328 Where There Is No Doctor 2011
Loss of Sleep (Insomnia)
It is normal for older people to need less sleep than younger people. And they
wake up more often at night. During long winter nights, older people may spend hours
without being able to sleep.
Certain medicines may help bring sleep, but it is better not to use them if they are
not absolutely necessary.
Here are some suggestions for sleeping:
♦ Get plenty of exercise during the day.
♦ Do not drink coffee or black tea, especially in the afternoon or evening.
♦ Drink a glass of warm milk or milk with honey before going to bed.
♦ Take a warm bath before going to bed.
♦ In bed, try to relax each part of your body—then your whole body and mind.
Remember good times.
♦ If you still cannot sleep, try taking an antihistamine like promethazine (Phenergan,
p. 385) or dimenhydrinate (Dramamine, p. 386) half an hour before going to bed.
These are less habit-forming than stronger drugs.
DISEASES FOUND MORe OFTEN
IN PEOPLE OVER 40 YEARS OLD
Cirrhosis of the Liver
Cirrhosis usually occurs in men over 40 who for years have been
drinking a lot of liquor (alcohol) and eating poorly.
Signs:
• Cirrhosis starts like hepatitis, with weakness, loss of
appetite, upset stomach, and pain on the person’s right
side below the ribs.
• As the illness gets worse, the person gets thinner and thinner.
He may vomit blood. In serious cases the feet swell, and
the belly swells with liquid until it looks like a drum. The
eyes and skin may turn yellowish (jaundice).
Treatment:
When cirrhosis is severe, it is hard to cure. There are no medicines that help much.
Most people with severe cirrhosis die from it. If you want to stay alive, at the first sign
of cirrhosis do the following:
♦ Never drink alcohol again! Alcohol poisons the liver.
♦ Eat as well as possible: vegetables, fruit, and some protein (p. 110 and 111).
But do not eat a lot of protein (meat, eggs, fish, etc.) because this makes the
damaged liver work too hard.
♦ If a person with cirrhosis has swelling, he should not use any salt in his food.
Prevention of this disease is easy: DO NOT DRINK SO MUCH alcohol.