HEALTHNET

Can you tell me more about St. John's wort?

St. John's wort is a plant with yellow flowers. It has been used for centuries to treat mental disorders and nerve pain.

(Posted on 1 December 2005)

Q1. Can you tell me more about St. John's wort?

A1. St. John's wort is a plant with yellow flowers. It has been used for centuries to treat mental disorders and nerve pain. Today, St. John's wort is used for mild depression, anxiety, and/or sleep disorders. A recent study sponsored by the National Centre for Complementary and Alternative Medicine of the U.S. showed that the herb was no more effective than a placebo in treating major depression of a moderate severity. If depression is not adequately treated, it can become severe. It is important that anyone who may have depression should see a doctor.

St. John's wort may cause increased sensitivity to sunlight, anxiety, dry mouth, dizziness, gastrointestinal symptoms, fatigue, headache, or sexual dysfunction. It also interacts with some drugs including medication for HIV infection and cancer, digoxin (A medicine used in the treatment of heart failure and other heart conditions), warfarin (A drug used to prevent blood from clotting easily, used in circumstances when blood clots can cause damage to our systems), contraceptive pills and antidepressants. When combined with certain antidepressants, St. John's wort may increase side effects such as nausea, anxiety, headache, and confusion. It is important to inform your doctor about any herb or dietary supplement you are using to ensure a safe and coordinated care.

Q2. I had a health screening at a medical centre. The report showed that I have high LDL. What does it mean?

A2. When doing a health screening, it is common to measure our lipid profile in blood, which shows the levels of different kinds of lipid, including total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and Triglycerides. Blood cholesterol is mainly produced by our liver and only 20-30% comes from foods such as meat, fish, poultry, shellfish, egg yolk, etc.

There are broadly two kinds of blood cholesterols: Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and High-density lipoprotein (HDL). They are responsible for transporting lipids between various organs of the body. LDL brings cholesterols into cells and contributes to atherosclerosis (It's the term for the process of substances building up in the inner lining of an artery.). HDL returns cholesterol to the liver for excretion and is protective. They are therefore called "bad" and "good" cholesterols respectively.

You should pay attention to LDL higher than 4.0mmol/L ("mmol/L" is an International System of Units used to measure blood cholesterols) as a high LDL level increases your risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. Here are the ideal ranges of LDL and HDL:
LDL :2.0-4.0mmol/L
HDL :0.9-1.9mmol/L

Consult your doctor to see if you need medication and advice on diet modification.

Q3. My son is 19 months old and he has very severe tantrums. I'm finding it hard to stay calm. Can you advise me any tips to deal with him?

A3. Tantrums are a perfectly normal aspect of children growing up and every parent can tell you their experiences. Don't blame yourself. One of the biggest problems is that children know exactly how to wind up their parents and get a reaction, so it's worth learning a few tricks yourself. Tantrums are best ignored or played down as far as possible because the more attention children get, the more they will learn to do it again to get further attention.

Try to work out why they are having a tantrum. Do they just want your attention or is there anything upsetting them?
Make sure all their basic needs have been met. Do they have triggers of grumpy behaviour such as being hungry, thirsty or sleepy?
Try to distract them e.g. ask them to look at the window or engage in some activity such as clapping.
Stand by your decisions and do not "debate" with them.
Keep your communication clear and simple.
Stand back instead of smacking them.
Make sure they understand good behaviour and reward them for it.
Take time out and relax if it is getting too much for you. Have a cup of tea in the next room and get someone in the family or a babysitter to look after the child, while you take a break.

Source: Quality HealthCare