Tag: pains

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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Male Menopause Enlarged

There are currently numerous debates in the medical community on whether menopause really exists in men.

Menopause in women is defined as the time when the menstrual periods cease. Based on this, men cannot have menopause. But, as the doctors have argued, they can undergo andropause the male equivalent of menopause in women. Male who have andropause manifest the same symptoms as those women with menopause.

Male menopause is used to refer to the condition in which men experience a decrease in their hormone levels. But unlike the case of women whose hormone levels drop dramatically, male menopause takes place with a gradual fall in hormone testosterone. Medical reports show that many men in their 70’s have almost the same testosterone levels as those in their 20’s.

Men with menopause manifest symptoms that include irritability, sweating, memory problems, concentration difficulties, and hot flushing.

Other common complaints of men with menopause consist of low sex drive, hair loss, fatigue, generalized pains, and body shape changes as they tend to become more rounded and less brawny.

Analyzing the symptoms, it becomes clear why male menopause is compared with that of women. Women may manifest some or all of the symptoms listed.

It is important to note, however, that the symptoms listed may be caused by other physical illnesses other than menopause. Thyroid gland dysfunction, depression, or anemia may be the underlying roots.

Some doctors, however, claim that male menopause is caused not by the hormonal changes but by psychological reasons. The realization that they are ageing is underlined by the signs of physical changes such as the occurrence of wrinkles, fat and waning hairline.

Men in their middle age usually weaken their self-esteem as they begin to question themselves as to whether they still have a role in their homes and the society. An example is when their children mature and leave home; they start to feel empty and futile in the family.

Other possible psychological triggers of menopause in men include financial problems, job dissatisfaction, and marital conflicts.

It is important to note, however, that the symptoms listed may be caused by other physical illnesses other than menopause. Again, thyroid gland dysfunction, depression, or anemia may be the underlying causes.

The diagnosis of male menopause is done by running a physical exam, the doctor will inquire about the symptoms the male is experiencing. He may conduct necessary diagnostic tests to discard other medical problems which may be affecting the condition. Series of blood tests will then be carried out to analyze the patient’s hormone levels, as well as the blood testosterone status.

Testosterone replacement therapy is applied if the testosterone levels are found to be low. This process also helps to minimize the symptoms such as fatigue, depression, and low libido, or poor sex drive.

Hormone replacement therapy has as well been tied to the development in the brain functions, bone density and night sweats.

Testosterone replacement comes in oral medication, implants, or injections.

The oral drugs are given to those who cannot bear implants or injections.

On the other hand, implants are placed in the lower hip or abdomen. This method provides cure that keeps going for up to six months.

The testosterone injections are typically given about once every two weeks.

If you are considering testosterone replacement therapy, it is important that you talk to a doctor to learn more about it. Your physician may also advise some changes in your lifestyle, such as an exercise program, proper diet, and medications to help alleviate the symptoms caused by male menopause.

How Does an Acupuncture Practitioner Diagnose?

Most Americans know that acupuncture has something to do with healing diseases by using needles. These needles are used to redirect and restore optimal circulation of the life force, known as “Qi”, within the body. A person with a mental, physical, or emotional problem has the flow of Qi hindered at one or more points, and effective use of needles will change and restore that flow.One of the more suprising things at an acupuncture clinic is the way a problem can be diagnosed. In most cases, the practitioner holds the wrist of the client and takes his pulse. The pulse is observed at several different points on wrist, and the nature of the pulse is evaluated. After that comes a thorough evaluation and a plan of where to place the needles to best address the problem. There are several different qualities the acupuncture practitioner is observing in the pulse.

The patient can have up to 12 different pulse points taken. Three surface pulse points are taken on each of the wrists, and three deep pulse points are also taken on each wrist. Even an untrained person can notice the difference in pulses depending on the location and depth of the pulse point. There are many possible pulse descriptions in acupuncture, but six of the commonly encountered ones are: floating, sunken, slow, rapid, slippery, and choppy. Taking even a few people’s pulses, it is easy to see how some could be described as choppy, and others as slippery.

Another very useful technique for diagnosis in acupuncture is by observing the tongue of the client. Western physicians (and mothers!) can often tell someone has a throat problem by looking at the coating on the tongue. But an acupuncture practitioner is looking at a number of aspects of the tongue: the color of the tongue (both top and sides), any cracks that might be in the tongue, swellings, the condition of the dots on the tongue, and the level of moisture. All of these things provide an illuminating picture of the state of someone’s health, and indicates what the acupuncture plan should address.

One thing to remember is that, in acupuncture, a particular western medical diagnosis may not be of much help. That
is because a particular diagnosis may be caused by one of several different kinds of interruptions in the flow of Qi, and hence is not a major influence in what should be done in the acupuncture clinic. However, the acupuncture practitioner definitely wants to know how you actually feel, for this is very significant. Every symptom should be described, as well as the times they are most noticeable, and any associations that can be thought of. For example, the acupuncture practitioner should be told if pains are milder after a good night’s sleep, or if headaches are worse under fluorescent lights, and other such associations.

So expect the diagnosis at an acupuncture clinic to be rather different than a diagnosis at a physician’s office. The acupuncture practitioner is not looking just at the particular problem, but how your organs and systems presently interact, one result of which is the current problem. This introduction should make you more comfortable with such a diagnosis, give you more understanding as to why your tongue is being so carefully looked at, and hopefully make you interested enough to find out more about it.

New Advanced Treatment For Fibroids

Uterine artery emobilization (UAE) is a minimal invasive procedure aimed at shrinking fibroids in women diagnosed with having fibroids. Rather than removing them surgically, the procedure shrinks the fibroids avoiding hysterectomy or myomectomy (removal of the fibroids alone) to eliminate symptoms such as pelvic pain and/or heavy bleeding.

Although an attractive alternative to a hysterectomy to treat fibroids, AEU prevents the need to go through the pains following a hysterectomy. because a hysterectomy is the cure to fibroids. The fibroids will definitely not come back as there will no longer be a place for the fibroids to grow. Specially trained doctors use imaging techniques to see inside the uterus while guiding a narrow tube through blood vessels. The UAE procedure then shrinks the fibroid eliminating all of its blood supply. Plastic particles are then injected into the arteries to plug them perfectly blocking the blood supply. However, this procedure is not full proof as the possibility of the fibroids growing back or in other places is not diminished making more surgery necessary if they return. AEU effectively spares the uterus and cuts down on hospital time, and recovery is fairly fast.

Other options to remove fibroids include Hysteroscopy resection, which use electric currents shaving the fibroid from the uterus breaking them into pieces which can then be removed through the vagina. There is some concern in this procedure that particles from the pieces may enter other organs and affect them in a negative manner. But for women the procedure that does not require surgery is most sought after for fibroid removal and avoidance of hysterectomy. AEU is very effective and rarely is there any complications and usually results in a lighter menstrual bleeding and pelvic pressure that causes pain. The only reportable side effects following surgery is nausea, committing, and some mild cramping for a limited amount of time making this the most cost and time effective procedure available today.

If you think that this procedure might be an attractive choice for you, then you should consult your doctor and ask about options with local surgeons. Most hospitals now offer this treatment because of its effectiveness, but some seem to be stuck in the past. You also need to find out whether or not your particular fibroids are operable using this method, since some cases make it too complicated or difficult to do.

Many women have for several years debated the idea that hysterectomy is the only option for women with fibroid problems prompting doctors to look to alternative measures. It is important to know that there are other options available and each one should be examined carefully before a decision is made to have a hysterectomy. The location, size, number of fibroids and activity of the fibroids should me one of the determining factors in the decision to treat fibroids. Estrogen feeds the fibroids and it is well known that fatty tissue produces large amounts of estrogen, so if you are overweight additional factors may need attention in order to make an educated decision. Whatever the decision is that you make concerning the treatment of fibroids take into consideration all of your options before you take the word of someone, doctor, or others who try to tell you that Hysterectomy is the only option.