HOME HEALTH GUIDE

Chronicle (Levin), 6 August 1946, Page 2

HOME HEALTH GUIDE

ihe Denarlnieut of Health.)

SOKE 1'HEOATS

(Uv

Some mothera have an eutirely wrong idea aboul sore throats. They beeonie eoufused becnnse of diphtheria imniun-: isations. The reasoning is that because their eliild has been proteeled by the full eout'Se of immunisation against . diphtheria there ia no need to worrv: uiululy about a septic sore throat. Let's think of the septie throat alone at lirst. The lousils and noighliouring paris of the throat are attaekeil by germs, and the chief danger is in tlie sepsis that is occurring inaide, ou the aurfaee and arouiul the tonsil. This poisouous niaterial is, some( of it, getting into and circulating in the blood streanu Hliills ancl fever may foJlow arnl tljere ia always the risk of germs so.ttling iu .joints or liearl oi- other orgitua, or of setling u]> rheunmticj fever. So, suppoaing Ihe idea of abso-i lu'te safety from diphtheria wils correct, that would be uo exeuse for treating iinv sore throat liglitly. A little'.ehild was s'een reeeiilly with grossly eularged septie tonsils tuni aeutelv inflaniecl throat. Up till then it had been without ede.c(ive treatmenl or hiedical atteution, just because mother thoughl there was nothiug to worry about, since Ihe cliihl has had iujecjtions against - diphtheria. Tluit mother did not realisc how a septie throat lays the whole liody opou to risk. A septie throat demands iuiiuediate t realiuent. Now let us loolc at the diphtheria augle. It is not true that diphtheriii immunisation is an absolu.te protection against diphtheria. What is established is llmt inimuniaaliou so reduces the risk of getting diphtheria as to niake it. fooli'sh to clmnce the disease any more — if in spite of immunisation you ghould be unlueky enough to contraiit"

it, the disease will be mild and risk oi' fatality iinmeiisely reduced. • No septic throat sliould be neglecled. ; Modern drug treatiuent so shortens tbo j illness ancl reduces likelihood of com- | plicalions that medical attention sliould I I >0 obtuined.