Category Archives: Health

Autism

Health, ,

DSC02237  You have probably heard of autism, a neurodevelpmental disorder in which children have impaired social interactions, is now closer to being understood. This report in the the March 8, 2014 issue of Science News  relays the Feb 7 Science  information that the diuretic bumetamide, already reported to help at least some autistic children, prevented autism from developing in rodent models of the disease, when pregnant rodents were given the diuretic one day before the rodent pups were born.

Here is the sequence of preventive events as elucidated in the rodent models:

  1. The diuretic reduces prenatal pup brain chloride.
  2. The lower chloride levels permit a  a GABA functional reversal.  Prenatally, GABA is an excitatory  neurotransmitter, whereas after birth, GABA is a calming neurotransmitter.
  3. Too much chloride prevents the GABA functional switch from happening during birth, and leaves the rodent pup brain in a hyper-excitable, immature condition.
  4. It is way to early to try this on people.   However, this is a very promising result, which will hasten forward progress in the areas of autism prevention and treatment.

Any way to personally or societally become more efficient,  including ways to prevent and offset any health issues ultimately saves all of us energy and fossil fuel use.

A Common Cold

Health, Uncategorized, ,

DSC02177 At first, on a Wednesday there was a sore throat, accompanied by  increasing sneezes.  I drank tea at night.  I still had energy.  On day two I vacuumed, and we went shopping.   There was not too much coughing yet.  But it was soon to start, together with a laryngitis.  From Saturday through the next Wednesday, I made my daytime spot on the couch, and slept frequently during the day, marveling that in my younger days, I would work when so afflicted.  Over the next five days I went through at least 1200 tissues isolating coughed up phlegm.  My appetite was going down.  Sunday evening I had a fever of about 100 degrees, and I coughed literally all night incorporating it into a dream story about how good it was that I had this illness, so I could warn a little someone that they needed to watch out for such things.  We determined that I should go to the doctor to get something to relieve the cough.

DSC02176 On day five, we went over to see the medical group.  There was an opening in the resident clinic, and the doctor prescribed these benzonatate pearls, and an over-the counter decongestant, as well as
Amoxicilllin for a little ear inflammation.  Armed with this we went home and I began my regimen of three Amoxicillns per day and four of each of the cough suppressant and decongestant per day.

DSC02175 My coughing has gradually eased up, my throat is no longer sore on day seven.   My wonderful husband took over cooking breakfast, all the meals, and otherwise helped.  I think this is quite a bad cold, though a common one, because it is still lingering.  They told me it would take a while to get rid of the cough.  Tomorrow I will pick up where I left off with the laundry!

Fish for Lunch

Health, Kitchen, Recipes, , ,

DSC01771 DSC01772 This was a really good lunch, light, healthy, and tasty.  Joe put cubed potatoes into the steamer, and got them started, while he prepared asparagus, green onions, tomatoes, which he placed on top.  Last of all he put on thawed flounder.  He steamed everything until the fish was done, and the vegetables were crisp-tender.

He opened a gift of New York State white wine, saved from the holidays, which was very delicious, and complimented the whole meal.