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SCMP Reporter

Q: MY brother has epilepsy. Over the years, I have seen him convulse more than once on the street and in MTR stations. Well-meaning bystanders often want to restrain him by holding him down. They also try to forcibly pry his mouth open and put something inside to prevent him from biting his tongue. Can you please tell your well-intentioned readers not to do that to people who are in the middle of seizure because it will end up hurting them more?   Dr Rose writes: Thank you for sharing your experiences. Most epileptic seizures last less than a minute and require little intervention. You are correct to point out that forcibly prying open the mouth of a person who is having a seizure can be damaging.You could break their teeth or jaw and risk being bitten on the hands and fingers.

  Here are some simple steps for bystanders to follow:    Loosen any tight clothing around the neck.

   Place something soft under the head.

   Leave the mouth alone. Do not force open the jaw or wedge any object between the teeth as you may cause a dislocation of the jaw.

  Keep people away until the seizure has finished.

  When the seizure has finished, place the individual in the recovery position until he or she regains consciousness.

 Q: LAST month we sprayed our lawn and vegetable garden with pesticides. I know that too much exposure to pesticides can be dangerous but I wasn't sure what precautions to take and I ended up feeling nauseous. What should I do next year to avoid problems?   Dr Rose writes: Excessive exposure to pesticides is definitely harmful to your health. To minimise the harmful effects, carefully read the labels of the products and follow directions closely.

  Avoid spraying on windy or rainy days. Wear protective gloves and clothing while spraying and take a shower afterwards. Wash or discard contaminated clothing. Avoid breathing the vapours and fumes and make sure bare skin does not come into contact with the product.

  Also, be careful not to put leftover pesticides into unlabelled containers where children can get to them or they can be misused.

  More and more gardeners are adopting alternative gardening methods so as to avoid using pesticides. Garlic, onions or chives planted around the border of the garden help repel some insects, as does frequent weeding.

 Q: I HAVE always believed that if a child is ill and has a temperature, one should take steps to ensure that he does not get a chill. They should be kept out of draughts, in a warm room with a normal amount of clothing. Now a neighbour, who is a nurse, tells me that this is wrong. She says that a sick child should be stripped and placed in a cold atmosphere, the air conditioning on full, even in winter, so that their temperature is brought down and not allowed to go up again. I have seen her child crying and shivering with cold when she applied this drastic remedy when his temperature was 100 degrees. Surely this is dangerous? Shouldn't a sick child be kept warm and comfortable?   Dr Rose writes: The truth about how you should treat a child with a fever lies somewhere in between your method and that of your neighbour. You should try to keep the child's temperature down by keeping them cool. Take off any warm clothing and use a light cotton sheet in bed.

  But you don't need to upset the child by exposing them to excessive cold when they don't feel well.

  It is worth remembering that a fever is the body's way of fighting an infection. Unless the child is very warm or the fever is accompanied by pain on urination, difficulty breathing, drooling or refusal to swallow liquids you do not need to consult the doctor immediately.

  Do not give your child aspirin unless it is prescribed by a doctor.

  If your child is very warm, and has a high fever (anything greater than 102 degrees Fahrenheit or 39 degrees Centigrade), give them a wet rub with lukewarm water to bring the fever down until you can speak to the doctor. A wet rub brings the blood to thesurface and allows it to cool. If after, half an hour, the temperature has not decreased, give the child cool liquids and soak them in a tepid bath for 15 minutes.

 Q: IF I eat something sugary around lunchtime I find that by about 4pm I am very shaky and often feel I am going to faint. I then have to either quickly eat or drink something sweet before I feel better. Could you please explain how and why this occurs? Iwas also wondering if other food can affect our moods? For instance, when I eat certain foods, such as a large steak or ribs, I feel more sluggish than when I eat fruit, vegetables and rice.

    Dr Rose writes: What you are describing sounds like hypoglycemia. People with hypoglycemia experience jitters, tremors, anxiety, dizziness and lightheadedness after they eat sugary food. If you feel the craving for something sweet eat only small amounts of sugar or try fruit instead.

  Our bodies respond differently to the various types of food we ingest and certain food can alter our moods and the way we feel. Sugar, or simple carbohydrates, gives you quick energy but only for a very short time.

  As soon as food such as cakes, cookies and desserts, that are high in simple sugars, enter your bloodstream, your pancreas starts releasing insulin to bring your blood sugar level down again. Soon after, you may find that you have less energy and feel hungrier and more irritable than before you ate the sugary item.

  That's why you need to eat more sugar to feel better.

  Most people feel the effects of caffeinated food and beverages such as coffee, tea, chocolate and cola about 30 minutes after consumption.

  Initially they may feel stimulated and energetic and more able to concentrate. However, over time, caffeinated foods may leave you feeling irritable and jittery.

  Research studies indicate that diets low in fat and cholesterol, but high in complex carbohydrates, such as the fruit-vegetable-rice diet you mentioned, tend to reduce feelings of depression and hostility.

  Dr Rose Ong is a certified family physician licensed in the United States. She welcomes enquiries but cannot answer them individually. Specific questions should be addressed to your own physician. Additional enquiries: Peak Corporate Health Management, 525-6600, fax 525-8100.



Don't interfere with an epileptic seizure