Natural Health: Stammering

Q. I hope you can help with my brother’s stammer. It’s not very pronounced but at times it can be. Is there any help he can get?

He is in his 50s and gets mocked a lot. I think it’s time to do something about it.

A. While your question falls outside of my usual realm of health queries, my training in speech pathology means I may be able to point you in the right direction regarding your brother’s stammer.

Stammering is quite common, particularly in young children — although it can occur at any age. Since this is one of the areas where emotional and psychological factors play a more significant role than physiological factors, it helps to work with a professional to identify the specific triggers.

Often this is related to the environment in which the speaker is in, (for example, if they are nervous when speaking in a group or one-on-one), emotional state (anxious, tired, excited), and their perceived response to the stammer by listeners.

In your brother’s case, since this is a long-term issue, I would imagine that there could be quite a stigma attached to his perception of how other people might react, and even how he personally feels about his stammering.

In any case, I would recommend a speech and language therapist. In most instances, it is a parent or carer bringing in their child with concerns about their stammer, so it would be worth phoning up the therapist to check whether or not a referral from a doctor is required in the case of an adult.

To find a local Speech & Language Therapist available through the HSE, phone [phone]. If you would prefer a private practice therapist specialising in adults with stammering, then you have quite a few options — see, www.speechtherapycork.ie; www.thespeechcentre.com.

Q. I am in my 70s with continuous skin problems in my scalp and forehead. It’s the result of sun damage from working outdoors without protection. It has been treated by a dermatologist a number of times, using liquid nitrogen and a number of different creams. But the problem keeps recurring, reddening of skin, dryness, scaly, itchy and a little inflamed. I’m anxious to know if there is any treatment — cream or lotion or herbal, that might be worth trying?

A. This sounds like an issue that you will want to tackle both from the inside and the outside. To begin with, make sure you are getting enough good fats in your diet — this will aid with the healing and repair of your skin, while reducing the inflammation and irritation you are experiencing.

Ensure that you are getting plenty of vitamins A, C, E and D. These are all crucial to the repair of tissue and bone, but are also great antioxidants. Plenty of foods are rich in these nutrients — leafy greens, broccoli, peppers /capsicum, carrots, pumpkin, sweet potato, tropical fruits, dried apricots, herbs, kiwifruit, citrus, berries, mushrooms, eggs, avocado, nuts & seeds, oily fish. Essentially, look for fresh wholefoods including plenty of fruit & veg.

Green Pasture’s Blue Ice Royal Fermented Cod Liver & High Vitamin Butter oil provides a good therapeutic dose of vitamins A & D in particular. Just take half a teaspoon of this gel 2-3 times daily (you can take it as capsules if you can’t bear the fishy taste). This is highly bioavailable, unlike many synthetic forms of vitamins on the shelves today. Available from your local health store or www. therealfoodcompany.org.uk; 00 44 1270-873322.

Topically, if you have access to aloe vera plants, then use the clear inner leaf gel each night for repair and relief. During the day, you can use Weleda’s Hypercal cream (a combination of hypericum and calendula) or just a simple calendula cream to soothe and heal your skin. Calendula is particularly good for inflammation and sun damaged skin, while hypericum (St John’s Wort) will help with the scaling and dryness.