HICCUPS (SINGULTUS)
Hiccups are short, sharp
inspiratory coughs involving spasmodic lowering of the diaphragm. They may be
due to indigestion, overloaded stomach, irritation under the surface of the
diaphragm, alcoholism, and many other possible causes. There are many home
remedies, anyone of which may work in simple cases: warm applications to the
diaphragm region, protrusion of the tongue, holding of the breath, drinking
water, applications of cold to the spine, exhaling and inhaling into and from a
paper bag. In severe persistent cases, medical attention is required.
PREVENTIVE CARE
It goes almost without saying that
the most common respiratory problem -in fact, the most common disease in the
world-is the common cold. You will undoubtedly want to read the special
discussion of this. Other conditions, as well as the common cold, may produce
nasal congestion. They include hay fever and other allergies,
chronic infections, nasal polyps, sinusitis, and a deviated or crooked septum.
Enlarged adenoids may also be a cause of nasal congestion in children.
Your
physician, or a specialist to whom he may wish to refer you, can do much now
not only to provide relief for such problems but very often to use preventive
techniques that will avoid recurrences and possible progression to more
complicated problems. Ozena is a disease of the nose involving the turbinates and mucous membranes. It is accompanied by considerable crusting and discharge
and a very offensive odor.
It should have medical attention as soon as
possible. Actually, a persistent, foul-smelling discharge in children is much
more often caused by some foreign object such as a bean or pencil eraser lodged
deep in a nasal passage. Always have a physician take care of this.
An occasional minor nosebleed is no cause for alarm.
It may stop by itself-and often does. Cold compresses to the nose and back of
the head, and pressure on the soft portion of the nostril on the bleeding side
for five minutes, may help. Or the bleeding may stop if the affected nostril is
plugged with sterile cotton. Frequent nosebleeds deserve medical attention.
They may simply mean that a particular small blood vessel in the nose is at
fault, and the physician may be able to attend to it in a few minutes. On the
other hand, nosebleeds in children sometimes may indicate rheumatic fever. They
may also herald onset of typhoid fever. Contrary to a popular notion, they
rarely stem from high blood pressure. If your nose bleeds frequently without
apparent cause, your physician will try to determine exactly what is involved
and then use suitable treatment.
Should an unsightly nose be changed by plastic
surgery?,perhaps. This is a matter to talk over with your physician. If the
advises an operation for cosmetic reasons, he will refer you to a surgeon
specializing in this type of surgery. Surgery may be appropriate, too, when an
abnormal situation.
