Schnitzler Syndrome

I have had urticaria/hives for 13 years. It has been difficult not knowing what was causing the skin rash. I went to see many doctors and had many tests trying to find a diagnosis. When the doctors could not find a cause they called it idiopathic. It hasn't been easy dealing with itching, burning, and painful skin. My other symptoms are fatigue and malaise, arthralgia, arthritis, bursitis, slight nausea, anemia, chills and fevers, swollen lymph nodes, monoclomal IgM, luekocytosis, bone pain, and sclerotic bone. For many years all I could do was take medication to relieve my symptoms.

Water for Health, for Healing, for Life:

I have a book called: You're Not Sick, You're Thirsty! Water for Health, for Healing, for Life. I find it so interesting and helpful too. It is written by F. Batmanghelidj, M.D.

Only if you begin to suffer from a health problem that may eventually kill you will you begin to search high and low for an explanation and solution to your predicament. Until then, you cannot appreciate what an emotionally draining impact a doctor's visit and the pronouncement of his or her serious findings has on the life and soul of another person. Let us hope you or anyone you care for never confronts such a situation- which thousands face daily.
The reason we have a health care crisis in America today is because many diseases prematurely devastate and kill millions of people. At the same, the health-care crisis costs us about $1.2 trillion in 2001, and it is predicted that this cost will increase by 11 percent every year. It is true that we are scientifically the most advanced nation in the world and spend billions of dollars a year on medical research. Medical textbooks explain about diseases that kill; yet Doctors do not know the cause of the major diseases of the human body; yet society have given them license to prescibe various treatments and prematurely kill them. The good news is that this license is about to be withdrawn. What you are about to read is new knowledge, and represents a new perspective within the science of physiology - not a form of science used by drug manufacturers, but the disapline of science that defines the way living tissues and organs within the body work naturally.

Where did Modern Medicine go wrong?

The greatest tragedy in medical history is the assumption that dry mouth is the only sign of the body's water needs. To be able to chew and swallow food, and to facilitate and lubricate this funciton, ample saliva is produced, even if the rest of the body is short of water. Water is too important to the body to signal its shortage only the experience of a dry mouth. The human body has many other sophisticated signals to indicate when it is short of water. Dehydration produces severe symptoms, even to the point of causing life threatening crises. Modern medicine has confused these symptoms of internal, localized draughts and has identified them as different diseases. As a result, toxic medications are prescribed to treat diseases rather thant the dehydration. Dry mouth is on of the very last indicators of dehydration of the body. By the time dry mouth becomes an indicator of water shortage, many delicate functions of the body have been shut down and prepared for deletion. This is exactly how the aging process is established -through a loss of enzyme functions. One example is juvenile diabetes, in which the insulin producing cells of the pancreas are sacrificed as a result of persistant dehydration.

The second major mistake in the basic science of medicine is the thinking that water is a simple substance that only dissolves and circulates different things. Water is not a simple inert substance. It has two promary properties in the body. The first one is its life sustaining properties. The other, more important, role of water is its life giving functions. Modern medicine recognizes only the life-sustaining properties of water. That's why chronic unintentional dehydration is ultimately an unrecognize life threatening process.

The third serious error in medicine is the premise that the human body can regulate efficiently its water intake throughout the life span of the person. As we get older, we lose our perception of thirst and fail to drink adequately, until the plumlike cells in vital organs become prunelike and can no longer sustain life.

The fourth nail in the coffin of present-day medicine is the thought that any fluid can replace the water needs of the body. All beverages do not function in the body like natural water. If you understand the natural reason some plants manufacture caffeine, or even cocaine, you will then recognize the problem. Tragically, the medical breakthrough about dehydration as the origin of most health problems is not reaching the public through the commerce- directed health maintenance systems in this country. If it did, it would mean the rapid extinction of these systems. Yet there is no sane reason why tens of millions in our society shold be medicated when all they suffer from is dehydration.

Many medical students have an emotional urge to become discoverers. The author of this book was no exception. Since childhood he was driven to study medicine and become someone who could positively affect the lives of people who fell sick. He studied in a group assigned to Sir Alexander Fleming (the discoverer of penicillin). He asked him "is there a special way to become a discover in medicine?" he answered "Need and purpose."

Water:
The human body is about 75% water and 25% solid matter. The brain is said to be 85% water and is extremely sensitive to any dehydration or depletion of its water content. The brain is bathed constantly in salty cerebrospinal fluid. The body is still an almost unknown structure. We know no more than 10% of how the body functions and is integrated chemically.

Thinking that tea, coffee, alcohol, and manufactured beverages can substitute for the pure natural water needs of the body is an elementary mistake. It is true that these beverages contain water but most of them also contain dehydrating substances, such as caffeine. When you drink coffee, tea, or even a beer, your body gets rid of more water than is contained in the drink. If you measure your urine volume after the beverage is taken, you will see that you have passed more urine than the volume of the drink. Another way the body loses water after drinking hot beverages is through perspiration from the pores of the skin to cool the body that has been warmed from the inside.
The law of supply and demand rules absolutely. When there is a shortage of a needed substance, a strict rationing system rules the marketplace of the body with an iron fist.

When the human body is dehydrated, it redistributes and regulates the amount of available water. Within the body, alarms signal to show that areas in question are in short supply, much like the light signal that goes on when a car is running low on gas or oil. The available water is rationed and used where needed. The presence of water will ultimately regulate the production mechanisms in a drought stricken area of the body.

When chronic dehydration begins to set in, up to a certain level the shutdown of water dependent functions is silent because there is a reserve capacity for endurance. As time passes and the body becomes more and more dehydrated, however, a threshold is reached where the system becomes inadequate for the responsibilities thrust on one or another function of the body. Depending on the type of demand, the organ or organs in the firing line of activity begin to indicate their particular signal of inadequacy.

Because many doctors are not educated about the symptoms of dehydration and the importance of the fluid in the body, they often diagnose the problem incorrectly. Many physicians mistake dehydration for one ofr another disease and treat the symptoms with medication rather than water. The result: Pharmaceutical companies get rich, patients are not cured, and doctors are helpless in dealing with often recurring disease states of the body.

Silencing the different signal systems of water shortage in the body with chemical products can be immediately detrimental to the patient's body cells including the genetic apparatus. Chronic dehydration can have a permanently damaging impact on a person's decendents. While the human body is entirely dependent on many complicated functions of water for its survival, it has not developed a water storage system in the same way it stores fat. The dehydration produced loss of body efficency and resulting loss of chemical know how and function one generation can be projected onto the next generation. If the root cause of a disease state is dehydration, the same malfunctioning sensor systems that permit dehydration to establish in an individual can eventually be inherited by some of the offspring. This is why asthmas, allergies, and heartburn are very serious conditions that should be prevented by full hydration at all times. This is how disease can be prevented in individuals and the next generation descendents.

A gradual loss of sensations in the body should be assumed to involve all aspects of the sensory mechanisms. As we grow older, we gradually lose sharpness of vision and become dependent on glasses. We lose sexual appetite. Our ability to hear some ranges of sound is gradually lost. Our feelings become less tender and lose alertness; our emotional stimulation becomes dull and less satisfying, and so on. These are the apparent outward manifestations of gradual loss of the ability to differentiate and respond to the stimulation of the senses at some time or another in the life of any individual.
Although we do not know how and when the dulling of senses in the body begins, logical interpretation from the above scientific experiments, in addition to personal observations, had led me to beieve that reliance on our sense of thirst, and waiting to feel thirsty before we drink water, is the basic problem. The most significant and major complication of dehydration is the loss of a number of essential amino acids that are used to manufacture neurotransmitters.

A major hidden advantage to adequate hydration seems to be the increased efficiency of the many thousands of proteins and enzymes whose physiological responsibilities are not yet recognized. They too, will be more efficiently integrated due to the fact that they are obedient to the influence of free water in their environment. Thus, adequate hydration of the body might be the best insurance against premature aging and an early loss of our different sensory systems. You see why the information on water in this book is something you need to cherish.

46 Reasons Why Your Body Needs Water Every Day:

1. Without water, nothing lives.

2. Shortage of water first suppresses and eventually kills some aspects of the body.

3. Water is the main source of energy.

4. Water generates electrical and magnetic energy inside each and every cell of the body- it provides the power to live.

5. Water is the boding adhesive in the architectural design of the cell structure.

6. Water prevents DNA damage and makes its repair mechanisms more efficient -less abnormal DNA is made.

7. Water increases greatly the efficiency of the immune system in the bone marrow, where the immune system is formed (all its mechanisms) including its efficiency against cancer.

8. Water is the main solvent for all foods, vitamins, and minerals. It is used in the breakdown of food into smaller particles and their eventual metabolism and assimilation.

9. Water energizes food, and food particles are then able to supply the body with this energy during digestion. This is why food without water has absolutely no energy value for the body.

10. Water increases the body's rate of absorption of essential substances in food.

11. Water is used to transport all substances inside the body.

12. Water increases the efficiencey of red blood cells in collecting oxygen in the lungs.

13. When water reaches a cell, it brings the cell oxygen and takes the waste gases to the lungs for disposal.

14. Water clears toxic waste from different parts of the body and takes it to the liver and kidneys for disposal.

15. Water is the main lubricant in the joint spaces and helps prevents arthritis and back pain.

16. Water is used in the spinal discs to make them "shock-absorbing water cushions."

17. Water is the best lubricating laxative and prevents constipation.

18. Water helps reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

19. Water prevents clogging of arteries in the heart and the brain.

20. Water is essential for the body's cooling (sweat) and heating (electrical) systems.

21. Water gives us power and electrical energy for all brain functions, most particularly thinking.

22. Water is directly needed for the efficient manufacture of all neurotransmitters, including serotonin.

23. Water is directly needed for the production of all hormones made by the brain, including melatonin.

24. Water can help prevent attention deficit disorder in children and adults.

25. Water increases efficiency at work; it expands your attention span.

26. Water is a better pick-me-up than any other beverage in the world-and it has no side effects.

27. Water helps reduce stress, anxiety, and depression.

28. Water restores normal sleep rhythms.

29. Water helps reduce fatigue- it gives us the energy of youth.

30. Water makes the skin smoother and helps decrease the effects of aging.

31. Water gives luster and shine to the eyes.

32. Water helps prevent glaucoma.

33. Water normalizes the blood- manufacturing systems in the bone marrow- it helps prevent leukemia and lymphoma.

34. Water is absolutely vital for making the immune system more efficient in different regions to fight infections and cancer cells where they are formed.

35. Water dilutes the blood and prevents it from clotting during circulation.

36. Water decreases premenstrual pains and hot flashes.

37. Water and heartbeats create the dilution and waves that keep things from sedimenting in the bloodstream.

38. The human body has no stored water to draw on during dehydration. This is why you must drink regularly and throughout the day.

39. Dehydration prevents sex hormone production - one of the primary causes of impotence and loss of libido.

40. Drinking water separates the sensations of thirst and hunger.

41. To lose weight, water is the best way to go - drink water on time and lose weight without much dieting. Also, you will not eat excessively when you feel hungry but are in fact only thirsty for water.

42. Dehydration causes deposits of toxic sediments in the tissue spaces, joints, kidneys, liver, brain, and skin. Water will clear these deposits.

43. Water reduces the incidence of morning sickness in pregnancy.

44. Water integrates mind and body functions. It increases ability to realize goals and purpose.

45. Water helps prevent the loss of memory as we age. It helps reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and Lou Gehrig's disease.

46. Water helps reverse addictive urges, including those for caffeine, alcohol, and some drugs.

Some of the Primary Properties and Functions of Water in the Body:

1. Water is the bulk material that fills empty spaces in the body.

2. Water is the vehicle of transport for the circulation of blood cells.

3. Water is a solvent for the materials that dissolve in it, including oxygen.

4. Water is the adhesive that binds solid parts of the cell together. Just as ice has a sticky effect, so water seems to become sticky at the cell membrane. It is responsible for holding things together and forming a membrane or protective barrier around the cell.

5. The neurotransmission systems of the brain and nerves depend on rapid movement of sodium and potassium in and out of the membrane along the full length of the nerves. Water that is loose and not bonded with something else is free to move across the cell membrane and turn the element-moving pumps.

6. Some of the element-moving pumps are voltage generating pumps. Thus, efficiency of neurotransmission systems depends on the availability of free and unengaged water in the nerve tissues. In its osmotic urge to get into the cell, water generates energy by turning the pump units that force potassium into the cell and push sodium outside the cell- just as water turns the turbines at a hydroelectric dam to make electricity. Up to now, however, it has been assumed that all energy storage in adenosine triphosphate (ATP) the substance that "burns" and gives out "heat" to "cook" any of the chemical reactions required for the cell to function -is from food intake. This is why water has not received much attention as a source of energy in the energy-generating systems in the body.

7. Water is the central regulator of energy and osmotic balance in the body. sodium and potassium stick to the protein of the pump and act as the "magnet of the dynamo" when water rotates the pump proteins. The rapid turn of these cation pumps generates energy that is stored at many different locations in three different pool types. ATP is one type of energy pool. Another energy storage is GTP. A third system is in the endoplasmic reticulum that captures and traps calcium. This mechanism of calcium entrapment as a means of energy storage makes the bone structure of the body not only its scaffolding but also its Fort Knox -like investment of your cash in gold reserve. Hence, when there is severe dehydration- and consequently a decreased supply of hydroelectric energy- the body taps into the nones for their stored energy. Thus, I believe that the primary cause of osteoporisis is persistant dehydration.

8. The foods we eat are the products of energy conversion from the initial electrical-energy- generating property of water. All living and growing species, humans included, survive as a result of energy generation from water. One major problem in the scientific evaluation of th ebody is the lack of understanding of the magnitude of our body's dependence on energy from hydroelectricity.

9. The electricity produced at the cell membrane also forces the nearby proteins to align themselves and get ready for their chemical reactions.

Blood is normally about 94% water when the body is fully hydrated. (red cells are actually "water bags" that contain the colored hemoglobin). Inside the cells of the body, there should ideally be about 75% water.

When there is dehydration because a person is not drinking enough water, the cells become depleted of their ready energy. They then have to depend more on energy generation from food that is consumed instead of water. In this situation, the body is pushed into storing fat and using its protein and starch reserves, because it is easier to break these elements down than the stored fat. This is the reason why 37% of people in America are grossly overweight. Their bodies are engaged in perpetual crisis management of dehydration.

Chapter 4 tells how early pregnancy morning sickness is the first sign of dehydration of the mother and fetus together. It is brought about by histamines.

Infant Crib death: Seven to eight thousand babies die every year unexplainably. It might be due to constriction of the bronchioles due to dehydration and heat management programs of the body , when the infant is possibly bundled too much and the room is warmer than it should be. The formula milk may also contribute. There is a marked difference between human milk and cow's milk. Cow's milk is more concentrated and has more fat and proteins than human milk. Cow's milk is designed for the needs of a calf that stands and begins to move and run around in the first hour of life. The infant needs human milk. During sleep the infant loses much water during the exhalation phase of the breathing process. Extra histamines are released during dehydration and is a constrictor of the bronchioles, and with the inability to cool down will cause silent death in sleep.

The cells of the body are like sponges- they get soaked slowly. Do not imagine the body will become optimally hydrated after just the first glass or two of water. The water that is taken will not immediately enter all the cells. Upon regular and adequate intake of water, the process of full hydration of the cells will take a few days. Only when you realize what damage dehydration can cause will you take seriously the need for strict adherence to hydrating the body regularly and well.

WHAT IS CHRONIC DEHYDRATION?

Imagine a juicy plum picked from the tree and left exposed to the sun or wind- it becomes a prune. The dehydration of the plum produces the shriveled interior and wrinkled skin that are typical of a drying fruit. Loss of water causes the internal and external structures of living things to change, be that dehydration in a fruit or in a person.

General feelings of dehydration:

They include feeling tired, flushed, feeling irritable, anxious, feeling dejected, depressed, not sleeping well, feeling heavy- headed, irresistible cravings, and having a fear of crowds and leaving the house.

The second group of conditions that represent indicators of dehydration are the body's drought and resource management programs. There are five distinct conditions that denote states of dehydration and operative rationing processes that can be corrected easily The sixth in this group consists of a number of conditions that have been classified as autoimmune diseases, but should be looked at as a sort of cannibalistic process of resource management at the expense of the body's own tissues brought about by persistant dehydration. The conditions are:

1. Asthma

2. Allergies

3. Hypertension

4. Constipation

5. Type 2 diabetes

6. Autoimmune diseases

MORE DRASTIC EMERGENCY INDICATORS OF DEHYDRATION:

1. Heartburn

2. Dyspeptic pain

3. Anginal pain

4. Lower back pain

5. Rheumatoid joint pains, including ankylosing spondylitis

6. Migraine headaches

7. Colitis pain

8. Fibromyalgic pains

9. Bulimia

10. Morning sickness during pregnancy

There is a further set of conditions that represents complications, tissue transformation, and organ damage caused by persistant dehydration in the fourth dimension, time. It explains these items fully in the book.

WHAT HAS THIS GOT TO DO WITH ASTHMA?

Answer: Asthma and allergy- conditions mainly treated with different kind of antihistamine medications are imprtant indicators of dehydration in the body. Histamine is an important neurotransmitter that primarily regulates the thirst mechanism, for increased water intake. It also establishes a system of rationing for the available water in the drought stricken body. Histamine is a most noble element employed in drought management of the body. It is not the villain that we have been led to believe due to our limitation of knowledge about the human body.

In dehydration, histamine production and its activity increase greatly, and this generates the emergency thirst signals and indicators of the water rationing program that is taking place. Increased histamine release in the lungs causes spasms of the bronchioles, making them constrict. This natural spasmodic action of histamine on the bronchial tubes is part of the design of the body to conserve water that normally evaporates during breathing- the winter "steam."

In dehydration , lung tissue becomes very vulnerable. The air sacs in the lungs have very thin walls and need water to keep them moist at all times. The constant flow of air through these sacs also evaporates the available water in their lining. Dehydration automatically reduces the amount of available water in these tissues and causes damage, unless the rate of airflow is reduced. In essence, this is the rationale behind the blockage of airflow through the lungs in asthmatics. Histamine is responsible for cutting down the rate of airflow through the lungs. It causes constriction of the bronchioles that are attached to the air sacs. Histamine also stimulates the production of added amounts of thick and viscous mucus that partially plug the bronchioles and protect the lining of the bronchioles themselves. All these actions of histamine in dehydration are carried out to protect the delicate passageways of the body that are in direct contact with the outside air and could easiy become dried up and parched if not protected.

ALLERGIES AND THE IMMUNE SYSTEM:

When we become dehydrated, histamine sees to it that the available water in the body is wel preserved and distributed according to a priority of function. The rate of histamine production in the body increases exponentially when the body becomes more and more dehydrated.

Supplying the body with water causes a disappearance of histamine from areas where it should not be present. with adequate water supply, histamine production, and its excess release, is inhibited proportionately. This relationship of water to histamine has been demonstrated in several animal experiments. It is now apparent that water by itself has very strong natural antihistamine properties.

Immune System Suppression:

There are certain white cells that are sensitive to histamine and that strongly inhibit the activity of the immune system in the bone marrow. There are twice as many of these white cells as there are cells that stimulate the immune system. Thus, dehydration that can cause the production and release of more than a certain amount of histamine may, in the long run, suppress the immune systems of the body at its central command station, the bone marrow.

Since there is a greater than normal rate of histamine production and storage in prolonged dehydration, a stimulus for the release of histamine from its immune system side of activity will produce a greater quantity of its release into the tissues. At the same time, antibody production and efficiency, which have already been suppressed because of dehydration, will be inadequate to deal with foreign agents such as pollen and other antigens. The enormity of this problem becomes apparent during the pollen season when the eyes get invaded with these foreign agents. The tear producing glands need to wash the offending pollen away from the delicate membrane of the eye- since antibodies are not adequately available to neutralize the pollen. This is the reason why histamine activity for secretion of water onto the delicate membranes covering the eyes and the nasal passages becomes exaggerated. It is a naturally installed need driven response. Water wash is the only way of getting rid of the offending pollen types that are not neutralize by antibodies. This is how allergy to pollen occurs. "Do you mean I can prevent asthma and allergies by drinking more water?" The answer is yes, yes and yes again! Water will do it because of the primary role of histamine in water regulation and drought management of the body.

People who suffer from allergies and asthma will also have other indicators of dehydration. They will definitely develop other very serious health problems if they do not take their bodies' need for regular intake of water seriously.

Cystic Fibrosis of the lungs may not be entirely genetic in origin, but may have dehydration as a common basic problem to both the DNA assembly system and lung tissue formation. Dehydration is also responsible for the production of excess thick mucus in the bronchioles a problem in cystic fibrosis of the lungs. Water and salt should help loosen the mucus.

Children need water for cell growth. During growth, 75% of the cell volume has to be filled with water. This is the reason why children develop asthma and allergies during the growing phase of their physical development.

Children and adults who get asthma attacks with exercise should always remember to drink water before they begin exercising and to stop drinking caffeine containing sodas. They should reduce their orange juice intake (if more than two glasses) because orange juice can predispose a person to asthma attacks. The water needs of the body cannot be fully replaced by juices or milk.

On no account should you abruptly cut off the use of your medication. You should begin by taking in more water with your medications , until your need for medication decreases. Keep your doctor in charge of your treatment. You will then be able to work with your doctor to gradually reduce the use of the normally prescribed inhalant or antihistamine medications until you no longer need them.

BLOOD PRESSURE AND DEHYDRATION:

The measurable force that rushes blood through the arterial system of the body is called blood pressure. Diastolic is the constant force and is the lowest reading. Systolic is the higher number because it is the force inside the arteries produced by the contraction of the left side of the heart when it forces the volume of blood in its ventricle into an already filled and under pressure arterial system. The book fully explains how it works. The most common and frequent reason for high blood pressure is dehydration. The blood vessels have been designed to cope with repeated fluctuations in their blood volume and the circulation requirements of the tissues they supply. The circulatory system adapts to its 8% loss by shrinking in capacity. Initially, peripheral capillaries close down, and eventually the larger vessels tighten their walls to keep the blood vessels full. This tightening leads to a measurable rise in tension in the arteries. This is called hypertension. If the blood vessels did not tighten on the void, gases would separate from the blood and fill the space, causing gas locks.

Another major reason for the tightening of the vessels is the need to squeeze the blood volume in the arterial system so that water can be filtered and injected into some vitally important cells in the body, such as the brain cells. As the body becomes more and more dehydrated, the amount of pressure needed to fulter and inject water into vital cells increases. The less water there is in the body, the more pressure is needed to hydrate vital cells.

Drink water until your urine is light in color. Make sure you have adequate salt intake, calcium, magnesium, and potassium in the food you eat. Use iodized salt.

DIABETES:

Diabetes is the direct result of water deficiency in the brain, to the point that the brain's neurotransmitter systems, particularly the system that is regulated by the neurotransmitter serotonin, are affected. It is within the design of the brain to peg up the glucose threshold so that it can maintain its own volume and energy requirements when there is a water shortage in the body. When there is a gradually establishing chronic dehydration in the body, the brain has to depend more on glucose as a source of energy. The brain needs more glucose for its energy value and its metabolic conversion to water. (stressed people resort to eating sweet food) The onset of dehydration induced diabetes is normally seen in the elderly and is often reversible, but the more structurally serious and irreversible variety of the disease is seen in younger people. The juvenile variety of diabetes need to be treated carefully before it becomes a totally irreversible type of diabetes ad permanent damage takes place.

The pancreas, where insulin is made, is an organ that is directly involved in the regulation of the balance between the water compartments of the body. The water volume held inside each cell is regulated and held ny the amount of potassium that is forced into the cell. Insulin is a very effective agent for forcing potassium and amino acids inside the cells. If potassium stays outside the cells and in circulation, at a certain threshold it can produce irregular heartbeats and often, a sudden heart seizure and stopping of the heart's rhythmic contractions. In effect, therefore, insulin regulates water volume inside the cell. It manages this responsibility by pushing potassium and sugar into the cell that has insulin sensitive gates of entry on its outer membrane.

The pancreas has another equally important responsibuility. It has to collect water from some of its cells, mix it with manufacture bicarbonate and pancreatic enzymes, and secrete the misture into the intestine to neutralize the acid that is poured into the intestine from the stromach and begin the next phase of digestion of food. If water is in short supply, the solution that is secreted into the intestine cells may not be enough to neutralize all the acid that enters the intestine to begin the cycle of food digestion. Consequently, one or the other process has to be halted. Either the acid has to stop coming into the intestine, or water has to be delivered to the pancreas in a sufficient amount. When the insulin stimulated gates are not efficient in delivering water and raw materials into the cells, they begin to wither and die. This is the mechanism behind the degenerative process associated with diabetes.

In despeptic cases, acid will continue to build up in the stomach. The ring muscle between the stomach and the intestine will close the gap, and nothing will enter the intestine. The more the stomach contracts trying to push its load into the intestine, the tighter the ring will contract. Only a fraction is let through. Over time, ulcerations are produced.

Insulin -Independent Diabetes:

This form of diabetes is often reversible. The person should have a regular daily intake of no less than two quarts of water, and some increased salt intake. (and adjust the diet, and minerals according to your doctor).

Insulin- Dependent Diabetes:

Diabetes is permanently established when there is DNA/RNA damage. The ability to manufacture insulin is lost. Thus, if water deficiency, if uncorrected for a long time, can in many people cause damage- sometimes permanent to their insulin producing cells. Even more damage to the diabetic body can occur. Some organs begin to suffer and become useless, a leg can shrink and become gangrenous, cysts can form in the brain and eyes can become blind.

Diabetes in Children:

In the children, the process is the same, except it begins at a much earlier age until it becomes an "autoimmune" disease. That is to say, the insulin- producing cells are destroyed to avoid the need for constant control of their activity. The body of a child has much less water reserve than that of a grown person. It seems logical to assume that the gap between the inhibition of insulin release and the threshold of insulin cell destruction must also be less wide. Adding to this problem is the fact that a growing body is always dehydrated. Every cell in the soft tissues needs about 75% of its volume to be water to function within the norms of the human body. When the body is growing under the influence of growth hormone, as well as other hormones, and the effect of histamine with its food and water supply regulation, a form of stress is constantly experienced. This stimulates the thirst sensation, and the body will demand water. Plain water should be given, although some parents force their own habits of drinking sodas, tea or juices on their children.

Nothing- but nothing- can substitute for water to satisfy the water needs of the body. It is true that other drinks contain some water, but they do not affect the body in the same way as water itself. The vitamins contained in fresh fruit juices are essential for the body. Still, too much of any juice- particularly orange juice and grapefruit juice - can be harmful. Juices increase the acidity of the intestine and then the body. Their high potassium content can drastically increase the activation and presence of histamine. This will signal undue stress to the body, and a crisis water-rationing state will develop.

Constipation and its complications:

The intestinal tract uses much water to break down solid foods. It has to liquefy the dissolvable components of solid foods to extract their essential elements. Whatever can be dissolved is then absorbed into the blood circulation and transferred to the liver for processing. The refuse that cannot be further broken down is then passed on through the various segments of the gut and gradually compacted for elimination.

Depending on the adequate availability of free water in the body, the refuse will carry with it some of the water that was used to liquefy the food. What water it can carry with it will act as a lubricant to help the refuse move through the large intestine. The last segments of the small intestine and most of the large intestine are under the direction of the water regulators to reabsorb as much of the water in the refuse as might be needed by the other parts of the body. The more the body is in need of water, the more there there is a determined effort to reabsorb the water that is available in the intestine. This process puts a drastic squeeze on the refuse to separate its water content and make it available for reabsorbstion by the mucosa or lining membranes of the large intestine.

The more the body is dehydrated, the slower the motility of the lower intestines in order to allow time for reabsorption of the water content of the refuse. When the passage of refuse from the large intestine is slowed down, the mucosa absorb the water, and the feces become hard and not fluid enough to flow. The act of expulsion of solid feces becomes difficult. Adding water and fiber that hold the water better seems to be the only natural solution to constipation. Remember that hemorrhoids, diverticulitis, and polyp formation are common occurrences with chronic constipation. Chronic dehydration and its consequential constipation are primers for cancer formation in the large intestine and the rectum.

Autoimmune Diseases:

Many degenerative conditions that we do not understand are labeled "autoimmune diseases." It literally means the body is attacking itself without a good cause-at least a cause that should be clear to us in medicine. And since we have never understood dehydration to be as a disease-producing state of body physiology, we have never come across a simple and natural solution to this category of conditions - at least until now. I studied one of these conditions, which has received the label of "lupus" and published my findings in the book ABCof Asthma, Allergies and Lupus. I explained why I believe autoimmune diseases should be viewed as condions produced by persistent unintentional dehydration and its metabolic complications.

In dehydration, and the use of some essential elements as antioxidants to neutralize toxic waste that cannot be excreted because of low urine production, there comes a time when certain vital elements become scarce within the body reserves. However, some of the less vital components of the body have these elements in their assimilated forms. These tissues need to give up some of their precious elements for use in other parts of the body. The whole process is based on priorities and the importance of the elements that are scarce. Under these circumstances and in this category of conditions, the body is forced into a cannibalistic state of physiology. Such cannibalism can cause autoimmune diseases, such as Lupus. The chemical controllers begin to break down certain tissues to compensate for the missing elements the body needs- especially in the brain. The body always puts the brain first. For example, when the insulin- producing cells of the pancreas are fragmented and destroyed, not only will the ensueing diabetes increase the level of sugar in circulation for the brain to use, but the process will alwo dehydrate the other tissues of the body and make their water content available for the needs of the brain and the nervous system.

There are some neurological conditions that follow the same logic, such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, muscular dystrophy, Parkinson's disease, and Lou Gehrig's disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). Aidsis another condition that I believe finds a better logic as an autoimmune disease, rather than a viral disease, within the disipline of physiology.

The Crisis Calls of the Body For Water:

The third category of conditions that denote local dehydration are the major pains of the body. Before dehydration hurts you irreversibly, when your plum-like cells become prune-like, your body will show its urgent need for water through different types of pain. These pains are the newly understood, drastic ways of showing dehydration.

After much clinical and scientific research, my understanding is that the early indicators of acid burns in the interior of the cells and potential genetic damage that can take place are different forms and intensities of pain. Depending on the degree of dehydration, as well as the extent and the location of acid buildup inside the cells- when greater flow of water should have cleared the acid from that area-the classic pains of the body are produced. They are:

1. Heartburn

2. Dyspeptic pain

3. Anginal pain

4.Lower back pain

5. Rheumatoid joint pain, including ankylosing spondylitis

6. Migrain headaches

7. Colitis pain

8. Fibromyalgic pains

9. Morning sickness during pregnancy

10. Bulemia

Today there are 110 million Americans who, at certain times, need pain medications to make life bearable. How pain that is not caused by injury or infection can be produced by dehydration is simple to understand. This very simple mechanism of pain production has eluded us in medicine ever since humankind looked for a way to deal with some of the devastating pains of the human body. The drug industry spends billions of dollars researching painkillers, and even more money advertising their particular brand of pain medication. I don't believe the answer is in these medications, however. Dehydration can be cured by water, for free.

It is the acidity in the interior of the body that causes pain. Our nerve endings register the chemical environmental change with the brain. The brain translates the information for the conscious mind in the form of pain. Normally, when blood contains an ample amount of water circulates around the cells of the body, some of the water goes into the cells and bring out hydrogen molecules. Water washes the acidity out of the cell and makes the cell interior alkaline- and absolutely essential and normal state. (so we don't have pain)

Heartburn or Dyspeptic Pains:

Heartburn or Dyspeptic pains are among the most important thirst pains of the human body. It is felt in the upper part of the abdomen. It can reach an intensity that can incapacitate the person and mimic an acute crisis that requires surgery. When there is tissue damage or ulceration, changes to the diet that enhance the rate of repair of the ulcer site become necessary. It is still a sign of long lasting dehydration. If it is not relieved after one or two glasses of water, and not completely gone in a few days of increased water intake, then other pathology may have to be investigated. It must be remembered that it takes a few days of increased daily water intake before chronic cellular dehydration can be partially reduced.

Hiatal Hernia and Heartburn:

A dome shaped muscle called the diaphragm separates the chest cavity from the abdomen. It is attached to the rib cage and to some of the lower vertebrae of the spine. At the back of the diaphragm, where it is attached to the spine, is an opening through which the esophagus and the main blood vessels pass. This opening is called the hiatus and it acts as a "purse-string" gate. It is composed of a band of overlapping muscle that keeps the gate closed. It relaxes only when food is passing through the esophagus in the chest cavity to enter the stomach, which is normally positioned below the diaphragm in the abdomen. The automatic opening and closing of the gate is synchronized with the flow of food through the esophagus. When food is not passing through, the gate is closed and the chest cavity is well separated from the abdomen and its contents. In some people, the gate becomes lax and its opening less firm. In these people, the upper part of the stomach may bulge or become herniated through the hiatus and shift into the chest cavity- hense hiatal hernia. The reason why the hiatal gate becomes lax is chronic dehyration. From its opening in the mouth to the orifice of the rectum, the intestinal tract is a long tube that has developed special characteristics in different segments along its length. The intestinal tract works like a conveyor belt that pushes its contents downstream. The intestinal tract can also reverse the direction of its waves and push its cintents upward. This process is invilved when the contents of the stomach must not go downstream and must be forced out of the body- heralded by nausea and then vomiting. At a crisis stage of dehydration, when heartburn or dyspeptic pain is also produced, the high acidity in the stomach cannot go into the intestine. It cannot stay in the stomach for long either. In this situation, some of the acidic contents of the stomach can bubble upward, particulary when you are lying down. This is when you feel the discomfort of heartburn. At the same time, the upper part of the stomach can also slide through the hiatal valve into the chest cavity. You might have to vomit to get rid of the stomach contents, or get sufficent antacid treatment to suppress the symptoms. Nonetheless, the diagnosis of hiatal hernia will stick. Given sufficient water every day, the situation can reverse itself and the pain and hernia can disappear.

The Danger of Antacids: Antacids that contain aluminum can be dangerous. Excess aluminum in the body has been strongly implicated with Alzheimers Disease. It is toxic, with local brain damage a number of years later. Fortuanately there are some antacids produced that do not contain aluminum.

Colitis Pain: When there is dehydration, the normal peristalsis is reduced and a tighter contraction to squeeze the water from the soldi matter seems to become necessary. Theis process causes pain. If two or three glasses of water are taken, particularly first thing in the morning, the pain should disappear, if the original cause of pain is dehydration and not other, more serious, conditions. At the same time, constipation should subside and movement of the bowels will becom regular and normal.

Headaches and Migraines:

The brain is very sensitive to the dehydration and heat regulation of the body. The brain cannot endure overheating. Its enzyme systems are very sensitive to temperature fluctuations. When there is water shortage in the body and there is potential for getting dehydrated or getting overheated because of too many bedcovers at night, the brain establishes a priority for itself, at the expense of other tissues of the body. It allows more blood to flow through its vascular system. The blood vessels to the brain- the carotid arteries- take root from the main artery of the heart, the aorta. When the command for increased supply of blood to the brain forces these arteries to dilate, the circulation to the face and the scalp also increases. This the reason why some headaches begin with strongly pulsating arteries around the temples. When there is dehydration in the brain area -whether it is caused by insufficent intake of water, stress, alcohol, or overheating of the body- the action of histamine causes the pain we know as a headache or migraine. To alleviate this type of pain, two, three, even four glasses of water may have to be taken. The water should be cool in order to allow a better circulation of the diluted blood to the brain area. A migraine is centrally produced signal for dehydration and overheating of the brain. This is the reason most painkillers do not work for migraine headaches.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain:

The separation of lower back pain from rheumatoid joint pains elsewhere in the body is inaccurate. The mechanism of pain production in these joint conditions seems to to be the same. They denote the same physiological phenomenon in the body. The separation of these two problems in the medical industry seems to be a matter of convenience for the involvement of different subspecialties. For the one, you go to a rheumatologist; for the other, to an orthopedic surgeon or chiropractor. The outcome is the same - pain management rather than a cur. Basically, both conditions have the same pathology, except they are in different locations.

About fifty million Americans- two hundred thousand of them children- are said to suffer some sort of arthritis pain, and some thirty million suffer back pain. Each year a few million are said to be functionally disabled from back pain. In the United States, it is estimated that sixteen billion dollars is spent annually on back pain treatment, and a further eighty billion dollars is lost in productivity and wages as a result of back pain. These commonly quoted statistics, even if partially accurate, indicate a devastating problem for the American people.

New Insight into the Phenomenon of Joint Pains:

In chronically painful joint conditions of the lower spine or joints of the hands and legs, the actual recurring pain is a signal of water deficiency in the area where pain is felt. The pain occurs because there is not enough water circulation to wash out local acidity and toxic substances. These regional joint pains are part of a series of newly understood crisis thirst signals of the body. Where the pain is felt depends on where the localized drought has settled in.

Lower back pain has two components: one, muscle spasm (this is the cause of 80 percent of back pains): two, disc degeneration that puts added strain on the tendons and ligaments in the spinal column. Both of these back-pain-causing conditions are initiated by the same chronic dehydration. With the new information about the emergency calls of the body for water, there is no reason why back and joint pains should continue to devastate our bodies. We now have the insight and knowledge about why these pains occur, and how to prevent them. More detailed information on these two topics is available in my book How to Deal with Back Pain and Rheumatoid Joint Pain and my videotape How to Deal with Back Pain.

All joint surfaces possess cartilage padding, which covers and separates the bone structures in the joint. This firm layer of cartilage contains a vast quantity of water, which provides it with the ability to glide over the opposing cartilage surface and aids the necessary lubrication for the joint movements. Thus, prolonged dehydration that leaves the cartilage short of water will produce a greater friction and shearing stress at the cartilage contact points in the joint.

Intelligence Behind the Design of the Body:

When cartilage is dehydrated, its gliding ability is decreased. The cartilage cells sense their dehydration and give out alarm signals of pain, because they would soon die and peel off from their contact surfaces of the bones if used in their dehydrated state. The normal environment of cartilage is alkaline. In dehydration, it becomes acidic. This acidity sensitizes the nerve endings that register pain. This type of pain has to be treated with a regular increase in water intake until the cartilage is fully hydrated and washed of its acidity and toxins. Often the pain travels from joint to joint; sometimes it appears in the corresponding joints in the other limb at the same time. Chronic pains have two components: peripheral and brain-generated pains. Locally initiated pain is relieved by analgesics, such as aspirin or Tylenol, but brain-level pain is not. Both pains are relieved by the intake of adequate water.

Cartilage is a gelatinous living tissue; its cells like to live in an alkaline environment. The alkalinity of the medium depends on the amount of water that flows through the cartilage to wash the acid away. Salt helps extract the acidity from inside the cartilage cells and pass it into the water, which carries the acid away. This is a constant process. For this process to be effective, two elements are vital: water and salt. Adequate salt supply is essential for the prevention of arthritis pain, be it in the joints of the limbs or the spine. It is the salt level in the serum that increases the fluid volume for its more abundant flow through the cartilage.

What Happens to a Dehydrated Joint?

Cartilage cells die at a fast pace because of the constant abrasive friction in the dehydrated joint. These cells need to be replaced. When there is damage to the cartilage because of its overuse and under-repair, the sensors in the area begin to indicate a desperate need for urgent repair. An attempt is made to supply water to the cartilage cells from the blood supply . This action supplies some lubrication inside the joint, but is not effective in maintaining the rate of cartilage growth to replace the dead tissue. In the lining of the joint capsule are cells that can secrete local hormones to stimulate repair activity at the same time that they begin to produce pain. Several things happen when these hormones are secreted:

1. The dying tissue is broken up from inside the cells and the broken fragments are extruded. They are ingested by white cells- the "garbage collectors" - and are recycled.

2.

Family History

When I was a young girl growing up, my mother always told us stories of growing up in England. She loved to tell us about her parents, brother and other relatives and all the things she experienced; including serving in the Women's Land Army during World War 2. At the same time, while moving into town at the age of six; we lived next door to my grandparents on my father's side. Grandma loved to tell us stories of her family too. So I naturally began to be interested in learning more about my ancestry. My cousin Wanda and I were best friends and we spent lots of time writing down names, birth and death dates. Somehow this information was lost. Time went on, I got married, my grandparents died and then I wished that all those stories they had told me had been written down; but it was too late! In the early 1970's a mini series came on TV called "Roots". It was responsible for fueling the passion of many people to begin a hobby called Geneology; me included. I didn't know how to go about it, except for what I could learn from my parents. Time went on. Then in the late 1980's Manistee County was celebrating it's Sesquicentenial and was asking people to gather information proving how long their families had been in our county. I requested the forms and began my search. My Mother was helpful and excited to help. We had land documents to prove they came to Michigan in 1867, I requested death certificates, made copies of birth certificates and made the connection from Philip Hilliard to my sisters and I. I decided to a apply for certificates for my father and sisters too. It was so satisfying to complete the documentation. This was just the fuel I needed to make my hobby bloom. I made inquiries and purchased forms to document my information. Early on I learned that it was very important to be organized because my information grew by leaps and bounds. Right away I had to separate the family history sheets into separate binders according to which family I was working on. I had my father's parents Hilliard and Harju, then I had my great grandmother's family Milks, then other great grandmother Hirvakoski. All the while I worked on my mother's family too of Woods and Seekins. I wrote letters. I didn't have much time since I was working every day in our auto repair business with my husband at the time, we had three teenage daughters and a home to take care of. Our daughters were busy in school events, had jobs, but still had time to help around the house and most of the time had dinner on the table when we came home each night. It was so exciting to recieve a letter answering my questions and fill in some more blanks. One time I came home to find a letter from the Bureau of Land Management. I had requested the document of Homestead Patent Deed from North Dakota of my great grandparents Harju who had immigrated from Finland. It was signed by President William McKinley. Every morning I got ready quickly, had breakfast and wrote a letter or worked at my hobby in some other way, whether it be reading and learning or filling in the blanks of a form. It was so fun!
My mother wrote a letter to a cousin in England whom she hadn't corresponded with in many years asking questions. We recieved a letter back from his son saying his father had a stroke and he would help us. He told us about his family, sent us photos and we began a friendship that grew and grew. David and Sue Makepeace came to visit us in 1994 and 1996, and again in about 1999. He told his brother Paul about us and he then wrote to us with a great amount of information. He has been working on family research too for many years. In 1996 and 1998 Ken, Mom and I traveled to England. We stayed with David and Sue and they took us all around England to see the sights and meet Paul and his family, and to the Isle of Wight to meet relatives on the other side of Mom's family. (Andrew, Ian and Margaret Forman) We had two weeks and it was so wonderful as we saw so many castles, traveled around taking in the English culture and seeing all we could. We went to Leeds both times so we could meet with Mom's old friends in Beeston and while there we saw her old home on Grovehall Rd. We went into her family church and looked in the registry for her parents and brothers names. Of course we took lots of photos! It was a chance of a lifetime and I'm so glad we were able to go. We were so fortunate because the plane fares were so affordable. We were able to go round trip for $260. each ! We were lucky to have a place to stay too so our trip was affordable.
We sold our business in 1999 and the first year I spent lots of time researching history and compliling it with my research and photographs to self publish a book on my family Harju. I began selling books to relatives, by word of mouth. Then the second year I researched and compiled my information and photos to self publish a book on my family Hilliard. I began selling those too. I made ten books at a time, with the help of my computer and the copy shop. Just recently in 2007 I've begun researching history and eventually I will make a book on Woods and one on Seekins for my family and I to enjoy....for eternity! I am happy to do it and feel a responsibility too; because I feel it's so important. Maybe someday someone will continue what I began.