Parasite Prevention

Pinworms. An estimated 25 million Americans — most of them young children — are infected with these tiny white intestinal worms, which range from an eighth- to a half-inch long. Even the cleanest families can get them, especially if children are in school or day care. Pinworms cause rectal itching, and are usually spread by children scratching their bottoms and then transferring pinworm eggs on their fingers to toys or other objects. From there, it's easy for other kids to unknowingly ingest the eggs. Once your child brings these parasites home, they can spread on hands, surfaces, towels, clothing, and bedding.

Not sharing towels, underwear, or sheets helps cut down on contamination. So does scrupulous hand washing, especially after using the bathroom. But the best course is to keep a sharp eye out for symptoms so treatment can start before the worms spread. If you see your child scratching his bottom more than usual, see your doctor. If he's infected, the whole family will need to be treated with a prescription medicine, either Vermox or Antiminth. Some doctors treat the entire family twice to guard against reinfection. You should also wash all bedding, underwear, and nightclothes several times.

Lice. These tiny bugs cause scalp itching and are spread easily by sharing brushes or clothing, even by hanging coats together in a closet. Unfortunately, treating your child as soon as you hear there's an outbreak at school won't work — the medicine kills only parasites that are present when it's applied and has no lasting effect. The best bet is to treat all family members at the first sign that one of you is infected.

To diagnose lice, look for tiny white nits — egg sacs — attached to the base of hairs. Treatment must be thorough. Shampoo with an over-the-counter solution, comb out any nits still stuck to the hair, and wash the whole family's bedding and clothes.

Scabies. The skin disease caused by these mites itches and usually resembles eczema. To identify scabies mites, Dr. Barnett says, "look for little burrows in the skin, about an eighth of an inch long." If you find them, a doctor will prescribe. Elimite for all family members, whether they look infected or not.

Digest, 11, 1997

Nd year

Unit 4, topic "Illnesses and Their Treatment"

Assignment 1. a) Read the article and make up a list of the laws of health.

B) Get ready to prove that the statement you’ve chosen can be called the law indeed.

C) Discuss in class if you follow these laws.

THE LAWS OF HEALTH

One of the first duties we owe to ourselves is to keep our bodies in perfect health. If our body suffers from any disorder, our mind suffers with it, and we are unable to make much progress in knowledge, and we are unfit to perform those duties which are required of us in social life

There are certain laws of health which deserve particular attention and they are so simple that even a child can learn them. A constant supply of pure fresh air is indispensable to good health. To secure this, nothing impure should remain either within or near our homes, and every room in the house especially the bedrooms, should be properly ventilated every day.

Perfect cleanliness is also essential. The whole body should be washed as often as possible. The skin is full of minute pores, cells, blood vessels and nerves. It "breathes" the way the lungs do. Therefore it should always be clean.

Besides its importance to health, there is a great charm in cleanliness. We like to look at one who is tidy and clean. If the skin is kept clean, the teeth thoroughly brushed, the hair neatly combed, and the finger-nails in order, we feel pleased with the person, even though his (her) clothes may be coarse and much mended.

A certain amount of exercise is necessary to keep the body in perfect condition. Аll the powers (mental and bodily) we possess are strengthened by use and weakened by disuse. Therefore, labour and study should succeed each other. The best way of getting exercise is to engage in some work that is useful and at the same time interesting to the mind. It is most essential for the old and .the young to do morning exercises, with the windows wide open in your room or, if possible, in the open air.

Remember that exercises warm, invigorate and purify the body. Rest is also necessary to the health of both body and mind. The best time for sleep is during the darkness and stillness of the night.

Late hours are very harmful to the health as they exhaust the nervous system. We should go to bed early and get up early. It is a good rule to "rise with the lark and go to bed with the lark".

Most essential to our body is food. Our body is continually wasting, and requires to be repaired by fresh substance. Therefore food, which is to repair the loss, should be taken with due regard to the exercise and waste of the body.

Be moderate in eating. If you eat slowly, you will not overeat. Never swallow your food wholesale—you are provided with teeth for the purpose of chewing your food — and you will never complain of indigestion. We should abstain from everything that intoxicates. The evils of intemperance, especially of alcohol, are top well known.

Intemperance excites bad passions and leads to quarrels and crimes. Alcohol costs a lot of money, which might be used for better purposes. The mind is stupefied by drink and the person who drinks will, in course of time, become unfit for his duties. Both health and character are often ruined.

Thus we must remember that moderation in eating and drinking, reasonable hours of labour and study, regularity in exercise, recreation and rest, cleanliness and many other essentials lay the foundations for good health and long life.

Assignment 2.

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