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In the privacy of your home, there are several types of therapy that
deserve particular attention. Naturally, it is our instinctive tendency to look for the simplest way of getting well. Often people resort to drugs in an attempt to cure themselves, only to find that the drug has changed the form and location the disease, producing new symptoms or complications that might even be worse than the original disease. Furthermore, the expense of drugs, together with their long term risk are reason for great caution in their use by the home health practitioner.
Diet is an extremely important type of home treatment. In case of illness, the patient’s diet should be simpler than is usually eaten. Sometimes a fruit fast for a few days will help a person recover without a grain of medicine. Juices have a more limited place. Sometimes skipping a meal and drinking water or fruit juice will allow nature a chance to build up defenses against the invader. This should be done at mealtimes, not drinking juices all through the day.
Herb teas have a valued place in healing. Hence, a special chapter is being devoted to their use. Medicinal teas are usually prepared by mixing one teaspoon of the herb in a cup of boiling water and allowing it to steep for three to five minutes, until the tea is ready. The herb is strained out before drinking. Other herbal beverages made with parsley or comfrey, create the so called “green drink,” which is popular in health food stores today. There are many common symptoms that can be treated safely with herbs, making it
unnecessary to consult a physician nearly as often as we do these days.

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Most laboratories today require requisitions from a physician to run
various tests. New self-care home kits are now available for many screening tests, which can be done at home. Some of these are as follows: pregnancy test, blood cholesterol, blood glucose, and stool testing for occult blood. The latter is useful to periodically evaluate possible blood loss, as well as causes for anemia. Urine testing for protein or sugar, and fasting blood sugar measurements, are good screening tests for diabetes. These tests can be done on a group basis at health fairs, and for a considerably reduced cost.
Cholesterol and triglyceride evaluations are periodically performed in coronary screening programs, and occasionally, it is possible to secure chest x-rays, electrocardiograms, and even treadmill tests from public health groups or private groups screening for cardiovascular disease. Sometimes the YMCA, religious camp meetings, or special health fairs in shopping centers will provide these tests at a very reasonable cost. Cooperative physicians may provide other laboratory determinations in the case of acute disease.

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Generally, the examination is called the physical. This involves a look at the patient, his skin, his eyes, his level of alertness, and any defects visible in any part of the body. It is important to touch and feel certain areas where there is pain, to see if it is due to afflictions in the skin, the muscles, or deeper structures. At times percussion is used to elicit areas of deeper tenderness. Tapping skillfully over an organ, such as the heart or liver, serves to outline its size, as well as compare that area with others for tenderness or distention,
as when the bowel is obstructed and there is accumulation of gas.

Finally, the use of a stethoscope has achieved a degree of prominence in medical diagnosis and many uses of this may be learned by the layman, with a little practice. This instrument, invented by Laennec about 1816, has gone through many refinements in recent years. The stethoscope is commonly used
to take the blood pressure. This measurement is extremely important in a physical examination, and can be done by anyone who understands the physiology involved and has practiced to attain proficiency.

The blood pressure is measured by wrapping the inflatable cuff,
connected to a measuring device, around the arm, or sometimes the leg. Usually this is done with the patient in a sitting position, but it can also be done lying down or standing up, if the position of the patient is noted and the blood pressure compared with other postures. The standard of measurement is that of mercury barometer. Usually the pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury. The pictured instrument measures the blood pressure on a round dial. It is called an aneroid—type device, or sphygmomanometer.

The blood pressure cuff, after being calibrated, is inflated by closing the screw knob on the blood pressure cuff. Careful listening over the artery detects the beginning of a sound. This is intermittent and corresponds to the beat of the heart, pumping blood through the now opened vessel. The pressure continues to drop; where it just begins to fade, a second muffled sound occurs, termed the diastolic pressure. The two figures conventionally recorded as a fraction, i.e., 120/80. This is called the blood pressure. It is felt that although the pressure increases with advancing age in most people, a pressure higher than 140/90 is abnormal. Usually the lower values correlate with a lessened risk of cardiac disease or stroke.

The pulse is also an important measurement. It can be obtained by
counting the pulsations in any artery of the body. The radial artery on the thumb side of the wrist, the carotid arteries in the neck, the femoral arteries in the groin, or small vessels in the forehead can also be used to measure the number of beats per minute the heart makes. More skill is required to assess the character of the pulse.

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Diarrhea
An increased number of loose or watery stools is known as diarrhea. The frequency may vary from one or two, to thirty or forty per day. Usually diarrhea is a symptom of irritation in the bowel and not an actual disease. The body tries to rid itself of this irritation by increasing the movements of the intestines. Because of the rapid passage of the intestinal contents, there is more fluid in the stool, and sometimes its passage is associated with abdominal pain or cramping. In severe cases, dehydration may occur, resulting in thirst and dryness of the mouth and skin. A sudden and excessive
loss of fluid is especially dangerous in infants and small children. There are many causes of diarrhea. Nervousness may produce this condition. Many types of laxatives produce an increased number of loose stools. Spoiled food, over-ripe fruit, contaminated canned foods, all irritate the intestines. Diarrhea may also be a symptom of intestinal obstruction, infection of the intestine, or inflammation of the colon, called colitis. Microorganisms, such as the amoeba, typhoid bacillus, and other bacteria may cause diarrhea.

Constipation
The individual who produces fewer stools than usual has constipation. The fecal material may be hard and dry. This condition may be a symptom of organic disease, such as an obstruction in the bowel or just increased muscle tone. Nervous conditions can also cause constipation. In such a situation, the colon becomes spastic, preventing normal elimination. Lack of exercise may result in constipation, as does a diet low in roughage, fruits, and vegetables. Drinking an insufficient amount of fluid or taking narcotic drugs for pain may inhibit intestinal contractions (peristalsis) and trigger this symptom.

Dehydration
This results from the loss of water within the body’s tissues. Normally water makes up over 75% of your body’s weight. Replacement of water is the body’s most urgent dietary requirement. A patient who is dehydrated has extreme thirst, dry tongue, parched lips, dry skin, and reduced amount of
urine. If this disturbed water balance is not corrected, particularly in the infant, the patient may lose consciousness or die. Loss of fluid may result from excessive perspiration, from diarrhea or excessive urination, from hemorrhage, or persistent vomiting. Inability to drink fluids occurs in unconscious patients and in those with nausea and vomiting, and severe loss of appetite. Complications in the aftermath of surgery may result in slight dehydration due to fever or vomiting.

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Some generalizations are in order to help you evaluate the most common
symptoms of disease. These questions may be asked: When did it begin?
What were you doing when the problem started? Have you ever had such a
problem before? What measures seem to give relief? Has the disease
progressed; or, is it getting better? Are there measures that promote comfort?
Where does the primary problem seem to be located? Are there other
symptoms that appeared to begin at the same time?
This approach to history taking, whether applied to pain, headache,
stomachache, and many other common symptoms, will help you elicit the true
story of illness in a direct and constructive manner.

Loss of Appetite
The medical term for this is anorexia. This symptom may be associated
with a disease of the digestive system, such as an ulcer, or some problem
located elsewhere in the body, such as an infection or emotional reaction.

Nausea and Vomiting
Nausea is a feeling of discomfort in the region of the stomach, often
associated with loss of appetite. When vomiting occurs, the patient throws up
the contents from the stomach through his mouth. This action results from a
sudden strong contraction of the diaphragm and stomach muscles. Strong
emotional reactions, effects of drugs or their withdrawal, excessive fatigue,
and many diseases such as ulcer, appendicitis, gallstones, even brain tumor,
are examples of diseases that produce nausea and vomiting.

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