Gururaj Clinic

One of the best pleasures of life is to watch a child grow up and begin to learn and explore new things in the surroundings. However, children affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism may not be able to do this at the same pace as other kids. They are a little slow to respond and may not socialise very easily.

ASD is a collective term used for a range of symptoms, including poor verbal and nonverbal communication, poor social skills, repetitive behaviour, and impaired learning abilities. The onset and severity of symptoms also vary across children. While some show symptoms in preschool, others would be completely normal and start showing symptoms after a couple of years of schooling. The following are some symptoms that indicate the child could have autism.

1. Lack of babbling by 9 months of age
2. No response when called by their name even after 12 months of age
3. Not uttering single words by the age of 16 months, two words by 24 months
4. Lack of social skills including resistance to cuddling, not mingling with other kids
5. Self-injurious behaviour like banging head on the wall, hurting a toy, etc.

Homeopathy offers safe, effective remedy for children with autism. Treatment regime is highly customised based on underlying and accompanying symptoms of each patient. The following are commonly used ingredients; however, self-medication is best avoided.

1. Agaricus: The child talks and sings but does not respond. There is indifference, fearlessness, shouting, constant jerking of the head, difficulty reading, possible double vision and feels awkward physically and mentally.
2. Carcinosin: The child is obstinate and has compulsive obsessive tendencies. It is hyperactive, does not sleep, has addictive tendencies, and likes to drink milk which worsens the symptoms.
3. Androctonus: The child is destructive, suspicious, mischievous, but very quick to respond. The child behaves very well at times and can be very naughty at other times.
4. Helleborus: The child is generally weak, slow to respond, appears thoughtless, often stares into air, and looks depressed with involuntary sighing and habit of lip biting. Sight, hearing, and taste could be affected.
5. Cuprum Metallicum: The child is extremely tense, irritable, rigid, malicious, and very difficult to handle. Does not like to be touched or spoken to or played with. Can be aggressive with the parents, driving them to despair.

May have tics infestation on the scalp.
Another recent approach is the CEASE (Complete Elimination Autism Spectrum Expression) Therapy. This combines homoeopathy with orthomolecular medicines that provide the required nutrition for brain development (vitamins, minerals, Omega 3 fatty acids, etc.) This helps in overall brain development and restoring function in affected children. As noted, the right potency of these products will determine the response to treatment.

Human reproductive organs, in both males and females, are rich in nerve endings which are very dense in concentration. This denseness of the nerve endings is what causes the immensely pleasurable feelings during sexual intercourse. For men, one of the most erogenous zones in the body is the foreskin or the naturally occurring skin on the tip of the penis. 

This fold of skin covering the glans not only protects the head, but retracts back during sexual stimulation, exposing the glans. It has over 10,000 nerve endings which play a very important role during sexual stimulation and sexual pleasure. 

Circumcision 
The removal of the foreskin from the male penis has been practiced by tribal societies for a very long time. It is also practiced as a rite of passage in religions such as Judaism and Islam. It may be performed for other medical reasons such as Phimosis, wherein the foreskin is unable to retract behind the glans or to the back of the head. Circumcision has been a hotly debated topic between supporters and detractors. Supporters claim that its advantages far outweigh the risks while detractors state that it doesn’t help in anything at all.

Premature ejaculation and circumcision

Another section of detractors also state that circumcision, especially as an adult, may tend to cause premature ejaculation. However, these are subjective opinions that have been collated over time and may not have a base in proper scientific research. However, the decreased number of nerve endings on a circumcised penis may actually help with reducing excessive sensations that lead to premature ejaculation. 

Conclusion
There are conflicting studies and reports about circumcision, sensitivity and premature ejaculation. There is also no consensus whether circumcision corrects premature ejaculation or not. Some studies have stated that after a few months of adult men being circumcised, they did report an improvement on the problem of premature ejaculation. 

However, the best thing to do in such as case is to go for a consultation with sexologist. Also, if there are no functional problems with your penis, then the root of your premature ejaculation may lie somewhere else, which cannot be corrected by circumcision.

Spinal surgery becomes inevitable when back pain cannot be managed with medications and/or exercise. This is a major decision and requires planning for many things before, during, and after the surgery.

Before a spinal surgery- This preparation will help in smooth recovery, especially if you do not have a full-time caretaker.​

1. Discontinue pain killers: Discontinue pain killers at least 10 to 14 days before surgery. These are blood thinners and can prolong bleeding during the surgery.

2. Prepare for blood loss: Most people experience some blood loss, but not excessive.

3. Use a toilet seat raiser: Sitting and getting up from the toilet seat may be difficult. The seat raiser is used to increase the height, making this movement easy.

4. Enable easy access to common items: Before heading for the surgery, keep things which are commonly used within easy reach. This will help reduce movement and avoid searching (especially if someone else is going to be doing it).

5. Stock it up: Cooking may not be feasible during the initial postop period, and so it is advisable to stock up food items (ready to eats, fruits, soups, etc.) which will come in handy.

6. Slip-ons: Bending down and tying shoes may not be easy, so slip-ons can be used.

7. Caregiving: It is always advisable to have someone stay over with you during the initial postop days. They could help with regular household chores, cooking, etc.

8. Lifestyle changes: Ensure you eat well in the days before surgery, quit smoking, quit/use moderate amounts of alcohol, and exercise as advised by your surgeon.

After Surgery- Post surgery, there will be some pain and limitation of movement. It is important to understand that adherence to post-op instructions will improve the success rate of the surgery. Also, recovery time for spine surgery is slightly longer and affects overall quality of life, so psychological preparation is required.

1. Postoperative medications: These will be given to control infection and pain in the immediate postop period, and should be taken without fail

2. Rehab: The surgeon will recommend physical therapy and rehab exercises which need to be followed. Complete recovery may take anywhere between 3 to 12 months. During this time, care should be taken to avoid repeat injury.

3. Support: Adequate back support should be provided using lumbar support and ergonomic chairs, and the right posture should be maintained. Ensure there is no undue strain on the back muscles.

4. Weight management: With excess weight, there is too much strain on the lower disks. Therefore, weight should be managed to reduce this strain.

5. Smoking and alcohol should be completely stopped, as healing can be hampered.

With some preparation, spinal surgery can be sailed through smoothly.

When you travel in an airplane or just come out of the swimming pool, your ears may sometimes block up and even be painful. This is what is known ear barotrauma and is caused by pressure differences inside and outside the ear drum. Severe cases may cause damage to the ear and impede your hearing.

Symptoms of ear barotrauma: Ear barotrauma usually occurs when the Eustachian tube is blocked due to differences in air pressure. The Eustachian tube is a long narrow tube that runs from the middle of your ear to the pharynx or the back of the throat and is thus very important in relevance to the ear, nose and throat. Thus ear barotrauma can also translate to pain in the ear and throat as well.

Some of the symptoms are:

1. Discomfort in the ear, or aggravated pain in extreme cases
2. Dizziness
3. The ears being blocked or full, in severe cases may feel like being underwater
4. Temporary hearing loss
5. Nose bleeding in severe cases
6. Health care providers may see an inward caving or outward bulging in the ear drum. In severe cases, the eardrum may look bruised as well.
7. Some severe cases may even exhibit signs typical of an ear infection along with some of the other symptoms mentioned above.

Precautions and self treatment: There are certain steps you can take to either prevent barotrauma or reduce the symptoms, these are:
yawning or gulping. This is very helpful when air pressure differences are caused in cases of travelling by aircraft.

1. Inhale slowly and then exhale while your mouth is closed and you are holding your nostrils closed by fingers. This will help increase the pressure within the tube to try and open it forcefully.
2. Sucking on candy is another way to prevent barotraumas as you are constantly swallowing and keeping your Eustachian tube from being blocked in the first place.
3. Keep a few chewing gums handy and has similar effects on your ears as it forces the Eustachian tube to remain open despite pressure differences.
4. After diving or swimming, come out of the water slowly.  Scuba divers and deep swimmers need to come up slowly to ensure that the Eustachian tube is given enough time to acclimatize and slowly come back to normal.

Usually, ear barotrauma goes away automatically after sometime and no medications are required. However, if symptoms still persist, it is best to go to a relevant doctor or a health care provider for pain relief and long term solutions.