Some patients have tried to convince me that their view is accurate by holding their face at different angles or changing the lighting in the room. “Can’t you see they’re flat?” a young woman asked me about her cheekbones, turning her head and holding it at different angles.Other variations of questioning behavior are asking others how to fix the problem—the best way to curl hair or how to pay for liposuction—or a discussion of the defect and the problems it’s caused. Virtually all one man talked about was his hair—his belief that it was thinning, how his life would be different if it weren’t, and how to fix it. These discussions dominated his conversations with his girlfriend.Reassurance seeking typically causes problems. It can take up a lot of time and be very difficult for family members and friends. Whereas mirror checking, grooming, and picking can be done in private, questioning always involves someone else. If it’s limited to once or twice a day, it’s generally tolerable. But if it’s more frequent, it can dominate and ruin relationships.I’ve been told by many people with BDD that their spouse, girlfriend, or boyfriend left them because they spent so much time talking about, or asking about, their appearance. Other aspects of the disorder—such as avoidance of social situations—often contribute to relationship problems as well. But it’s surprising how often the questioning is considered a major part of the problem.*102\204\8*
April 22, 2011
April 12, 2011
ASTHMA IN CHILDREN: PROTECTING YOUR CHILD FROM FOOD ALLERGIES – DIAGNOSING FOOD ALLERGY
Skin tests in food allergy are not of much help; it is the history of the patient which is of greatest help. Other procedures that help are elimination diets. The patient is instructed to note in a diary all the food taken and the symptoms produced,if any. By studying these reports for two to three weeks, the doctor can often detect the onset of symptoms after a new type of food, or after repeated intake of a certain food. The elimination of these foods, one at a time, should result in disappearance of the symptoms. This is followed by controlled intentional ingestion to confirm the allergy. The difficulty arises when the offending food is either milk, egg or wheat, which are common ingredients of many other foods and therefore its presence may not be suspected by the patient.Food allergy is more common in children than in adults. Recurrent abdominal upsets, skin rashes and unrelieved cough should be suspected of having an allergic basis. Proper diagnosis can lead to very favourable results.*40\260\8*
April 3, 2011
THE IMMOBILISING PROPERTIES OF BOTOX
The immobilising properties that make Botox sound potentially morbid are the same ones that make it an incredible drug. During the 1980s, researchers discovered that these properties were of tremendous benefit for patients suffering from involuntary muscle spasms associated with illnesses such as cerebral palsy. Compared to the other treatments available at the time, such as muscle relaxants, Botox was found to be the most effective since it worked quickly and had minimal side effects. In 1989 Botox was approved for the treatment of strabismus [commonly known as crossed eyes") and blepharospasm (involuntary winking]. The following year Botox was granted another approval, this time for cervical dystonia.The story of how Botox transformed from a medical drug to one with myriad beauty benefits is as fascinating as Botox itself. Anophthalmologist in Canada. Dr Jean Carruthers. noticed that the patients whom she was treating with Botox were not only seeing an improvement with their medical conditions, but the wrinkles in the surrounding areas were virtually disappearing Intrigued by this development, Dr Carruthers mentioned it to her husband, who happened to do a dermatologist. Just as intrigued, the dermatologist began to try out Botox on his patients, starting with his thirty-year-old, receptionist with deep creases between her eyebrows, and arrived at the same conclusion as his wife. A few years later, in 1990, the first medical paper was written on the potential of Botox as a significant aid in the field of cosmetic dermatology, bringing Botox greater recognition and acceptance among cosmetic dermatologists.*47\82\8*