The Press., 1913-04-09
SICNSO OF SICKNESS
Symptoms That May Alarm and
 Yet May Not Be Serious.
CAUSED BY SIMPLE AILMENTS.

May Mean Brain Disease, but thu
 Chances Are Thousands to One Tha
 They Arise From Some Slight Cause.
 A doctor, writing in London Answers
 says: .........a .....s # People often come to me nowadays
 in very great dread, because they heal
 ringing in the ears, see spots before the eyes, or suffer from some other symp
 tom which they suppose to signify SC
 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 groundless fears make great
 many people so nervous and miserable that an explanation of few of the commonest symptoms of i'll health may be of some service.
 l Noises in the ear, as of bells ringing
 whistles blowing, hooters sounding etc., most commonly arise from nerv- | ous exhaustion, slight increase of the blood supply of the brain, caused by a fit of fatulent indigestion, temporary thickening of part of the ear and nerv- ous 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 unmis- takably, not by one, but by half dog en symptoms.
 Spots before the eyes may signify brain disease, but the chances are one hundred thousand to one that only some very slight cause is responsible, such as torpid liver, weariness of the nervous system, insufficient sleep or some little congestion of the brain.
 Flashes i'll the eyes form another source of anxiety, and they are really very startling. But, while sometimes due to eye disease, one of the com honest causes is catarrh of the stom- ach.
 Another little eye trouble is blurred vision, which makes a nervous person think he is becoming blind. It may, of course, be due to bad sight; but, happening now and again, 1t is usual ly caused by sluggish liver or nerv- Ous dyspepsia.
 ShOrtness of breath gives rise to ex- treme distress, for the first thought is of consumption. But this is an effect of a multitude of disorders, great and small. Congestion of the liver, anae mia, obesity may cause it. It is com mon in chronic brOnchitis-a trouble some. but by no means dangerous dis ease.
 Sometimes, of course, 1t signifies more serious maladies. But then there are many other symptoms to tell the tale. .Fs ..5
 Dizziness nine times out of ten re- suits from d disordered digestion, ca tarrh of the stomach especially, or from sluggishness of the liver, jaun- dice or temporary decrease of the blood supply of the brain. I find my patients who thus suffer turn their thoughts at once to something very grave. such as locOmOtOr ataxia or Meniere's disease.
 Confusion of mind and sIeeplessness give rise to the fear of approaching insanity.
 It is really wonderful how people always seize on the most fearsome ex- planation. But sleeplessness may be due to a hundred and one trihes and is most commonly the result of some very innocent cause.
 hn hw1 dyspepsia or catarrh of the stomach. torpid liver, excitement of the brain from Overwork, tea or coffee taken late in the evening, too much smoking, too heavy bedclothes, cold feet, a bad ly ventilated room. I could go on for an hour writing the common causes of this trouble.
 Confusion of mind may result from too little sleep, torpid liver, indiges- tiOn, too little or too much blood in the brain and other minor things that are of no real consequence. Drowsi ness makes some people think they are in for softening of the brain or some other dreadful disease. It most often arises from slow digestion. an inactive liver or from temporary de- crease of the blood supply of the brain The cOmmonest cause of all these though. is an oversensitive nervous system.
 Occasionally, no doubt, confusion of the mind or drowsiness may be symp- tom of diabetes or other serious dis ease. but such cases. it may be said are the exception.
 In all these cases the only sensible ruie is to put an isolated symptom down to some simple and harmless cause. If there is anything seriously wrong 1t will make itself known by many symptoms.
 "No doubt any of the things emu merated above may be the first sign of something of real gravity; but the chances are thousands to one that the iause is mere trif1e