Describe the traditional definitions of HEALTH and ILLNESS of selected communities of the Hispanic populations.
Traditional Definitions of HEALTH and ILLNESS
There are conflicting reports about the traditional meaning of HEALTH among Mexicans. Some sources maintain that HEALTH is considered to be purely the result of “good luck” and that a person loses his or her health if that luck changes (Welch, Comer, & Steinman, 1973, p. 205). Some people describe HEALTH as a reward for good behavior. Seen in this context, HEALTH is a gift from God and should not be taken for granted. People are expected to main- tain their own equilibrium in the universe by performing in the proper way, eating the proper foods, and working the proper amount of time. The protection of HEALTH is an accepted practice that is accomplished with prayer, the wearing of religious medals or amulets, and the keeping of relics in the home. Herbs and spices can be used to enhance this form of prevention, as can exemplary behavior (Lucero, 1975).ILLNESS is seen as an imbalance in an individual’s body or as punishment meted out for wrongdoing. The causes of ILLNESS can be grouped into 5 major categories:
1. The body’s imbalance. Imbalance may exist between “hot” and “cold” or “wet” and “dry.” The theory of hot and cold was taken to Mexico by Spanish priests and was fused with Aztec beliefs. The concept actually dates to the early Hippocratic theory of disease and 4 body humors. The disrupted relationship among these humors is often mentioned by Mexicans as the cause of disease (Lucero, 1975).
There are 4 body humors, or fluids: (1) blood, hot and wet; (2) yellow bile, hot and dry; (3) phlegm, cold and wet; and (4) black bile, cold and dry. When all four humors are balanced, the body is HEALTHY. When any imbalance occurs, an ILLNESS is manifested (Currier, 1966). These concepts, of course, provide one way of determining the remedy for a particular ILLNESS. For example, if an
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ILLNESS is classified as hot, it is treated with a cold substance. A cold disease, in turn, must be treated with a hot substance. Food, bever- ages, animals, and people possess the characteristics of hot and cold to various degrees. Hot foods cannot be combined; they are to be eaten with cold foods. There is no general agreement as to what is a hot disease or food and what is a cold disease or food. The classifica- tion varies from person to person, and what is hot to one person may be cold to another (Saunders, 1958, p. 13). Therefore, if a Mexican patient refuses to eat the meals in the hospital, it is wise to ask pre- cisely what the person can eat and what combinations of foods he or she thinks would be helpful for the existing condition. It is important to note that hot and cold do not refer to temperature but are descrip- tive of a particular substance itself.
For example, after a woman delivers a baby, a hot experience, she cannot eat pork, which is considered a hot food. She must eat something cold to restore her balance. Penicillin is a hot medication; therefore, it may be believed that it cannot be used to treat a hot disease. The major problem for the health care provider is to know that the rules, so to speak, of hot and cold vary from person to per- son. If health care providers understand the general nature of the hot and cold imbalance, they will be able to help the patient reveal the nature of the problem from the patient’s perspective and manage it accordingly.
2. Dislocation of parts of the body. Two examples of “dislocation” are empacho and caida de la mollera (Nall & Spielberg, 1967). Empacho is believed to be caused by a ball of food clinging to the wall of the stomach. Common symptoms of this illness are stom- ach pains and cramps. This ailment is treated by rubbing and gen- tly pinching the spine. Prayers are recited throughout the treatment. Another, more common, cause of such illness is thought to be ly- ing about the amount of food consumed. A 20-year-old Hispanic woman experienced the acute onset of sharp abdominal pain. She complained to her friend, and together they diagnosed the problem as empacho and treated it by massaging her stomach and waiting for the pain to dissipate. It did not, and they continued folk treatment for 48 hours. When the pain did not diminish, they sought help in a nearby hospital. The diagnosis was acute appendicitis. The young woman nearly died and was quite embarrassed when she was scolded by the physician for not seeking help sooner.
Caida de la mollera is a more serious illness. It occurs in infants and young children aged under 1 year who are dehydrated (usually because of diarrhea or severe vomiting) and whose anterior fontanelle is depressed below the contour of the skull (Dorsey & Jackson, 1976, p. 56). Much superstition and mystery surround this problem. Some of the poorly educated and rural people, in particular, may believe