What is a Cough Drop?

A cough drop is a medicated candy, also called a lozenge, designed to soothe throat irritation such as that caused by a cough or cold. Most cough drops include sugar, menthol, flavors and colors. Sugar free varieties have an artificial sweetner added and contain no sugar so that diabetics may have them. There are many popular cough drop brands in the United States including Halls®, Fisherman's Friend®, Vicks®, Cepacol® and Ricola®.
Ricola® is a Swiss brand of cough drop that includes herbal extracts with the menthol in their different flavors of cough drops. Cepacol® cough drops include the numbing analgesic, benzocaine, with menthol. The Cepacol® brand is available in a throat spray as well.

Vicks® cough drops are manufactured by Procter and Gamble. These triangular-shaped drops are sold in boxes of 20 and are available in cherry or menthol flavors. According to the information on the box, Vicks® cough drops are a "cough suppressant/oral anesthetic." The cherry flavor contains 1.7 mg of menthol per drop, while the menthol flavor has 3.3 mg of menthol per drop.

Fisherman's Friend® cough drops began with a liquid form first made by pharmacist James Lofthouse in 1865 for fisherman working the Icelandic waters. The solid candy form was created much later by Lofthouse of Fleetwood, Lancashire, England and is now available in many different flavors in over 100 countries. Menthol and eucalyptus are featured in Fisherman's Friend cough drops and the drops are available in Strong, Extra Strong and Super Strong. The sugar-free version of the Fisherman's Friend® cough drop is available in flavors such as lemon, mint and cherry.

Halls® cough drops are manufactured by Cadbury-Schweppes. The Halls® brand of cough drop dates back to the 1930s. The first cough drop, Halls® Mentho-Lyptus, was invented by the British company, Halls Brothers. These cough drops were available in the United States by the 1950s. Like Vicks®, the Halls® label also identifies the product as a "cough suppressant/oral anesthetic." The Halls® Plus cough drop, released in 1990, has a syrup center. Sugar Free Halls® were introduced in 1994 and many more Halls® cough drop variations followed such as the Halls® Defense Vitamin C cough drop in 1999 and a new flavor, Sugar Free Kiwi-Apple in 2006.

Some Homeopathic Cough syrups:
1)Chestal Honey Cough Syrup
2)Kof Aid syrup & Tablets
3)Dr. Reckeweg R 8- R9 JUTUSSIN Cough Syrup - Cough Drops

For Homeopathic medicines for cough follow this link http://homeojunction.blogspot.com/2007/04/3-medicines-for-cough.html

What is cardiopulmonary resuscitation ?

Definition
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, commonly called CPR, combines rescue breathing (one person breathing into another person) and chest compression in a lifesaving procedure performed when a person has stopped breathing or a person's heart has stopped beating.

Purpose
When performed quickly enough, CPR can save lives in such emergencies as loss of consciousness, heart attacks or heart "arrests," electric shock, drowning, excessive bleeding, drug overdose, and other conditions in which there is no breathing or no pulse. The purpose of CPR is to bring oxygen to the victim's lungs and to keep blood circulating so oxygen gets to every part of the body. When a person is deprived of oxygen, permanent brain damage can begin in as little as four minutes and death can follow only minutes later.

Description
There are three physical symptoms that indicate a need for CPR to be performed immediately and for emergency medical support to be called: unconsciousness, not breathing, and no pulse detected.


CPR in basic life support. Figure A: The victim should be flat on his back and his mouth should be checked for debris. Figure B: If the victim is unconscious, open airway, lift neck, and tilt head back. Figure C: If victim is not breathing, begin artificial breathing with four quick full breaths. Figure D: Check for carotid pulse. Figure E: If pulse is absent, begin artificial circulation by depressing sternum. Figure F: Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation of an infant. (Illustration by Electronic Illustrators Group.)

Unconsciousness
Unconsciousness is when the victim seems to be asleep but has lost all awareness and is not able to respond to questions or to touch or gentle shaking. A sleeping person will usually respond to a loud noise, shouting, or gentle shaking. An unconscious person will not respond to noise or shaking. When unconscious, a person can not cough or clear the throat, which can block the windpipe and cause suffocation and death. People with a major illness or injury or who have had recent surgery are at risk for losing consciousness. If the person has fainted, which is brief unconsciousness, the cause may be dehydration (lack of body fluids), low blood pressure, or low blood sugar. This is a temporary condition. If the victim is known to have diabetes, a bit of fruit juice may revive the person once they have regained consciousness.

Just before a person loses consciousness, symptoms may include:
1)lack of response to voice or touch
2)disorientation or stupor
3)light-headedness
4)headache
5)sleepiness

Not Breathing
Not breathing, which is also called apnea, is the lack of spontaneous breathing. It requires immediate medical attention. The victim may become limp and lifeless, have a seizure, or turn blue. Prolonged apnea is called respiratory arrest. In children, this can lead quickly to cardiac arrest in which the heart stops beating. In adults, cardiac arrest usually happens first and then respiratory arrest. The common causes of apnea in adults are obstructive sleep apnea (something blocks the airway during sleep), choking, drug overdose, near-drowning, head injury, heart irregularities (arrhythmia, fibrillation) or cardiac arrest, nervous system disorders, or metabolic disorders. In children the causes may be different, such as prematurity, bronchial disturbances or pneumonia, airway blockage or choking on a foreign object, holding the breath, seizures, meningitis, regurgitating food, or asthma attacks.

No Pulse Detected
If the rescuer is unable to detect a pulse or has difficulty in feeling a pulse it can be an indication of the use of improper technique by the rescuer, or shock or cardiac arrest in the victim. If a sudden, severe decrease occurs in pulse quality (such as pulse weakness) or pulse rate (how many beats in a minute) when other symptoms are also present, life-threatening shock is suspected. The rescuer may need to explain to a doctor or medical professional where on the victim's body the pulse was measured, if the pulse is weak or absent altogether, and what other symptoms are present.

Medical help and CPR are needed immediately if any of these symptoms is found. Time is critical. A local emergency number should be called immediately. If more than one person is available to help, one can call 911 or a local emergency medical service, while the other person begins CPR. Ideally, someone CPR certified performs the procedure. Local medical personnel, a hospital, or the American Heart Association teaches special accredited CPR courses. If a critically ill patient or post-operative patient is being cared for at home, it is a good idea for a family member to take a CPR course to be better prepared to help in case of an emergency.

The steps usually followed in CPR are as follows:

1)If the victim appears to be unconscious with either no breathing or no pulse, the person should be shaken or tapped gently to check for any movement. The victim is spoken to loudly, asking if he or she is OK. If there is no response, emergency help must be called and CPR begun immediately.

2)The victim is placed on his or her back on a level surface such as the ground or the floor. The victim's back should be in a straight line with the head and neck supported slightly by a rolled up cloth, small towel, or piece of clothing under the neck. A pillow should not be used to support the head. The victim's clothing should be loosened to expose the chest.

3)The rescuer kneels next to the victim, tilts the victim's head back, lifts the jaw forward, and moves the tongue forward or to the side, making sure it does not block the opening to the windpipe. The victim's mouth must be kept open at all times, reopening as necessary.

4)The rescuer listens close to the victim's mouth for any sign of breathing, and watches the chest for movement. If the victim is found to be breathing, and has perhaps fainted, he or she can be placed in the recovery position until medical assistance arrives. This is done by straightening the victim's legs and pulling the closest arm out away from the body with the elbow at a right angle or 3 o'clock position, and the other arm across the chest. The far leg should be pulled up over the victim's body with the hip and knee bent. This allows the victim's body to be rolled onto its side. The head should be tilted back slightly to keep the windpipe open. The head should not be propped up.

5)If the victim is not breathing, rescue breathing begins, closing the victim's nostrils between a thumb and index finger, and covering the victim's mouth with the rescuer's mouth. Two slow breaths, about two seconds each, are breathed into the victim's mouth with a pause in between. This is repeated until the chest begins to rise. The victim's head should be repositioned as often as necessary during the procedure. The mouth must remain open and the tongue kept away from the windpipe.

6)When the chest begins to rise, or the victim begins to breathe on his or her own, the rescuer looks for signs of circulation, such as coughing or movement. If a healthcare professional has arrived by this time, the pulse will be checked before resuming resuscitation.

7)If chest compressions are needed to restart breathing, the rescuer will place the heel of a hand above the lowest part of the victim's ribcage where it meets the middle-abdomen. The other hand will be placed over the heel of the first hand, with fingers interlocked. Keeping the elbows straight, the rescuer will lean his or her shoulders over the hands and press down firmly about 15 times. It is best to develop an up-and-down rhythm, keeping the hands firmly on the victim's chest.

8)After the compressions, the rescuer will give the victim two long breaths. The sequence of 15 compressions and two breaths will be repeated until there are signs of spontaneous breathing and circulation or until professional medical help arrives.

Precautions
There are certain important precautions for rescuers to remember in order to protect the victim and get the best result from CPR.
These include:
1)Do not leave the victim alone.
2)Do not give chest compressions if the victim has a pulse. Chest compression when there is normal circulation could cause the heart to stop beating.
3)Do not give the victim anything to eat or drink.
4)Avoid moving the victim's head or neck if spinal injury is a possibility. The person should be left as found if breathing freely. To check for breathing when spinal injury is suspected, the rescuer should only listen for breath by the victim's mouth and watch the chest for movement.
5)Do not slap the victim's face, or throw water on the face, to try and revive the person.
6)Do not place a pillow under the victim's head.
The description above is not a substitute for CPR training and is not intended to be followed as a procedure.

Normal Results
Successful CPR will restore breathing and circulation in the victim. Medical attention is required immediately even if successful CPR has been performed and the victim is breathing freely.

Prevention
Loss of consciousness is an emergency that is potentially life threatening. To avoid loss of consciousness and protect themselves from emergency situations, people at risk can follow these general guidelines:
1)People with known conditions or diseases, such as diabetes or epilepsy, should wear a medical alert tag or bracelet.
2)People with diabetes should avoid situations that will lower their blood sugar level.
3)People who feel weak, become dizzy or light-headed, or have ever fainted, should avoid standing in one place too long without moving.
4)People who feel faint, can lie down or sit with their head lowered between their knees.
5)Risk factors that contribute to heart disease should be reduced or eliminated. People can reduce risks if they stop smoking, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, lose weight, and reduce stress.
6)Illegal recreational drugs should be avoided.
7)Seeing a doctor regularly and being aware of any disease conditions or risk factors can help prevent or complicate illness, as can seeking and following the doctor's advice about diet and exercise.
8)Using seat belts and driving carefully can help avoid accidental injury.
9)People with poor eyesight or those who have difficulty walking because of disability, injury, or recovery from illness, can use a cane or other assistance device to help them avoid falls and injury.
Resources: What Do I Need to do to Become CPR Certified?

Homeopathic FAQs...........

Is Homoeopathy slow acting?
The pace of action of homoeopathic medicines depends upon many factors. If the disease is of recent origin, the cure should be achieved within a short period. In such cases, if the selection of the medicine, its potency and repetition schedules are correct, then homoeopathic medicines also work quickly.
In chronic cases, it takes more time for complete cure. Homoeopathic medicines, if correctly chosen, will never palliate the disease, rather it eradicates the disease permanently and completely, for which it is quite natural that more time is required. Moreover, the duration of treatment is likely to be prolonged if there is negligence on the part of the patient in controlling his diet and habits etc.

Does Homoeopathy first aggravate the disease?
After taking Homoeopathy medicines, the patient�s complaint sometimes may aggravate in certain rare conditions. Firstly, if the patient has taken non-homoeopathic medicines (prior to the administration of homoeopathic medicines), then those medicines might have suppressed the ailments and after application of homoeopathic medicines, some of those suppressed complaints may reappear. In such case, the patient blames homoeopathy for such aggravation. Secondly, when the homoeopathic medicines rightly chosen for a patient, is employed in slightly higher potency (than required), or the patient is basically hypersensitive, then there may occur a transient intensification of the existing symptoms of the patient (Homoeopathy aggravation). But this aggravated condition does not persist for a long time and is followed by cure.

Is it true that tea, onion, garlic etc. are prohibited during Homoeopathic treatment?
It is not true that onion, garlic, tea, coffee, paan, alcohol, tobacco, perfumes etc. are prohibited under homoeopathic treatment. But, the substances which may antidote the effects of a particular medicine should be stopped. For example, tea and raw onion may neutralize the actions of Thuja occ., Coffee affects while taking Psorinum and use of camphor is contra-indicated for most of the homoeopathic medicines. So, these items are to be prohibited during use of the respective medicines. But, it goes without saying that homoeopathic medicines would act better in those patients who are non-addicts and when taken in clean mouth, without the influence of any strong smelling substance.

Can diabetics take Homoeopathic pills which contain sugar?
Yes, they can take, as the amount of sugar in homoeopathic medicinesis negligible. If necessary, medicines can be given in distilled water also.

Do Homoeopathic Medicines have any expiry period?
There are no expiry dates of homoeopathic medicines. But the medicated globules may be rejected when their white colour changes. In case of liquid form, if there is change in colour or sediments are detected, then the medicine should also be discarded. Freshly prepared homoeopathic medicines, in alcohol, have strong smell which gradually diminishes with passage of time. But some patients attribute it to be diminution of their efficacy and do not like to continue those odourless medicines. This is a wrong notion, because the quality of the medicines, existing in dynamic form, remains unaltered. However, it is advisable to store Homoeopathic medicines in a dry cool, covered place away from strong sunlight and strong smelling substances.

Whether other medicines can be taken in emergency?
Yes. If in a patient under homoeopathic treatment, an emergency arises, warranting immediate attention, the patient can take other non-homoeopathic medicines. Once the emergency condition is over, he can resume homoeopathic treatment after consulting his physician.

Can homoeopathy treat anything and everything?
Like any other system of medicine, homoeopathy has its own limitations. By homoeopathy, any ailment-acute or chronic, local or general can be treated except the diseases where surgery is absolutely necessary. Furthermore, some so-called surgical diseases can also be treated by homoeopathy, like enlarged tonsils, nasal polyps, kidney stones, warts, piles, anal fissure/fistula, tumors of uterus, ovary, breast etc.

Whether Homoeopathic medicines have any side effects?
Homoeopathic medicines have no side effects. The term �side affects� of a medicine comes from modern pharmacology. These drugs are aimed at certain area(s) of the body, such as the cardiovascular system, the gut, the kidneys, etc. Though they have a primary area of action, they also affect other areas of the body. If these other effects are undesirable, they are known as adverse side effects. Homoeopathic medicines are not employed against any particular system or organ of the body. Rather, the homoeopathic remedy is chosen on the basis of the totality of symptoms of the patient and targets the patients as a whole. Side effects, such as tissue destruction, do not occur under homoeopathy treatment.

Are Laboratory Investigations required for Homoeopathic Treatment?
Although Homoeopathic medicines are prescribed on the basis of symptoms of the patient, laboratory investigations are essential for the purpose of diagnosis of disease, general management of the case (viz. restricting sugar intake in case of Diabetes, high cholesterol diet in case of hypertension, use of collar in cervical spondylitis, change of lifestyle etc.) and for assessing the future course of the disease (prognosis). In certain cases, the laboratory investigations are also helpful in selection of medicines e.g., Worm infestations, Kidney/Gall bladder Stone, fracture etc.

Is Homeopathy Safe for People Allergic to Dairy or Wheat?

The most common reason consumers give for using homeopathic medicines is that they desire a safe alternative to prescription and over-the-counter drugs. Indeed, the FDA has recorded no adverse effects, negative drug interactions, or harmful properties associated with homeopathy in its entire lengthy history.

But individuals who are allergic to dairy and/or wheat may need to be more careful than the average consumer when it comes to homeopathic medicines. Like most drugs, these medicines contain inactive ingredients. In this case, the inactive ingredients aren't extraneous fillers, binders, or solvents. They are completely necessary as carriers of the active homeopathic ingredients.

The most common carriers used are solid lactose or liquid alcohol formulations. Lactose is a milk sugar and alcohol is often grain alcohol made from wheat. So is homeopathy safe for dairy or wheat allergy sufferers?

Most homeopathic companies will say that the required doses are so small, a couple tiny tablets or a few drops under the tongue, that allergy sufferers need not be concerned. However, many homeopathic medicines are meant to be taken multiple times a day for a month or longer. Could long-term use of small amounts of substances that initiate acute inflammatory responses in allergic individuals really be good for their health?

Homeopathic tablets and tinctures seem to be a risky proposition for dairy and wheat allergy sufferers. Luckily, a few homeopathic companies have developed water-based homeopathic medicines. Water-based homeopathy is ideal for individuals with allergies. These medicines are available from SafeCareOTC, Sprayology and King Bio. Other companies, such as Boiron and Hylands, offer a few lactose and alcohol-free products as well.

Most of these products are available online and many are available in select stores across the country. If your local natural medicines or health food store doesn't carry lactose and alcohol-free homeopathics then ask them too. A large number of consumers at stores such as these have food allergies, so your local store can only benefit by offering water-based homeopathic medicines that are safe for everyone.
Source: http://www.associatedcontent.com/

How are homeopathic products used in childhood?

Despite recent questions concerning the efficacy of homeopathic medicine, it continues to be one of the most popular forms of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) in use today. Jackie Bishop of the Children of the 90s study looks at the use of homeopathic products in the early years of life.

Beginning in 1991, the Children of the 90s study has gathered data regarding many aspects of the participating families’ health, well being, social, demographic and environmental features to the current time. Questionnaires completed by the mother at regular time points during pregnancy and throughout the life of the child have provided a valuable information source of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use including use during pregnancy and over time by the children (now aged 16-17 years) and their parents.
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) is still popular these days and homeopathic medicine continues to be one of the most widely used forms of CAMs.. Little is still known about how and why children use it as previous studies have tended to concentrate on researching homeopathy for specific conditions such as childhood diarrhoea, upper respiratory tract infections, otitis media and attention deficit disorder.

This research collected data from the child’s birth to age eight and a half and analysed how frequently children used homeopathic products, what childhood conditions were treated with homeopathic products, who had prescribed those products and how the products were confused with other forms of complementary medicines.

The number of children using homeopathic products varied across time
The research team found that 11.8 per cent of the children had used a homeopathic product at least once up to 8.5 years of age. The most commonly used products throughout that time were Chamomilla (a remedy traditionally used for teething), Arnica (in either tablet or cream form traditionally used for soft tissue bruising), Belladonna (most commonly used for high fevers), Calendula (usually administered as a cream for healing cuts and scrapes), and Pulsatilla (most commonly used for ear complaints, coughs and colds).

The number of children using homeopathic products varied across time with the greatest use at 18 months of age (n=891; 8 per cent) and the lowest use at 78 months of age (n=444; 5 per cent). The greatest use at 18 months reflected the fact that children were given homeopathic products to treat teething complaints. At all later time points children were most likely to be treated for injuries and first aid type conditions.

When the child was 81 months of age the mothers were asked who had prescribed the homeopathic product to the child. The results show that the parents were most likely to select a homeopathic product for their child themselves (46.3 per cent of all users). A qualified homeopath prescribed for 14.8 per cent of children, a specialist homeopathic doctor for 12 per cent of children, a GP for 10.1 per cent, a family, friend or neighbour for 7.3 per cent and a chemist for 6.3 per cent. Mothers also took advice about homeopathic products from a Health Food Store, a Dermatologist, a homeopathic seminar/talk, a newspaper/magazine article and a school nurse.

Homeopathic products were sometimes mistaken for other products
The parents were most likely to treat their child’s first aid type, self-limiting complaints themselves such as injuries, bruising, coughs and colds, whereas they were more likely to consult a qualified homeopath or specialist homeopathic doctor for their child’s on-going, chronic complaints of eczema or asthma.

Homeopathic products can sometimes be mistaken for other products, and the team found that as many as 7 per cent of the descriptions given as homeopathic were in fact herbal products. The herbal products most likely to be confused as homeopathic ones were Matricaria (or German Chamomile, most popularly used as an ingredient in herbal teething products) and Echinacea (or Purple Coneflower, most popularly used as a preventative treatment to ward off infections). Quite a high number also confused Aromatherapy oils as being homeopathic.

It is hoped that the knowledge and understanding of the extent of homeopathic product use in childhood in a general population, why it is used, what it is used for and the influences around the choices of homeopathic products will give valuable insight into the planning, direction and focus of future homeopathic research projects.

This project was funded by the homeopathic charity, the Blackie Foundation Trust.

Source: http://www.bris.ac.uk/news/2008/212017945432.html