinic.com

Why Would Anyone Take an Antibiotic for Asthma?

Although I'm not opposed to all uses of antibiotics, I believe patients have been harmed far more often by them than they've been helped. In fact, it's been my experience antibiotics are used inappropriately well over 95 percent of the time.

So why would you ever take one to treat your asthma?
That's the gist of my objections about vaccine-maker Sanofi-Aventis' latest antibiotic drug -- telithromycin (brand name Ketek) -- for treating asthma. If you read some reports, however, you may be led to believe telithromycin is helpful, according to a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Patients taking telithromycin enjoyed twice the improvement in asthma symptoms compared to those taking a placebo, and recovered much sooner too. On the flip side, this study, funded by the very same drugmaker, found the breathing capacity of asthmatic patients didn't improve over the long haul. And, patients suffered more frequent bouts of nausea too.

Makes you wonder if Sanofi-Aventis was trying to squeeze one more "effective" use out of the drug, considering it's come under more scrutiny lately after reports of liver poisoning.

Before you even consider an antibiotics for asthma, you'll want to read a study I posted two weeks ago about tripling a baby's future asthma risks because of them. In fact, taking a drug is nothing more than a potentially toxic Band-Aid that never gets to the real heart of the problem.
New England Journal of Medicine, Vol. 354, No. 15, April 13, 2006: 1589-1600
The Age April 16, 2006
Canada.com April 15, 2006
DrEddyClinic

Darkfield Microscopy - Fungus

FUNGUS
The species specific understanding of, and difference between bacterial phase and fungal phase developments in blood pictures.
©Copyright 1997 by Michael Coyle, Petaluma, California, USA(Explore Issue: Volume 8, Number 3)

Diseases of the skin, digestive organs, urogenitary tract, mouth, etc. are caused by the multiplication and spread of fungal microorganisms known as mycelia. Mycoses (fungal infections) range in degree from unnoticed to fatal. They are directly related to asthma and allergic alveolitis reactions. They are dealt with by the immune system and competition from other microbes or earlier developmental phases of their own cyclogeny.

Fungal infections can be classified as;
Superficial -- those that effect hair, skin, nostrils, genitals, and oral mucosa
Subcutaneous -- those which occur beneath the skin
Deep -- those which effect the internal organs, lungs, liver, bones, lymph, brain, heart, and urinary tract

These infections often occur in those on long-term antibiotic therapies, corticosteroids, and immunosuppressant drugs. This type of opportunistic infection is common in those with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, commonly known as AIDS, and also CFIDS (chronic fatigue syndrome).

Primitive bacterial varlents (thecits) Some of these fungal forms are received from the environment, are transmitted sexually, or are transmitted through mother's milk (Candida albicans).

Candida remains in non-virulent phases of development until the terrain allows for its progression into more complex pathogenic forms. The efficacy of many of the SANUM fungal remedies is based on the sexual activity of the particular species of microorganisms (and/or the benign effect altogether, through competition, on the terrain) which is initiated through the process of reinstalling the microbial flora in the body in it's apathogenic earlier phases of development.

The flora that was installed then copulates with the pathogenic variety and shares the sexual information of the earlier phases, which, all things being equal (terrain modulation, removal of stressors, proper diet, lifestyle, etc.) causes the pathogenic form to convert or be reduced to the apathogenic variety. It is believed that the pathogens are also reduced in valence through the actual activity of the copulatory process.

The main causes of pathogenic albicans overgrowth are indiscriminate antibiotic application and dental inclusions from mercury tooth amalgams. Other factors include addictions to coffee, chocolate, drugs, unsafe sexual pratices, immuncompromisation, stress, chemicals, radiation, improper diet, etc.

The fungal overgrowth occurs because its natural competitors have been removed, in the case of antibiotic usage. In the case of dental amalgams or metals, it is due to decreased immunity from immunocompromisation. The candida also adsorbs the mercury in the gut, thereby serving the function of keeping it from moving deeper in the system, to some degree. A good inclusion in a program of remedies for alleviation of mercury toxicity in the nervous system and brain is broken cell wall chlorella, because not only is it similar to the fungus in that it adsorbs the mercury, but also carries it away.

Primitive bacterial variants and cell wall deficient fungal species
I begin this section with a quote from "Cell Wall Deficient Forms: Stealth Pathogens" by Lida Mattman.
"Wall-deficient bacteria are called fungoidal as they produce yeast-like (emphasis added) budding spheres or simulate molds with elongated branching threads. (See chondrothecit and free chondrit plates, respectively). How, then, does one solve the dilemma of recognizing a wall-deficient fungus ? One can start with the vital activity in a fungal filtrate of Candida Albicans where the tiny 0.15-µm particles cannot possibly possess the wide hard wall of the parent.

Colonies developing are usually comprised of twisted Gram-negative skeins so delicate that their course is interrupted by submicroscopic gaps. These fine threads of growth have never been described as part of the classic growth of fungi. (Emphasis added where bolded)."

The above description corroborates the findings of Dr. Günther Enderlein when he described such coccoidal manifestations as being either primitive bacterial variants or the most primitive mycelian strands.

Species of microorganisms which exhibit fungal variants in tissue (in vivo) are only microscopically visible in the blood as the most elementary and minute primitive spore forms, ranging in size up from approximately 0.15 microns. The notion that anyone is viewing fungus balls in phase contrast or darkfield is technically a complete misconception, as the forms which are being regarded as fungal developments are appearing in an alkaline milieu in the blood which will not support the fungal stages of development. This is not to say that the microorganisms may not be a species that can represent fungal developments elsewhere in the body.

But this species specificity is indeterminable by viewing the fresh live blood, as there is not a way to distinguish which species is being viewed without culturing it out through the use of a medium, or by aging or heating the sample, under some conditions. This process changes the phase of development into phases that do not appear, again, in the alkaline milieu of the blood.

The forms that are being viewed (and mistaken for fungus stage) are actually colloid thecits, thrombocytes, chondrits, ascits, synascits, and mychits, all of which are part of the bacterial phase of development, which develops in an alkaline milieu.

Also, the cell wall deficient forms, chondrits which are symplastic, are mistaken for fungal appearances. These chondrits do represent a fermentative process, but not at the level of a fungal appearance.

They are even an earlier stage appearance than the most primitive cell wall mediated bacterial variants. The species, again, are unspecified upon appearance, as they are the same common stages that appear in many species of microorganism developmental cycles.

Some of these developments in polymorphic progressions are actually thrombocytes, and act as regulators, per Dr. Enderlein, and even (in some species) emerge from the red corpuscles in the serum. Some of these ball or balloon-like forms may become functionally pathogenic under certain specific terrain related conditions, and conversely, some of these devlopments certainly are an expression of the body's capacity to mount a defense.

The possibility of making these determinations within this phase of bacterial cellular developments requires that the viewer be able to distinguish the number of nulei which appear within these delicate diaphonous bacterial cells.

This microscopic imagery is only obtainable in a true, ultra illumination darkfield, employing superior plan achro or plan apo medical grade oil immersion iris diaphragm objectives and the proper condenser, which would be of the oil immersion variety also. This determination of the developmental progression of the bacterial variants is generally not able to be made in a phase contrast or differential interference field microscopically, because these fields generally do not provide adequate resolution to count the nuclei which appear within the ball-like cells that develop in conjunction with their primary nuclei (which are the cell wall deficient symprotits until they develope this cell wall mediated appearance). This is a crucial determination which must necessarily be made in order to distinguish the function which is related to the cell's very appearance.

It should also be noted that the pathogenicity of most microbes only exists in one stage of development, being either viral sized, bacterial or fungal. The exception to this is the Endobiont, Mucor racemosus Fresen, wherein any stage above the primitive stages is pathogenic.

Candida is never observed in its fungal phase in the blood because the blood's inherent alkalinity supports it's development only to a spore stage. These spores are extremely minute, and do not progress to visibility at the level where they can be distinguished from other similar microorganisms in the blood except possible through staining.

The primitive bacterial phase microorganisms that are mistakenly called fungus may be part of the developmental phase of a species that has a fungal variant or may culminate as a fungus, but it is an error to call it a fungus in the blood. It is a species that has a fungal variant, and may also have a bacterial phase that occurs in the alkaline milieu of the blood. the ball-like appearances are bacterial phase developments.

These so-called 'fungal balls' appear very similar to each other, regardless of the number of nuclei, in phase contrast, but differ greatly in the higher resolution of Ultra darkfield. In the Ultra-darkfield the number and valence of the nuclei determines their status as potential regulators or pathogens, and it is a mistake to classify them all as the same thing, or as having the same function. Therefore, there may be a thecit (primitive bacterial) phase in the life cycle of the species Candida Albicans. It follows that if Candida appears in the blood, it may exhibit a bacterial phase rather than the fungal phase, or certainly will appear as cell wall deficient spores.
Virus is a primitive stage of development of all microorganisms share and this phase is virtually invisible in the present context of known light microscopy techniques. Microbes are ubiquitous and can rise to their pathogenic phase from any other phase, as their progression is not linear, and the progression is terrain dependent. One must know which stage is pathogenic in order to treat related conditions. For instance, acid-fast rods are not necessary for tuberculosis.

Candida Albicans
This may be one of the most controversial and misunderstood areas in natural health, especially as related to the correction of this fungal condition. I have observed more individuals with failed programs for this condition than any other. And by failed program, I am referring to ending up on what I call the "coping diet". Candida sufferers know this one well. It is the one where you live on this very weird, limited diet and supplementation regimen because you have been unable to determine and reverse the stressors that are causing and maintaining the problem.

This problem of epidemic proportions is where great numbers of the victims of indiscriminate antibiotic use and amalgam dental fillings recipients have ended up.
Pathogenic albicans (chronic candidiasis, more commonly known as candida or thrush) is generally caused by drug use, particularly antibiotic drug use, and poor diet, lowered immunity altogether, and metals, especially dental amalgams.

Mercury will promote the growth of Candida, as it adsorbs the mercury and thereby protects the system. Candida cannot be effectively dealt with without dealing with the dental issues first. This is not an optional appraoch, but necessarily part of the primary approach.

The progressive decline which occurs as related to these mycotic conditions does so in this order. First the antibiotics (which are aimed at E-coli, strep, staph, etc, infections) wipe out the benign and necessary floras in the gut.

The presence of these benign floras (L. acidophilus lactobacillus, bulgaris, B. longum, L.plantarium, L. salivarius, S. faecium, S. thermopilus) is necessary for the equilibrium in the flora system which keeps the competing (potentially pathogenic) yeast forms in check and allows these ever present yeast forms to be a natural occurrence which is apathogenic. The natural balance is maintained through competition of the multiple microbes which are present.

It is interesting to note that many physicians treat this condition with additional antibiotics, causing tremendous problems. Many use Nystatin or other antifungals which can cause the creation of a resistant strain of fungus. They just mutate around it. The preferable remedies would be benign pro-biotic remedies such as SANUM Albicansan, Fortakehl and Pefrakehl which neither create nor further these harmful situations.

When their natural regulators and antagonists are wiped out through antibiotic drug use, the potentially harmless floras (colloids), which are generally kept in check, become more highly developed and propagate in massive numbers in the gut and tissues ( and thereby contribute to a conversely high alkaline pH in the blood), while producing their own species specific acids which maintain the terrain that they require for their maintenance and propagation. In this environment they become more and more virulent and even penetrate and root into the intestinal walls and invade the cells.

These fungal microorganisms become quite at home in the cell, and can be considered to be a third primary potential parasite, along with Mucor and Aspergillus, because of the advent of runaway antibiotic useage over the many years. The only difference is that there is no known symbiosis occuring from the presence of Candida Albicans in the body.

Certain vegetable species colloidal microorganisms produce particular acids to maintain their environment. Examples of this are:
Mucor lactic acid
Aspergillus citric acid
Penicillin penicillic acid

The developmental life-cycle of microbes require differing pH conditions. Some microorganism species find their culminant phase of development in the bacterial phase. The different phases of development of microorganisms require the following terrains for development:
virus, microbe, or primitive form strongly alkaline
bacterial phase weakly alkaline
fungal phase acidic
This developmental process is related to leaky gut syndrome, as the tissues are weakened, even by the infection.

The microorganisms continue to multiply and then invaginate the venous wall (in spore form) and are carried again out of the bloodstream and multiply in the tissues where they deposit their acids, thereby enhancing the acid pH which they require for propagation. This is why individuals with candida feel acidic.

At this point in the total progression of the problem, it is not just because their diet is acidifying. An acidifying diet may be one of the original factors which contributed to this complex problem, though. At this stage it probably will not be possible to balance the pH through diet alone, because of the proliferation which is creating and mainaining its own environment, at that point, through the processes inherent to its upward development which are related to the production of acids.

To achieve the necessary optimum pH balances, these individuals must use some combinations of Alkala (or other bicarbonate combinations), baking soda baths, lemon juice and maple syrup combination (juices only where tolerated), fresh pineapple juice, and electrolyte solutions such as Cell Food, macro minerals, and all citrus fruits and their juices (again, if tolerated).

At this point the reader may think "Fruit juices are full of yeast and sugars. Doesn't this feed the yeast?". This is true, but the point should not be to try to create a dietary approach in order to cope forever with the problem, but rather to just create a diet which is tolerable and supportive to elimination and then to deal with the problem therapeutically with other meeans being the primary methods. The imbalance is not created strictly by dietary imbalances and is not eliminated in this fashion either. I will elaborate to some degree on these approaches further on in the article.

pH balancing and gut flora enhancement or replacement alone will not affect this condition, and most practitioners experience temporary results or failure if they attempt this in combination with an exclusively dietary approach. Most will find some relief with this approach (diet combined with flora replacement) but will then end up living off of the shelves of health food stores, on a continual supplementation regimen that addresses some percentage of the associated symptomology and pathology. The reason for this failure is that the candida has the upper hand in the gut and also systemically, and has to be weeded out first or simultaneously, through utilization of therapies that the yeast cannot mutate around (as in the case of Nystatin and other antifungals).

These therapies may include SANUM remedies (isopathic combinations), ozone, colloidal silver, Beck's box, and Rife type or other electromagnetic field generators. These therapies may be effective in numerous different ways and for varying reasons nad must be recommended and guided by an experieinced practitioner who will know how to combine all of the different elements. Often individuals expect immediate, symptomatic relief. In reality, one should expect to feel worse first, as a great deal of eliminative activity is in order. So it is important to understand that this condition was not created in all of its severity overnight, and it may take a fair amount of time in order to reestablish balance. For severe fungal infections a good approach is to utilize Utilin, Latensin, Pefrakehl, Notakehl, and Albicansan, w/ Alkala, colon cleansing, and kidney and liver drainage. Again, the stressors must be removed first or simultaneously.

The SANUM remedies reintroduce the original form of the microbe which appears in the body and is harmless, before it mutated. In a regualted pH environment this benign form copulates (exchanges information) with the pathogenic forms and they devolve into their original apathogenic forms and can be maintained in thqt range of development.
The mode d' employ of Rife generators is to disturb the microbe's progression through the application of electrical Herzian fields and also through the stimulation of interleukin II and other immune factors.

The Beck box emits pulsed micro-amps causing the blood and tissue cell membranes to oscillate, thereby interfering with the microorganisms ability to parasitize the cell by entering it an using its componenets and protection from the immune system. The cell membrane opens and closes rapidly, flushing the serum in and out, taking with it microorganisms which would otherwise be using the cell interior for its store of nutritional reserves and as an environment in which to replicate or develop into more advanced phases of manifestation. Simultaneously, nutrients are carried in and out, and feed the cell at a much more effective level.

Ozone stimulates interleukin II, alkalinizes the body through the production of ash, oxygenates the blood and tissues, and provides higher forms of oxygen (03 through 013?, or higher depending how it is produced) which share electrons with bacteria, virus, fungus, toxins, chemicals, and reduce all to ash or nonpathogenic forms.

Colloidal silver interferes with the enzyme system that the anaerobic microbes use for respiration. Therefore they cannot mutate around it or become resistant and are eliminated instead. Special care must be taken with colloidal silver to use one that is strong enough and simultaneously supplement the gut flora, as the silver can also interfere with aerobic microorganisms. Failing to supplement the flora, or using a product that only contains 3 to 5 parts per million of silver, appears to be the main limitations in terms of effectiveness. Naturally this approach, like any other, must be accompanied by a full regimen that includes cycles of purification, balancing, and rejuvenation.

Contrary to popular gossip to the contrary by invested promoters, there appears to be some negative side effects to colloidal silver consumption, when used over long periods of time and in relatively high amounts. These include drainage problems and the destruction of intestinal floras. For some, the results of oral use have been complicated gastro intestinal dysbioses and Fortakehl, Albicansan and Pefrakehl and other SANUM preparations in combination may be a better approach as they do not tend to produce those negative results.

Many individuals have been known to exhibit extreme Herxheimer's (healing crisis) reactions with silver. This has particularly been a problem with chronic fatigue syndrome. Lymphatic drainage (homeopathic, herbal, or 714-X, which also regulates the immune system) along with juicing, consumption of a minimum of eight 8 oz. glasses of Crystal Energy water and/or other natural fluids such as juices and herbal teas, colonics or colemas, lymphatic massage, dry brush massage, bouncing exercises, and walking are all required in combination with colloidal silver and also the other aforementioned approaches. It is not useful or necessary to load up the body with unnatural numbers of metals such as silver over extended periods of time in order to maintain good health. It is better to understand the overall biological terrain requirements and meet them through the adjustment of lifestyle.

Nevertheless, it may be very useful to apply colloiddal silver for a measured period of time because of its ability to interfere with the repiratory enzymes of the microorganism. They also cannot mutate around this effect.
Ozone will cause less of a negative reaction than silver. The reaction will not as likely be a result of the breakdown of toxins, but rather congestion in the lymph and liver. This is because the ozone reduces toxins to ash, so they don't get recycled through your bloodstream as poisons on the way out (and by association, through the brain). The Rife and Beck therapies also require all of the same drainage requirements, and the lymphatic thumper (Beck's design) may be useful while the fungus is being reduced.

The best approach, as always, is to combine elements based on the individual's tolerance and needs. Diet alone most likely will not correct this condition of candida overgrowth, but is certainly a necessary adjunct to any program. The dietary needs and reactions will be observed to change greatly after the problem has been addressed.
Many people have been misled through the wrongly held beliefs of most primarily dietarily oriented natural therapists on this subject.

Therefore, I recommend that practitioners understand that the microbe must be reduced both in number and also to its apathogenic form, while ajusting the pH. Acidophilus replacement is not the answer, as the higher phase dominant yeast forms (which have overwhelmed the immune system's capacity to control them) are at such a high valence that they just feast on or suppress the installed lactobacillus strains when the subject is without proper therapeutic intervention.

This mycotic condition was not generally created through dietary means alone, and although diet will be extremely necessary and instrumental in a progrm of complete recovery, it will not on its own be adequate therapeutically, which is the overwhelming and ongoing experience of the numerous masses who are led in the direction of this belief. The immune response is so overwhelmed that the body temporarily needs a "second immune system" in the form of the aforementioned therapeutic approaches, or other effective means.
All of the aforementioned therapeutic approaches (excepting Rife type generators, for some) also relate to how to deal with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, although there are also many other factors, (especially sociological) which need to be dealt with. See "The Four Underlying Causes of Illness and What to Do About Them" by Michael Coyle, for a more complete explanation regarding these syndromes.
It may or may not be necessary for the client to eliminate all yeast containing products (breads, cakes, pastries, yeast related supplements), from the diet. The elimination of these foods is only necessary if they are reactive to them. There is no sound basis to the notion that yeast, such as brewers yeast, feeds fungus. Yet individuals with fungal conditions can be reactive to almost anything, including yeast containing foods and food supplements. Metals are also an extreme deterrent to recovery.
Since microorganisms compete for terrain in the body, it is a necessary and useful corrective approach to supplement body floras once the proper therapeutic inteervention has been established. The gut should contain a great deal of beneficial microorganisms, even measurable in pounds. Flora replacement is therapeutic in that the floras will compete with anaerobic microorganisms and thereby reduce their number, especially once therapeutic intervention has reduced the valence of the pathogens. This is why aerobic gut microorganisms are considered to be an indispensable aspect of the immune system, and should be present as at least 50%, and optimally 100%, of the flora content in the gut.

An good formula for gut flora supplementation, both after and during a program of correction of mycelium dysbiosis, is any flora product which contains:
L. acidophilusB. longumL.planateriumL. rueteriL. salivariusL. bulgaricusE. faeciumS. thermopilusFructo Oligo SacharridesCalcium ascorbateTrace minerals
Albicansan and Pefrakehl are specifics for fungus, and Notakehl and Okubasan for reestablishing gut flora. The water drawn off of hulled barley, drunk, is also useful in reestablishing flora. Use one part barley to one part water, leave it overnight, and drink freely.

Many fungal disorders respond well to a series of courses of Latensin, Notakehl, Pefrakehl, Fortakehl and Albicansan. Reactions may accompany these remedies, and they should only be administered by a trained health professional. These remedies are not antibiotic, but pro-biotic, and work remarkably well. Because the type of fungal dysbiosis which is occurring will not be determinable in the blood picture, the remedies must be applied on the basis other forms of testing such as point testing, Kinesiology, etc.

A strong empirical understanding of how the condition presents and what the primary stressors are in the subjects total life picture is likely the most important means of evaluation of both condition and remedy.

About the Author
Michael Coyle is a Natural Therapist, researcher and educator, and the author of the definitive "NuLife Sciences Applied Microscopy for Nutritional Evaluation and Correction" Workbook text. Michael generally conducts monthly or bimonthly training for health care practitioners in live-blood analysis. For further information on NuLife Sciences and Michael's work and for a schedule of training dates and a complementary microscopy equipment catalogue, please see ad below. Also you may search under NuLife Sciences on the worldwide web for further information.

more info at: www.dreddyclinic.com/