Tag: Adolescence

Children With the Sleep Disorder of Sleepwalking

The sleep disorder of sleepwalking, also known as somnambulism, affects approximately 14% of school-age children between five and twelve years old at least once. Approximately one quarter of the children with this sleep disorder have more frequent episodes. Sleepwalking is more common in boys then it is in girls. Most children that sleepwalk outgrow the symptoms of this sleep disorder by adolescence as their nervous systems develop.

In children this sleep disorder is thought to be the result of the immaturity of the brain’s sleep / wake cycle. Normally the entire brain wakes up at the same time. However, in the case of a sleepwalker, the entire brain does not wake up together. The portion that is responsible for mobility wakes up while the portion responsible for cognition and awareness stays asleep. The child is actually in a deep state of sleep.

With this sleep disorder the brain remains partially asleep but the body is able to move. It is common for the sleepwalker to get out of bed and walk around. Sometimes they get dressed or go outside. Even though the sleepwalker’s eyes are open and they see what they are doing, their expression remains blank. They do not respond to conversation or their name being called. A sleepwalker’s movements usually appear clumsy. It is not uncommon for them to trip over furniture or knock over things as they move around. A sleepwalking episode usually happens one to two hours after the child goes to sleep. Most of these episodes last for fifteen minutes or less, but some can last for an hour or more.

This sleep disorder in children is usually outgrown and treatment is not generally necessary. In most cases, a parent gently guiding the child back to bed is all that is needed. There is not any need to wake the child.

However, there is about 1% of the population that sleepwalk as adults. Adults that have this sleep disorder did not necessarily have it as a child. In adults a sleepwalking episode can be triggered by stress, anxiety, sleep fragmentation, sleep deprivation, or certain medical conditions such as epilepsy.

Treatment for adults with this sleep disorder is often dependent upon the amount of danger they are in during an episode. For example, a sleepwalker who opens doors and goes outside onto a busy city street is in danger. A sleepwalker that gets up and goes into the living room and sits down on a chair most likely is not in danger. Treatments can include behavioral therapies, self hypnosis, or prescription medication.

A sleepwalker, whether adult or child, needs to have a safe area so that they do not get hurt during an episode. Precautions can be taken to eliminate some dangers. Parents should make sure the child’s bedroom does not have any sharp or breakable objects. Doors should be locked at night to keep the sleepwalker from going outside. Sometimes it is necessary to put bells on doors to alert the sleeping parent that their child is sleepwalking. Large glass windows and doors should be covered with heavy drapery to lessen the chance of having the sleepwalker walk through it while it is closed.

A child with the sleep disorder of somnambulism needs to be protected and kept safe during an episode. It is the environment they are in that is the danger more then the sleep disorder itself.

Laser Acne Scar-Not Only Teenager Issue

Being a teenager isn’t easy, but it is often made even made more difficult by unsightly acne outbreaks. What you may not know is that it’s possible to have acne at just about any age, though adolescence is the most common. A mild case of acne is no big deal and will usually clear up in a few years. However, more extreme cases can last longer and may even lead to permanent scarring if left untreated. You can use many methods to reduce or eliminate scarring, and some people prefer to laser acne scars away for good.

Laser treatment for acne scars should only be performed by a licensed dermatologist who is familiar with using lasers in this way. The laser works by using a highly-concentrated beam of light that removes the outermost layer of the skin near the scar, and this promotes the growth of new skin cells. These new skin cells include collagen, and that’s what will eventually cause your scars to diminish.

At first it may sound like laser treatment for acne scars is a miracle cure, and it can be. The downside is that not everybody responds to the treatment, so there is no guarantee that it will work. However, your dermatologist should have a good idea of whether or not the treatment will be good for you. At the very least, they should know how effective the procedure will be after you have gone through the first session or two.

You will have to visit your doctor’s office to have your acne scars removed with laser treatments. However, it is almost always done on an outpatient basis and it shouldn’t take more than a few hours at most. The doctor will numb the area to be treated, and then they will use a handheld laser device that sends pulses of light on the areas where acne has left scar tissue. The laser actually burns off some of the skin in a controlled way, and when the skin grows back its new layer, the scars are reduced or completely gone.

One of the biggest benefits of laser treatments is that they work on deep, pitted scars which are normally very difficult to treat in any other way. This can be a welcome relief to anybody who has lived with deeper scars and was under the impression that nothing could be done. Lasers can also help for more shallow scars.

Laser treatments for acne scarring can be expensive, but it’s better than living with lots of bad scars. Because it’s usually considered a cosmetic procedure, most insurance companies won’t cover thee expense. On the plus side, many dermatologists understand this, and they may be willing to work out payment arrangements for your treatments.

Whatever you end up doing, it’s important to remember that you can get rid of scars caused by acne. Some people will try medications, but choosing to laser acne scars away is a safe and effective method that more and more people are turning to.

Pains during Growth in Children

Growing pain is part and parcel of the growing phase in a childs life. When the child stops growing so will the growing pain and when adolescence is reached, they disappear completely. Growing pain can occur between three to five years or eight to twelve years of age. Growing pains are usually experienced in the legs usually in the calves, in the area in front of thighs and behind the knees. The pain starts either in the afternoon or night, just before bedtime. The child can go to bed pain free, but can wake up in the middle of the night complaining of throbbing pain in the legs. But the good part is that these pains vanish by morning. About twenty five to forty percent of the children are known to experience growing pain.

Growing pains are experienced in the muscle region and not around the bones or joints. One of the major reasons of getting growing pains is because of the strenuous activities of the kids during the day. All the jumping around, running and climbing make the muscles tired. But no evidence has been collected which can prove that the growing pain is caused by bone growth. Growing pains are also known to be caused by spurt of growth. This happens because the tendons or the muscles are too tight and do not synchronize with the growing of the bones. As a results muscle spasms are caused which last for less than fifteen minutes. The child usually gets pain in both the legs and not just one. And usually, growing pains do not get accompanied with redness, swelling or fever. The pain should be over by morning and if it is still persisting after the awakening of the kid, the problem could be related to something else and more serious.

If the pain is unbearable, the parent or caretaker should administer pain relieving medications which are available over the counter such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen. Aspirin should not be given to children as they have a tendency to develop a very serious illness known as Reye Syndrome. Heating pads can be placed on the region that is hurting to ease the pain. Massage can also be given by the parent or the child can do stretching exercise to help the muscles relax. If the child develops fever, redness, swelling, tenderness, limitation in movement, or if the child limps while walking, the doctor should be approached. Before that the parent can do a little diagnosis of the intensity of the pain by feeling around the area and observing the pain experienced by the child. The pain shouldnt be so intense that the child is abstained from normal routine such as walking, running or playing.

The doctor conducts the diagnosis of exclusion to understand the problem. According to this diagnosis, it is not made until all the conditions are checked before considering growing pains. The doctor studies the childs medical history and conducts a physical examination. In some serious cases, the doctor advices to go for X-ray or blood test before the final decision is made.

Children can prevent the growing pains by doing stretching exercises on a daily basis. The exercise need not be complex. Even if the pain subsides, the exercise should be continued so as to keep the tendons and muscles relaxed and to adjust with the growth spurt. Fluids, when taken in good quantity, decrease the cramping. For this reason, the child should be given tonic water or quinine before going to bed.

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