Search

Reports on the causes and possible cures for insomnia. Link between disturbed sleep and accidents; Immune system and sleep; Symptoms of insomnia; Sleep cycles; Self-help and over-the-counter (OTC) sleep aids; Prescription drugs; Sleep centers; Psychotherapy in treatment of insomnia.

Discusses persistent, chronic pain which serves only to torment and debilitate a patient. New strategies to treat pain more effectively; Methods of blocking pain pathways; Problem of drug tolerance; Non-drug pain control through `cordotomy'; Use of electrical stimulation. INSET: Safe use of analgesics.;Diabetes patients sought for study..

Part II. Describes the wide array of non-X-ray techniques used by physicians to `see' inside the body, some of which work without potentially hazardous ionizing radiation. Sonograms and ultrasound; Nuclear scan; Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scan; Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); Positron emission tomography (PET).

Part I of a two-part series on medical imaging technologies. Focuses on techniques that use X-rays and the computerized axial tomography (CAT or CT) scan. Reveal illnesses and abnormalities in body organs; X-ray examinations. INSET: When to get out of the picture (advice on minimizing hazards....

The conclusion of a series of special reports on how new drugs are discovered, tested, and brought to market, covers the US Food and Drug Administration's continued monitoring of new drugs approved for sale to check for problems that testing may have missed; the Orphan Drug Act, which gives the FDA ways to encourage drug companies to develop drugs for rare diseases. . See also (US News, 2/29/88, 1c, p69, 1p)

Description of what to expect from a good eye exam: medical history; vision testing; glaucoma; lazy eye; cataracts; conjunctivitis. INSET: A schedule for eye exams.;who's who in eye care..

By the time they are 60, more than half of all Americans suffer from diverticular disease--an inflammation or infection of the large intestine. How dietary fiber may play a role in preventing or controlling this chronic disease. Symptoms and treatment are discussed. INSET: One patient's bout with diverticulitis..