Motion Sickness in Children

Children usually feel sick in the stomach when travelling in a car, airplane, boat or train. This sickness is known as motion sickness. This sickness is caused by reception of wrong signals by eyes, muscles, skin receptors, and inner ears.

While travelling, different body parts send different signals to the brain. Eyes see things around and it sends signals about the direction of movement while in motion. The joint sensory receptors and muscles send signals about the movement of the muscles and the position in which the body is. The skin receptors send signals about the parts of the body which are in contact with the ground. The inner ears have a fluid in the semicircular canals. This fluid senses motion and the direction of motion like forward, backward, up, down, circular, or to and fro. When the brain gets timely reports from the various body parts, it tries to find a relation between all the signals and then sketches a picture about the bodys movement and position at a particular instant. But when the brain isnt able to find a link and isnt able to draw a picture out of the received signals, the condition called motion sickness is experienced.

For example, if a child is riding in a car and reading something at the same time, the eyes will see stationary book. But the skin receptors and the inner ears will sense the body moving in a forward direction. The eyes and the muscle receptors will send signals that the body is not moving. This confuses the brain and everything is jumbled up in the head. This makes the child dizzy, sick in the stomach and even tired. There is a possibility of the child throwing up, so it is recommended that the parents carry a sick bag each time they are travelling with kids. And if the child is feeling anxious or scared, the condition can deteriorate further.

Although there are medicines available over the counter to deal with motion sickness, some measures should be taken to avoid medicine and also motion sickness. The child should always be made to sit facing in the forward direction. He/she should not face or sit backwards, nor should he be made to sit in a seat facing backwards. This helps the ears and the eyes to send similar kind of signal. It is good if the kid isnt involved in some kind of activity like reading, playing video games or something which is stationary. He/she must be asked to look outside, especially at things which are located at a distance. The same applies when travelling in an airplane. When travelling in a boat, the child can go to the upper deck and look at the horizon. Basically, the child must be made to concentrate at things which are located at a distance and are in motion. When looking at something stationary, the eyes get confused and send wrong signals.

It also helps to sit in a place which is moving the least. Usually, it is the center point of the body, so the more close the child sits to the center, the better. Like when in an airplane, it is good to sit in seats in the middle aisle and not in those which are located near the wings. If the child is sitting in the center of the boat, instead of the front or the side, the lesser seasick the child will feel. In spite of all these measures if the child is still feeling sick a doctor should be consulted. The doctor checks the inner ears for any defect. He will also check other body parts which are responsible for sensing motion. Apart from medicine, pressure bracelets are also available at the local pharmacy. And along with carrying a sick bag or any other plastic bag, the car can be pulled over and the child should be walked out a bit to feel better.

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Warts – Causes And Prevention

Warts are an ongoing problem for many people of all ages. They can go beyond being just a minor annoyance, sometimes resulting in much more serious health implications. Warts can be spread to other people, causing them to become infected with the virus. And some types of warts can be deadly. Taking all of these factors into consideration, it is a good idea to know what causes warts and methods you can take to minimize your risk of getting them. If you have already acquired warts, it is equally important if not more so, to lessen the chance of transmitting them to other people. The best precaution you can take is to be armed with the facts.

Warts are caused by the Human Papilloma Virus. So far, more than eighty different kinds of this virus have been identified. The various forms affect various parts of the body. The incubation period between when a person becomes infected and when an outbreak occurs also varies. The warts are easily transmittable from one person to another, and can also be transmitted from one part of the body to another area. Factors which determine a person’s likelihood of becoming infected include the state of the person’s immune system, the degree of virus that is present in the warts, the location of the warts, and the degree of contact.

Although it is often difficult or even impossible to prevent infection, there are some measures you can take to lessen this risk. If you already have one or more warts, it is important to prevent them from spreading. You should try to avoid touching the wart, for it can lead to the virus being spread to other areas you may touch afterward. You should avoid using other people’s towels and washcloths if they have not been cleaned. You should avoid wearing other people’s shoes. In locations where the virus might be present, you should make a point of wearing shoes to prevent indirect contact with infected surfaces. These factors will greatly reduce your risk of acquiring the virus associated with all forms of warts.

In addition, there are special factors associated with genital warts, which are the most serious and potentially deadly. These warts, which are a prime factor in cervical cancer, are spread by sexual contact. The risk of these warts and the cancer which results from them is highest in people who have multiple sexual partners. Although it is not as widely known as it should be, while having multiple partners increases the risk of coming in contact with a person who already has this infection, it has also been shown that having multiple partners alters one’s own natural levels of bacteria and will make you more susceptible to the virus. Not having multiple sexual partners is the most sound way to lessen your risk of acquiring genital warts. Those who already have them can also spread them by touch or by sharing infected washcloths and towels.

Currently, there are issues about a vaccine called Gardasil. This vaccine is proported to protect against four of the strains of Human Papilloma Virus which account for ninety percent of genital warts. Although this vaccine is not far beyond the testing stage, making the risk factors of the vaccine itself debatable, some locations are recommending it for young children. Some states are attempting to mandate this vaccine for little girls. In addition to the fact that the risk factors of the vaccine have not yet been adequately tested, the main issue being debated is whether giving elementary-school-aged children a vaccine to prevent a sexually-transmitted disease will lead many children and adolescents to believe it is okay to become sexually active and engage in a promiscuous lifestyle.

Contracting Warts: The Basics

How likely are you to acquire warts? Do you know the answer to that question? If not, you can get an estimated answer by assessing your own personal risk factors. Never mind statistics; instead, simply get a clear picture on how this subject relates to you and to your lifestyle. After doing so, you can decide whether you wish to take the steps necessary in order to decrease your risk. Prevention is more sensible than treating warts after one already has them; and knowing where you yourself stand is the best defense.

One of the most annoying forms of warts are plantar warts. Assuming you probably do not wish to find out exactly how troublesome they actually are, you can simply take some measures to safeguard yourself against these pesky warts. As the usual way in which a person contracts plantar warts is by having one’s bare feet come in contact with infected surfaces, you can greatly reduce your chance of getting plantar warts by wearing protective covering when in public areas where the virus is likely to be present. Not wearing someone else’s shoes or socks is also a good preventative measure. Some products designed especially for foot and shoe care contain the type of disinfectant which will kill the wart-producing virus on these surfaces; others do not. Check the label on the products you wish to use to see if this is included.

One of the main factors which contribute to seed warts is direct sunlight. Although it is rare for young people to acquire this type of wart, the potential for it increases with age. In addition to exercising common sense in limiting your exposure to the sun for reasons such as avoiding skin cancer, it will also go a long way in helping you to not acquire seed warts when you are older. The more time you spend in the sun on an everyday basis, and the longer you do so, the more likely you are to eventually have seed warts as a result.

Genital warts are spread by sexual contact. Although it is possible to contract them from an infected partner, the two main factors assessed as being most relevant are sexual activity at a young age, and having multiple partners. These factors are generally within one’s own control, and therefore it is not difficult to both assess one’s degree of risk and alter one’s own lifestyle to reduce the risk.

As a compromised immune system places a person at a much higher risk of contracting warts due to having a lesser immunity against the virus which causes them, Although those who have serious medical problems which affect the immune system do not have as much control over it, the average person who is in good health does. The simple basics of having a healthy diet and getting a proper amount of sleep are well within the range of most people’s capabilities; and these two basics are two of the strongest contributing factors in gaining and keeping the immune system functioning at its best.

Most warts can be spread by a healthy person using personal items of an infected person, such as towels, washcloths, and intimate clothing. In most cases you have the option of either making sure such items are clean and sterile, or else to not use them at all.

Checking to see which risk factors are relevant to you is the first step in determining how likely you may be to contract warts. The next step is to turn that awareness into action, and reduce your risk.