The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1913-04-25
SICNSoF SICKNESS
Symptoms That May Alarm and
Yet May Not Sc Serious.
BY SIMPLE AILMENTS.

| IEOIJlt OlltIl NOillt W AAAE iAB ~ fAAAfA = .
I'm very great dread, because they hear
ringing In the ears, see spots before tha
eyes, or suffer from some other symp.
tom which they suppose 10 signify So
rious disease.
Nearly always | find that something
very slight, or nothing at all. IS the
matter; but do not always succeed in
so convincing my patients.
These groundess fears make a great
many people 80 nervous and miserable
that an explanation Of few Of the
commonest symptoms Of I'll health may
be Of some service.
Noises I'm the ear, as OF bells ringing
whistles blowing, hooters sounding.
etc, most commonly arise from naEy-
Gus exhaustion, slight increase Of the
blood supply Of the brain, caused by a
ht OF natulent Indigestion. temporary
thlckenlng Of part Of the ear and nery.
Gus strain. All these are not Of the
least account and should cause no
alarm.
No doubt some really serious disease
such as enlargement OF the heart mus
cles does sometimes exist But every
one who feels alarm about his health
should remember that almost any dan
gerous Illness will show itself unmls
takably, not by one, but by half a dOz-
EN- symptoms.
Spots before the eyes may signify
brain disease. but the chances are one
a., nnIx
some very slight cause Is responsible.
such as Il torpid liver wcarincss OF the
nervous system. insufficient sleep or
some little congestion of the brain.
finishes I'm the eyes form another
source OF anxiety, and they are really
very startling But, while sometimes
due to eye disease, one OF tnc com
monest causes is catarrh of the stom
ach.
Another little eye trouble Is blurred
vision. which makes a nervous person
think nc Ia becoming blind. 1t may,
OF course. be due to bad sight; but,
happening now and again, Il Is usual.
ly caused by sluggish liver or nerv.
Gus dyspepsia.
Shortness OF breath gives rise TO cX-
treme distress. for the first thought Is
of consumption. But this is an effect
of multitude OF disorders, great and
small. Congestion Of the liver, amaze.
mia, obesity may cause 1t. II Is com
mon I'm chronic bronchitls-a trouble
some, but by no means dangerous dis
ease
Sometimes. OF course, II signifies
more serious maladlcs. But then there
are many other symptoms to tell the
tale.
Dizziness nine times out of ten re
suits from disordered digestion, ca
tarrh OF the stomach especially, or
from sluggishnoSs of the liver, iOun
dice or temporary decrease Of the
blood supply of the brain. find my
patients who thus suffer turn their
thoughts at once to something very
grave, such ms loComotor ataXia or
Menlere's disease.
Confusion OF mind and slcoplessurss
give rise TO the fear of approaching
insanity.
II is really wonderful how people
always seize on the most fearsomc CN.
planation But slceplesSucss may be
due to hundred and one tribes sud
is most commonly the result of some
very innocent cause.
It may be oCcasioned by nervous
dyspepsia or catarrh OF the stomach
torpid liver. excitement OF the brain
f#f L.
late In the evening too much smokIng
too heavy bCdclothes, cold feet bad
ly ventilated room. could 20 ON for
an hour writing the common causes
OF this trouble.
Confusion Of mind may result from
too little sleep, torpid liver ndigcS
ton, too little or too much blood i'm
the brain and other minor things that
are OF no real consequence Drowsi
ness makes some people think they
are I'm FOR softening of the brain or
some other dreadful disease. lt most
often arises from slow digestion an
Inactive liver or from temporary de
crease of the blood supply of the brain.
The commouest cause of all these.
though, is an oversensitive' nervous
system.
Occasionally, no doubt, confusion of
the mlud or drowsincSs may be a slmp
tom of diabetes OF otter serious dis
ease. but such cases. II may Toe said
are the exception.
In all these cases the only sensible
rule Is to put an isolated symptom
down 10 some simple and harmless
cause III there is anything seriously
wrong Il will make Itself known 10y
many symptoms
mo doubt any ~ the things emu.
mcratcd above may bc the first sign
OF something of real gravity; hut the
chances are thousands to one that the
cause is n mere trite.