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Health -
Alternative Medicine
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An incident occurred in an southwestern Texas, near the border of Mexico, where it was necessary that the Texas Department of Health be involved. Agents of the Texas DH, found it necessary to question the family because a three-year-old toddler had been exposed to a massive amounts of lead. The mother from Carrizo Springs, brought her son to the emergency room in the local hospital. When the three-year-old was examined, he showed signs of being both lethargic and hyperactive with an upset stomach. When further tests were performed by the physician and the emergency room, it was revealed that the toddlers blood lead levels were more than seven times the normal amount.
Eventually, the Texas DH got involved and went to the woman's home, where they question the family members in order to identify how the boy was exposed to lead. While being questioned, at one point, the boy's grandmother produced a form of folk medicine, powdered, called "greta." When further questioned, she told the officials from the Texas DH, but she had given the mixture to the child for his "empacho." "Empacho", is basically a loose term for a variety of symptoms, such as colic, upset stomach, or hyperactivity. Later on in the laboratory of the Texas DH, the mixture was chemically analyzed, and it was discovered that the folk remedy contained over 80% lead oxide. Basically, the child was suffering from lead poisoning, caused by a highly soluble form of lead in the folk remedy that was given to him by his grandmother. Eventually, the child received therapy to lower high levels of lead found in his blood. After being explained that the remedies she had given the child, poisoned him, the grandmother promised never again to use that remedy.
If you're asking yourself at this point, why charges were never filed by the state, against the grandmother or the mother, for allowing their child to ingest something so dangerous with the encouragement of an authoritative adult and family, the answer will be explained. If you're not wondering, you should be aware that the situation explained above, is highly volatile, in the sense that a child could have died, should he have been more over dosed on the remedies of the grandmother had given him. Giving children folk remedies is extremely dangerous, especially if you have not consulted any kind of physician on the subject, and young children toddler or infant should never be given any kind of remedy, that is made in the home without the knowledge of a health care professional.
Physicians and health care professionals that practice near or on the border of Mexico and Texas, must be both experienced and respectful of the cultural differences, when it comes to treatment of illnesses or injuries. Patients sometimes use herbal mixtures and remedies, made by "curanderos." "Curanderos" are Mexican folk healers, who make their own medicines using natural herbs, minerals, and sometimes parts of animals. But not only curanderos give these herbal remedies; many remedies are made by family members, and are either handed down or made by the elder members of the family. In many families, people will be used medicines prescribed by professional position as well as folk remedies. And even more of these families, while useful remedies before seeking conventional modern medical care. New providers that are just entering the local hospitals or doctors offices, must have understanding and knowledge of the folk remedies used in the area in order to avoid overdoses, unwanted chemical reactions, and dangerous drug interactions with patients that are currently using folk remedies as well as prescribed medications. They must also be knowledgeable in means folk remedies in order to gain the patient's trust and also in order to recognize folk remedies that may cause harmful reactions to the patient.
The herbal treatments that the ethnic families near the border use, are available through curanderos, flea markets, or at "hierbarías". A "hierbaría", is a Mexican apothecary type shop, or a stall, where a curandero would sell different types of folk remedies. These remedies are available in either small packages, or in bulk. Most of these herbal remedies and mixtures have no real significant medical effects on the patient, however, the curanderos sometimes make great claims that these remedies can cure a variety of diseases and illnesses. Some of these are ulcers, cancer, hepatitis, kidney disease, diabetes, asthma, and hypertension. One of the most popular folk remedies is called uña de gato, which is also a sacred medicine of Peru. Uña de gato, means Cat's Claw, and it is claimed that it can be used treat a broad range of different sorts of serious ailments, such as cancer, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and diabetes. Other herbs such as mint, are used to treat gastrointestinal illnesses and discomforts, such as ulcers, colon cancer, and indigestion.
Health care professionals that work in the region of the Mexico-Texas border, will not likely at any time now or in the future be telling patients to give up folk remedies and treatments. Instead tolerance, respect for, sensitivity to and being knowledgeable about curanderos and their practices and the remedies they've given, can benefit a health care professional and the patient. If a professional physician is knowledgeable about certain times of folk remedies given by curanderos, it can be easier to deliver a correct diagnosis, which will help patients recover much faster. The physicians' tolerance also helps to avoid unnecessary delays, larger scale health risks, and the more dramatic possibility that a patient could die because they did not get correct treatment in time. The fact that physicians in this area do tolerate ethnic cultural medicines, is a good thing. In some of these cases, the herbal treatments are more psychological cures, however, it is always in the best interest of the patient to seek professional medical advice were trying any nonprofessional medical treatments. Physicians don't deny the fact that herbal remedies produced by the ethnic population near the Border have some positive effects on most patients that do use them; however they do not condone the use of them on children.
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