Health Beliefs in the Latino Culture Essay

Vomiting, fever, crying, restlessness (Evil eyeness), brought on by an admiring or covetous look from a nigh eubstance with an evil eye. All children are susceptible. Prevented if the person with the strong eye touches the child when admiring her/him also by draining particular earrings, necklaces, or other jewelry. Treated with a barrida (Puerto Rican) or limpia (Mexican) which is a spiritualistic sweeping of the body with eggs, lemons, and bay leaves, accom junkied by prayer. Barrida/limpia are believed to have treatment value.SustoAnorexia, insomnia, weakness, fright disease hallucinations, and various indefinable sensations, brought on by traumatic situations such as witnessing a death. Treatment may include a barrida (see mal de ojo), herb tea and prayer.Caide de molleraA condition thought to cause fallen, change posture anterior fontanella, crying, failure to suckle, sunken eyes, vomiting. Popular home remedies include holding the child upside down over a pan of water, appl ying a poultice to the depressed area of the head, and/or inserting a finger in the childs mouth and pushing up on the palate.EmpachoLack of appetite, stomach ache, diarrhea, and vomiting caused by poorly digested food, or uncooked food sticking to the walls of the stomach and/or digestive tract. Treated by massaging the stomach alcoholism a purgative tea (estafiate) or by azarcon or greta, medicine that has been implicated in some cases of lead poisoning.AtaqueSevere expression of shock, anxiety or sadness, characterized by mutism, hyperventilation, bizarre behavior, hyperkinesis, violence, and uncommunicative behavior. A culturally appropriate and sometimes expected emotional response to shocking or unexpected news.BilisVomiting, diarrhea, headaches, dizziness, migraine headaches, nightmares, going of appetite, and the inability to urinate brought on by livid rage and revenge fantasies. Believed to stem from bile burbling into the bloodstream in response to strong emotion, resu lting in an imbalance of yellow bile and the person change state over.Bilongo (hex)Any illness may be caused by a bilongo or hex proper diagnosing and treatment requires consulting a Santero/Santera (priest or priestess).Hot and cold theoryHealth is the product of balance of the four body humorsblood and yellow bile beingness fiery and phlegm and black bile being cold. Diseases are caused by humoral imbalance. Foods and medications will cure disease by restoring the balance. Thus a hot illness is cured with cold medication and food cold illnesses are treated with hot. Those thatbelieve the common cold is caused by a cold draft entering the body will not take in cold fruit juices because it will add to a greater extent coldness to the body. However, the provider can recommend more hot teas, broths, and soups for liquids. The family would accept this.Note. From Delivering Preventive Health Care to Latinos A Manual for Providers (pp. 57-58, 66-68), byCOSSMHO, 1988 , Washington, DC The internal Coalition of Hispanic Health and Human Services Organization.Copyright 1988 by The National Coalition of Hispanic Health and Human Services Organization. Reprinted withpermission.