March 2009

THE HAZARDS OF CONFUSING FITNESS WITH HEALTH: YOUR HEART KNOWS THE DIFFERENCE

How can it happen that a reasonably fit man can have a full executive medical test, pass with flying colours and a few weeks later drop dead from a heart attack? The reason is simple. The blockages in the arteries that cause heart attacks in seven out of 10 people are so slight that they [...]

THE DESPERATE EXECUTIVE

Suicides in Australia are up and it seems that most of the people who are killing themselves are men. It is not that women don’t try; it is just that they tend to be less successful at it. Every year, enough Australian men to populate a small country town are lost to suicide. The impact [...]

BRAIN BOMBS: EXPLOSIONS DECLINE WITH AGE

It’s a terrifying thought hut at least 100 000 Australians are walking around with little time bombs in their brains. These bombs can go off at any time but usually detonate between the ages of 20 and 50. When this happens there is a 50 per cent chance they will kill or seriously disable their [...]

PROSTATE CANCER DIAGNOSIS: THERE IS HOPE AHEAD

A diagnosis of early prostate cancer can send any man into a tunnel dark with uncertainty. Once in this tunnel, he will stumble across a range of management options, each of which can have upsetting complications and none of which is definitively the best. There are no clear guidelines for management at this early stage; [...]

SOLUTION OF IMPOTENCE PROBLEM: IMPLANTS

About 5 years ago, the managing director of a Sydney manufacturing company noted with alarm that he was having difficulty maintaining an erection. It would rise without any trouble but almost immediately would begin to subside. At 54, he couldn’t understand why this was happening. ‘My wife was very encouraging, but no matter what she [...]

ACCIDENTS

Accidents are a leading cause of death and disability. They occur mainly in the home, on the streets and highways, and on the job. Now I want to say something about accidents on the highways in order to help eliminate this frightful menace. Highway accidents kill many young people who are just on the threshold [...]

SKIN DISEASES IN CHILDHOOD

Both the infant and the young child are subject to a considerable number of minor and even serious skin diseases. Besides such conditions as napkin rashes, there is one skin disease on which children seem to have a monopoly. This is ringworm of the scalp. Antibiotics effective against the fungus are available. Most of the [...]

PREGNANCY AND CHILDBIRTH

Conception, the act of becoming pregnant, has all the ingredients of a most exciting drama, carried out on a microscopic scale. In coitus (sexual intercourse), a healthy man releases about a tea-spoonful of semen into the vagina of his mate. This semen contains from 300 to 400 million spermatozoa, or male germ-cells, also called sperm. [...]

HEALTH AND VACATIONS: SUNBURN AND SUNTAN

Sunshine is healthful for most people; it makes them feel and look better. However, it is almost surely harmful to people suffering from certain diseases. These include tuberculosis of the lungs, nephritis, and particular skin diseases such as lupus erythematosus. However, psoriasis and some other diseases are helped by sunlight. To avoid a burn that [...]

CARE OF THE BODY’S INDIVIDUAL PARTS: EYESTRAIN

You can best treat eyestrain by putting an end to the conditions that are causing it. Improper lighting, especially when reading or doing other close work, is a frequent cause of eyestrain. Do not face the light; it should come from behind and from the side, so you will not be in your own shadow. [...]