Health News

There are discs in the spinal column, in between the vertebrae. These discs, being filled with a gelatinous substance, provide a certain amount of cushioning and give mobility to the spine. If the discs were ‘rock-solid’ like bone, there would be no flexibility of the spine and bending forward or backward, rotational and natural movements would be impossible. Young bamboo shoots are extremely flexible but when the joints (discs) in them fuse as they mature, the flexibility is greatly reduced. There is an ailment of the backbone, ankylosing spondylitis (an autoimmune disease) where the spine joins up as a whole due to the calcification of the ligaments that bind the vertebrae together. The discs too solidify and thus appear like bamboo joints in an X-ray of the spine. This fusion leads to complete loss of flexibility of the back.The discs in the human spine are very well developed while other animals do not have such a well-defined structure as they do not walk erect. The discs cushion the weight of the body, like shock absorbers. In a horizontal spine such a structure (discs) would be a hindrance to the spine as it would be difficult to maintain the rigidity to support the weight of the visceral organs.*61\330\8*

Anger is a natural and justifiable response to this infection. People need to be allowed to be angry. People also need to learn how to express anger appropriately. Directing anger at the wrong target—like Helen at the Xerox machine or like Lisa’s husband at Lisa or like Alan at himself—is at best ineffectual and at worst harmful.     Anger turned on yourself is recognized as a form of depression. Those who feel hopeless or isolate themselves or eat or drink too much or continue the behavior that put them at risk for the infection are hurting themselves. Usually people realize they are treating themselves badly, and before too long, they stop of their own accord. Sometimes a friend or relative notices that the person is drinking a lot or seems unhappy and recommends getting help. If you do not seem to be stopping on your own, get help from a psychiatrist, psychologist, or social worker. These mental health professionals will help you identify and understand the anger and will help the anger find its proper target. If necessary, they can also recommend alcohol- or drug-treatment programs.     Even anger turned outward can be overwhelming. Certain actions and attitudes help people deal with anger. First, separate the anger from its target. Lisa’s husband, after talking to a psychiatrist, understood he was angry at the circumstances, not at Lisa for serving him cold oatmeal. Steven, who had been furious at the doctors he saw in the clinic, was able to say, “The doctors aren’t the people I’m mad at. I can identify the feeling now and separate it out.” Alan came to see he was depressed because he was turning his anger at the disease on himself and punishing himself with hopelessness and feelings of isolation.     Second, find mechanisms that discharge anger. These will be different for different people. Helen screams, hits the bed until she is tired, and takes long walks through the fields around her small town. Steven jogs and works out in a gym. Dean tires too easily for regular physical exercise; instead, he yells, writes out his anger in a journal, and talks to his partner, parents, and relatives. Alan, though he remains somewhat depressed, finds he feels calm and relaxed after he meditates.
*64\191\2*

Diuretics are a standard treatment for water retention and will be of no help for other PMS symptoms. They work by interfering with normal kidney function so that the kidneys excrete more urine.PMS specialists tend to agree that diuretics should be reserved for women who actually gain weight in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. Some women develop abdominal bloating but do not put on weight and it is questionable whether they are retaining water at all or simply that their weight is redistributed just before a period. If you are not retaining water then a diuretic should not be prescribed.There are problems with diuretics as they can cause even worse water retention – rebound water retention – when you stop taking them. Some diuretics may cause a deficiency of the mineral potassium leading to symptoms of weakness and confusion and, in severe cases, heart palpitations.The diuretic most often prescribed for PMS is spironolactone which is thought to carry a lower risk of rebound water retention.*44\120\4*