Tag: seizures

Fever in Children

The normal temperature of human body is 98.6F. If the temperature is taken rectally, the thermometer will show a rise of 1F, that is it will show 99.6F. The normal body temperature can vary slightly among individuals. The doctors consider the rise in body temperature as fever if it crosses the mark of 99.4F when taken orally and 100.4F when taken rectally. Rectal checking of temperature is done in infants and children who are older than four years have their temperature checked orally. Infants under three months should be rushed to the hospital if they have fever above 100.5F. The same applies for children older than three months and having a body temperature above 102F.

Digital thermometers provide a more accurate temperature reading. Mercury thermometers pose a health risk to the family as it is an environmental toxin. Hence, this is another good reason why mercury thermometers should be replaced with digital thermometers. Parents must take few measures before and during the task of checking the childs temperature. First of all, the parent should be sure about the kind of thermometer he or she wants to use, that is whether the thermometer should be meant for oral use or rectal use. The child shouldnt be bundled up very tightly before the temperature is checked. When the thermometer is being held by the child, the parent should supervise the whole procedure. Infants might experience pain when the thermometer is inserted into his rectum. Therefore, it is a good idea to cover the thermometers tip with petroleum jelly before insertion and only half of the thermometer should be inserted inside. The thermometer should be held until the beep is heard as children tend to drop the thermometer, if it is left to them. When taking the temperature orally, the thermometer should be placed underneath the tongue and should be left there until the beep is heard. After usage, the thermometer should be washed with cold water and soap.

When an infection is being fought by the body, it shows signs of fever. When the child becomes fussy and experiences aches in parts of the body, the child should be administered with some medicines. Medicines are available for children, depending on their needs, age and weight. The recommended dosage will be written on the pack or the label of the medicine and the parents should check that chart before giving any medicine to the child. If there is any kind of confusion, a doctor should always be consulted. Medicines like Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, and Tylenol for children are available over the counter. When acetaminophen is given along with lukewarm bath, it helps decrease the fever. The medicine should be given just before the bath. The water shouldnt be cold and no alcohol products must be used while bathing. If bath is given minus acetaminophen, the child can begin to shiver and there is chance of body temperature going high again.

Aspirin is not advisable for children as it may develop serious illness called Reyes syndrome in the child. The risk is even more in kids having chickenpox or flu. Not more than five doses should be given in twenty four hours. If drops are given, the dropper should be filled till the marked line. A liquid medicine usually comes with a measuring device in the form of a cap. If not, it can be bought at the local drug store. Infants under four months shouldnt be given medicine, unless told by the doctor.

Certain symptoms call for immediate attention and the doctor must be contacted immediately. Symptoms can be dry mouth, rapid change in body temperature, ear-ache, behavioral changes, frequent diarrhea and vomiting, paleness, seizures, skin rashes, intense headaches, sore throat, swollen joints, irritability, high pitch crying, not feeling hungry, stiff neck, stomach ache, whimpering, wheezing, limpness, and breathing problems. At all times, the child must be made to wear comfortable cotton cloths which help the body to breath properly and at the same time absorbs the sweat. The child should also be given fluids constantly, in order to combat with dehydration.

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Heat-Related Illnesses in Teens

Heat related illnesses are caused due to prolonged exposure to heat and also humidity without any reprieve and due to inadequate intake of fluids. Kids and teens adjust to the variations in heat compared to adults who adapt more quickly. However the heat production is high in them when compared to adults but sweat relatively less. Sweating is the natural action of the body and cooling mechanism to counter heat. Kids and teens often ignore these facts and do not hydrate themselves enough while playing, participating in sports and exercises.

Kids and teens with health problems that are chronic or those who are on certain prescription could be more susceptible to heat related problems. Overweight adolescents or those who wear heavy clothing in times of exertion also suffer heat related illnesses. Heat related illnesses are basically classified into three types. They are: Heat cramps, heat stroke and heat exhaustion.

Heat cramps are the mildest of all heat related injuries and constitute aching muscle cramps and also spasms that occur during intense exercising and also after intense exercising and also sweating in high heat. The symptoms of heat cramps include cramps that are painful in the legs. Flushed and moist skin is also symptoms of heat cramps. The symptoms could also include mild fever generally below 102 degree Fahrenheit. Teens suffering from heat cramps should move to a cool place and take adequate rest. Remove any excessive clothing and wear or put cool clothing on skin or cool skin using air conditioner or fan. Sports drinks which are cool and which contains sugars and salts can also be taken. Stretching out cramped muscles slowly and steadily also helps reduce heat cramps.

On the other hand hear exhaustion is more serious and severe compared to heat cramps and occur due to heavy loss of salt and water from the body. Extreme heat conditions, inadequate fluid intake and excessive sweating results in this conditions. Also, heat exhaustion occurs as a result of inability of the body to maintain the body temperature below the normal which can deteriorate further and also result in a heat stroke which is even worse. The symptoms of heat exhaustion are: muscle cramps, moist skin, pale skin, nausea, fever above 102 degree Fahrenheit, diarrhea, vomiting, fatigue, headache, weakness, anxiety and faint feeling. Teens suffering from heat exhaustion should stay in cool surrounding and take enough rest. Removing excessive clothing, putting on cool clothes and sitting in fan or air conditioning also helps the situation. Intake of cold sports drinks which contains salts and sugars are also advisable. If a teen doesnt show any signs of improvement even after taking all these measures a physician should be consulted immediately.

Heat stroke is the severest condition of all heat related illnesses. In this condition the body gets overwhelmed with excessive heat and the efficiency of the system that regulates body heat goes down considerably which can result in a serious emergency requiring immediate medical care. The symptoms of heat stroke include dry and warm skin, very high fever generally above 104 degree Fahrenheit, increased heart rate, appetite loss, nausea, headache, vomiting, fatigue, agitation, confusion, stupor, seizures, coma and possible death. A teenager experiencing symptoms of heat stroke should stay in a cool place and have adequate rest. Heat stroke is a serious condition and emergency attention should be sought by calling 911. In the meanwhile the affected teenager should be made free of excessive clothing and should be worn with cool clothes and also put cool water on the skin to lower the temperature. Placing ice bags in armpits also helps. Make the teenager drink cool drinks if the teenager is alert.

Heat strokes are very much preventable if certain precautions are taken like drinking adequate water during hot days, avoiding alcoholic and caffeine drinks, wearing light clothes, exercising in cooler time of the day, wearing sunglasses and hat, using umbrella on a hot day, applying sun cream with a spf of at least 15 etc.

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Drugs to Fight Alzheimer’s

Although there is no known cure yet for Alzheimer’s disease, there are already a number of drugs available worldwide that can help slow down a patient’s cognitive deterioration. The main aim of these Alzheimer’s medications is to try and improve cognitive ability or the person’s capability to think, perceive, judge and recognize.

There are currently five drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that can be used to treat Alzheimer’s. There is ongoing research done all the time to test the effectiveness of such medications since they do not serve as a cure-all for the disease.
These medications may not have the same effects on all patients that are suffering from Alzheimer’s. But such prescription drugs can have significant effects on some of the patients with Alzheimer’s disease and should be given consideration as a possible treatment.

The 5 FDA Approved Medications are:
Aricept
Cognex
Exelon
Razadyne
Namenda

The first four drugs listed above belong to a group of drugs known as Cholinesterase Inhibitors. They work by trying to delay the break down of a substance known as acetylcholine in the brain which helps in bridging communication between nerve cells and has an important role in a person’s memory.

Nameda on the other hand acts on another neurotransmitter called glutamate and shields the brain from then said substance which contributes to the death of brain cells in people with Alzheimer’s disease. This drug is more effective in treating moderate to severe forms of Alzheimer’s disease, improving the day to day life of the person with Alzheimer’s disease.

The most common side effects associated with the drug Nameda include dizziness, confusion, constipation, headache and skin rashes. Some patients may experience less common side effects such as tiredness, back pain, high blood pressure, insomnia, hallucinations, vomiting and occasional shortness of breath.

The drugs Aricept, Exelon and Razadyne are seen to be most effective in treating the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. This group of prescription drugs has been shown to have some modest effect in slowing down the degeneration of a patient’s cognitive abilities.

These drugs can also help in trying to reduce certain behavioral problems usually exhibited by people suffering from Alzheimer’s. When these drugs are administered effectively on an Alzheimer’s patient, they can significantly improve one’s quality of life and more able to cope up with the disease.

Alzheimer’s patients taking these medications may experience some side effects which may not be the same for all patients. Common side effects observed in patients using the drug Aricept include nausea, vomiting, excessive tiredness, sleeping troubles and muscle cramps.

Less frequent observed side effects of the drug are headaches and dizziness with rare cases of patients suffering from anorexia, gastric or duodenal ulcers, gastro-intestinal hemorrhage, bladder overflow obstruction, liver damage, convulsions, heart problems and psychiatric disturbances while using Aricept as medication.

The usual side effects seen in using Exelon as treatment for Alzheimer’s are nausea, vomiting, weight loss, stomach upset and fatigue. Less usual side effects observed with the use of the said drug are abdominal pain, sweating, diarrhea, headaches, tremor, and psychiatric disturbances such as anxiety or depression with rare cases of patients experiencing gastro-intestinal bleeding.

The drug Cognex is used less frequently for Alzheimer’s treatment as it can cause serious liver damage to most patients. Other side effects of the drug include nausea and vomiting. Some patients may also experience some abdominal pain, sore muscles, headache, dizziness, rapid breathing, increased urination, insomnia, runny nose or mouth, swelling in legs and feet when taking Cognex. Some of the most severe side effects associated with using Cornex are liver damage, heart problems and seizures.

The common side effects often reported with the use of Razadyne are nausea, vomiting, appetite loss and weight loss. Less common are fatigue, dizziness, tremor, headaches, abdominal pain, urinary tract infection, blood in urine, runny nose. There are no serious side effects with this drug.

Discovering Hyponatremia and Preventing It!

How many people really know without reaching for a dictionary what hyponatremia is? The bad news is that most people are unaware of what it is, yet it is a very dangerous condition that occurs quite often. Much more often than it really should in fact. To blame for the heightened occurrences is the fact that most people do not understand the proper fluid levels that should be maintained during exercise. This is particularly important during those exercises that are quite intensive such as marathons and endurance activities.

Hyponatremia is so important because it involves the blood sodium levels in the body. It is important that these levels be maintained in a proper proportion in order for the body to remain healthy. If the levels are adjusted through extreme sweating or even an over abundance of water consumption then Hyponatremia can occur which creates several problems. If you are seeing a sports medicine doctor and discussing participating in an endurance activity be sure to thoroughly ask about hyponatremia so that you can avoid it as much as possible.

Hyponatremia is important because it occurs when sodium levels are greatly decreased. This occurs in the normal process of sweating. However, creating the actual problem is when athletes consume large amounts of water continuously, which further reduces the ratio of the blood sodium levels. This lowered ratio is what creates the problems of hyponatremia. However, the solution is sometimes quite easy, but unless you have discussed the problem with your doctor, you are unlikely to know.

Symptoms of hyponatremia are as subtle as a nauseated feeling, some small muscle cramps, possibly being disoriented and even a bit confused mentally. This is quite often mistaken for just simply being dehydrated which will prompt many people to reach for more water to drink, which ultimately makes the problem much worse. Extreme cases of hyponatremia include symptoms such as comas, seizures and in the most extreme cases, death is possible.

In order to really prevent and treat hyponatremia it is vital that you drink a sports drink that contains sodium, or else eat a food with sodium especially higher levels of sodium to quickly restore the proper levels to the body. In addition, cutting back on the plain water consumption until sodium levels are higher is also advised. If you are having severe symptoms, it is best to see a doctor immediately, preferably a sports medicine doctor who is knowledgeable about treatment options.

In order to prevent hyponatremia there are a few things that you can easily do. The first is ensuring that you are keeping a sports energy drink on hand to continuously drink. While drinking water is important as well, the sports energy drink will help replenish sodium levels while the water will flush more sodium from the body.
If you do not have hypertension discuss with your doctor increasing your sodium intake levels for a few days before the endurance event. Only increase your sodium levels under the watchful eye of your doctor or you could create problems with hypertension where none previously existed.

Additionally, it is best to always drink plenty of fluids. The best guideline to use is a cup of fluids, which is 8 ounces for each 20 minutes of activity. If you are engaging in an hour-long endurance activity that would translate into 3 cups of fluids.

Additionally, it is best to only replace fluids that you lose. This means that you should avoid adding additional fluids to your body that are not needed. For example if you lose 2 pounds from fluid loss, you should replace the fluids that were lost. This would not mean drinking more than 4 cups of fluids at a maximum to replace the missing fluids.

With proper precautions, you can avoid having a problem with hyponatremia and instead enjoy participating safely in the endurance activity of your choice. With careful medical treatment and proper prevention, it is not a problem that will force you to stop engaging in sports; rather it can make you more aware of your bodies nutritional requirements.

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