Monday, December 14, 2020

Virtual School and ADHD

 

For students with ADHD, virtual school will be more difficult, particularly for elementary students. They have difficulty shifting attention, managing focus on less engaging material, and motor hyperactivity. They also have problems with organization, planning, working memory, and impulse control.  Teachers provide support, reassurance, and confidence when the child becomes frustrated.  Even when the child is properly medicated, it is easier for trained teachers than for parents.

 Things parents can do to help these children to adapt to a virtual classroom include:

·         Promoting good sleep patterns. Adequate, restful sleep is critical to physical health, psychological health, and healthy development. Children with ADHD

have sleep difficulties that may be exacerbated by their medication.  Parents must set and maintain healthy sleep routines.

·         Parents must create routines around the “school day.”  There should be a consistent wake up time and a healthy breakfast.  The children should be allowed to have a short period of enjoyable activity before turning the computer on.

·         Set the stage by minimizing distractions by avoiding rooms with a lot of toys or games that might tempt children.  Mute noisy siblings and listen for sounds of trouble in order to help the ADHD children if they need help.

·         Build in breaks from the computer. Children need a 10 to 15 minute breaks, with maybe even a snack, bathroom break, or an activity to get the wiggles out. They also need a reward at the end of the day.

·         Provide physical activity to improve attention, energy, and sleep.  Getting outside to raise the heart rate up in the sunshine is most important.

·         Know your child and encourage their strengths. Set reasonable goals, be patient, and focus on daily routines

Wednesday, November 4, 2020

Hypothermia

Hypothermia classically occurs from exposure to extreme cold.  Hypothermia can occur even at temperatures as high as 65̊ Fahrenheit, but more often occurs in cold wet weather.  It occurs when the body expends more heat than it creates.  Hypothermia occurs when the core temperature of the body drops.  It can be mild (35̊ to 33̊ C or 95̊ to 93.2̊ F), moderate (33̊ to 28̊ C or 89.6̊ to 80.6̊ F), or severe (below 28̊ C or 80.6̊ F).  Mild hypothermia is usually accompanied by shivering, clumsiness, or incoordination. Shivering disappears around 33̊ to 32̊ C.  As body temperature continues to drop, confusion and disorientation occur, followed by coma. A rectal or esophageal temperature is necessary to accurately determine if hypothermia is present. A special mercury thermometer or thermistor probes are essential to obtain an accurate reading.  Hypothermia can occur from exposure to cold outdoors or even extreme cold in the home

Even though hypothermia can happen when children play outdoors in very cold weather, exposure in a parked car is a possibility. Leaving children in cars is very dangerous in cold weather and hypothermia can happen in minutes. Their small body mass makes young children more prone to heat loss and hypothermia than adults.  Children also have less fat, which helps to serve as protective insulation.  Sitting in a small confined space leads to hypothermia faster.  The interior of a car becomes cold quickly and it should be a rule never to leave any living creature alone in a car, regardless of the temperature.

Friday, October 23, 2020

Myths about Fever in Children

Most parents believe that a fever indicates that a child is seriously ill and that a high fever will cause brain damage in children.  Fever is actually the immune system fighting a virus or bacteria.    Fever may not feel friendly, but it is not necessarily a foe.  It helps the body fight the infection. Temperatures vary throughout the day and differ by age, activity level, and other factors. Most doctors consider 100.4 F to 100.9 F as the beginning of a fever, but parents will give Tylenol for elevated temperatures (below 100 F).

 

The following are important things to know about fever.

·         Normal temperature taken by mouth is 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. 

·         A high temperature may indicate serious illness in teens and adults, but may not in children under 12. 

·         Rectal temperatures are most accurate, but are most important in the first 6 months of life. Armpit (axillary) temperature is appropriate for any age.  A digital multiuse thermometer may be the only kind needed. 

·         Children with a fever should be kept comfortable and be given lots of fluids, ice chips, and popsicles.  Dress them in light clothing. Tylenol may be alternated with ibuprofen.

·         If the child is not too uncomfortable and the fever not too high, it does not necessarily need to be treated.

 

Friday, October 9, 2020

Earworms

Earworms are not parasitic nematodes (round worms) that live in your ear.  They are sometimes known as a brain worm, sticky music, or stuck song syndrome.  Earworms are a catchy piece of music that repeats through a person’s mind when it is no longer playing.  Songs with lyrics may account for a little over 73% of earworms. While about 90 percent of people experience earworms at least once a week, music lovers have more frequent and longer earworm episodes.  Men and women experience earworms equally, but they tend to last longer and irritate women more. 

Although there are many postulations regarding the cause of earworms, why we get them remains a scientific mystery.  We do know that short catchy tunes are most likely to get stuck rather than a symphony.  Some things exacerbate earworms, such as frequency and duration of exposure to music, worry, stress, fatigue, and idleness. 

Some people can get rid of earworms, but others are unable to.  One technique, called exposure, involves listening to the entire song instead of the snippet that is repeating.  It is like a completion task.  Knowing  the whole thing eliminates need for it to be stuck in your head.  Another form of distraction is to sing the song out loud, but change some of the words or slightly throw off the melody.  This may cause the song to fade.  Another method is to come up with a competing melody to think about.

Sunday, September 20, 2020

Vision and Herbs

There are eye diseases that can lead to blindness, and very little is considered in preventing these problems.  Stresses of environmental chemicals, cigarette smoke and radiation, hormonal levels, and even emotional stress can affect eye inflammation and cell death,  These stressors cause the production of a reactive oxygen species that can not only damage the retina, cornea, and other structures of the eye, but can also damage kidneys, peripheral nerves, joints, heart, and other organs.

 

There are six safe herbs, considered “super herbs,” that may help stop this type of damage.  Many supplements for vision or ocular support contain these herbs.  They work to protect eyes as well as other organs and body parts

 

·         Curcumin – stable in stomach acid, helps control some enzymes that cause inflammation

·         Saffron – a kitchen spice that can block enzymes that cause cell damage

·         Lutein and Zeaxanthin – plant based antioxidants for the eye, in yellow-colored fruits and green leafy vegetables

·         Quercetin – a flavonoid found in vegetables, berries, and tea that acts as an antioxidant

·         Resveratrol – helps to prevent formation of reactive oxygen species,improves heart health and slows diabetes

·         Danshen – Chinese herb containing antioxidants and anti-inflammatory micronutrients that can significantly improve eye health

 

Friday, August 7, 2020

Danger: Unattended Children/Pets Left in Cars

 Children are less able to regulate their body temperature, and extremes will adversely affect them, whether they  result from natural or manmade causes. According to national data, heatstroke deaths are the leading cause of noncrash related auto fatalities for children ages 14 and younger, more than half under 2 years old.  The body of a child heats up faster than that of an adult and most of these deaths occur in the summer.  Even if the outside temperature is 72 degrees, in less than 30 minutes the interior of a car will have reached a deadly temperature.  It does not matter whether the windows are open or closed.  Symptoms of heatstroke require immediate attention and include shock, collapse, a temperature of over 104 degrees, fainting, seizures and inability to walk.  

 Children and pets left in cars can die of heatstroke in minutes.  However, in this country, hundreds of pets also die after being left in hot cars.  The American Veterinary Medicine Association reminds us that before a pet is put in a vehicle, ask if you really need to take the pet with you.  If the answer is no, leave the pet safely at home.

Friday, July 17, 2020

Insect Repellents


People should use insect repellents to protect themselves and their children while outdoors. The ideal repellent should be efficient against a large number of arthropods (insects), have long duration of effect, be nonirritating and nontoxic, acceptable cosmetically, cost effective, chemically stable, and should not damage or stain clothing.  Problem insects and results of stings and exposures to them vary widely across the United States.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends products should be applied to clothing and exposed skin only. To minimize inhalant exposure, spray formulations should be applied outdoors.  When children return indoors, their skin should be washed with soap and water and their clothing should be laundered before wearing again.  READ LABELS CAREFULLY  BEFORE USING ANY PRODUCT.  AAP product recommendations are below.

·         DEET - most widely used and data on safety and efficacy.  Effective against ticks, fleas, chiggers, mosquitoes, gnats, and some flies. Products containing no more than 30% DEET are recommended for children. Can damage clothing and plastics in high concentrations.

·         IR3535 - 7.5% not effective against mosquitoes. Many products also contain sunscreen that decreases the efficiency of the sunscreen.  Avoid products that contain both.

·         Picaridin - products containing no more than 10% picaridin for children.

·         Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus – not recommended for use in children under 3 years old.

·         Catmint, essential/botanical oils, and Citronella - inferior to DEET, picaridin or IR3535, data for use in children is limited.  Good safety profile, varying evidence of efficacy, last only for short periods. Higher concentrations can cause skin irritation.


Friday, June 19, 2020

Vitamin D Supplementation


Vitamin D is very important to human health.  It plays a crucial role in disease prevention and maintaining optimal health. It also has a role in calcium homeostasis and metabolism.  Vitamin D first became famous when it was realized that it would prevent rickets in children and since 1933 has been added to milk in this country.  Rickets is still a problem in many countries because breast milk is low in vitamin D, and exposure to the sun may be limited by social customs and climatic conditions.  Low vitamin D levels are a worldwide problem in the elderly and common in children and some adults.

Supplementation of vitamin D is controversial, and some estimates place levels of insufficient vitamin D in up to 85 percent of people.  In a study of Hawaiian surfers, 60 percent were deficient in vitamin D. Most people are unware they have a deficiency.  Supplemental vitamin D comes in two forms, ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) and cholecalciferol (vitamin D3).  The body must convert either form into a more active form.  Magnesium is required for the activation of vitamin D.  In people who are magnesium deficient, vitamin D is stored in its inactive form.    

Some in the medical world feel that D3 is converted 500 percent faster than D2.  D2 is prescribed by most physicians and must be obtained by prescription.  It will be converted into D3 and then the more active form in the body.  D3 is available without a prescription and as a nutritional supplement.  Some people do not absorb the tablet form of vitamin D, but will absorb the liquid form.  There are physicians who believe by taking vitamin D the demand for vitamin K2 is increased, and that for every 1,000 IUs of Vitamin D you will benefit from about 100 to 200 micrograms of vitamin K2.

Wednesday, June 10, 2020

Did You Know That?


·         An anti-inflammatory diet protects women against fractures and bone loss.
·         Drinking wine is associated with increased possibilities of melanoma.
·         Half of adults and two-thirds of children drink one or more sugary drinks every day.
·         Processed food and fast food tend to be high in salt and sugar and low in fiber.
·         More than a third of injury-related emergency room visits are attributed to falls.
·         Peppermint oil has been shown to reduce tension headaches when applied to the temples.
·         Sesame oil has significant cardiovascular benefits.
·         Urinary bladders can hold more than two cups of urine.
·         Most people blink about 15 times a minute, which amounts to around 15,000 times a day.
·         Although used culinarily as grain, amaranth, quinoa, and buckwheat are not grains. Grains are seeds of the plants in the grass family, and these plants are not in the grass family.  They are more accurately classified as pseudograins.
·         A berberine herbal supplement works as well for lowering blood sugar for some diabetics as metformin.  Research suggests it may also reduce risk in developing diabetes.
·         Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States.

Friday, May 22, 2020

Laundry: The Eternal Chore


Laundry is the eternal chore that must always be done.  Many of us make mistakes regarding how we handle our laundry, and it can affect our health.  For example, TV has lead us to believe that unless our clothes smell “spring fresh,” they are not clean.  This affects those of us who are adversely sensitive to fragrances.  Even “masking fragrances,” designed to cover unpleasant chemical smells of a product will negatively affect the sensitive person and cause them to have symptoms.  Fabric softeners are scented and contain over five chemicals that are neurotoxic and carcinogenic.  Reading labels is of extreme importance to avoid harmful exposures.  Watch for the words “scent, fragrance, or masking fragrance” anywhere in the label.

The temperature at which clothes become clean during washing has changed over the years.  Washing machines now operate at higher temperatures, and in today’s world detergents are formulated with enzymes that become active at 60 degrees Fahrenheit.  Above 75 degrees they are less effective and, at this heat, blood stains will be set and some fabrics and colors will be damaged.  Washing clothes at around 65 degrees will clean them, but it will not sanitize them.  Chlorine bleach will sanitize them, but can wipe out the color of a fabric.  Nonchlorine bleaches will not bleed colors, but they will not sanitize laundry.  Sanitizing may be important if washing baby diapers or the sheets and bedding of a contagious sick person.

In most cases people do not need sanitized laundry.  They just need clean clothes.  Many people in the US wear an item of clothing only once and then wash it.  People are washing clean clothes.  If clothing does not have visible stains, hanging it up and airing it out is all that is necessary before wearing it again.  Clothing worn when exercising is a different situation as our bodies sweat and detoxify while we exercise.  This clothing should never be worn numerous times as rewearing it can cause these toxins to be absorbed.

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Sleep Hygiene


Sleep hygiene deals with all factors that may interfere with sleep.  It is a series of habits and activities that will improve ability to fall asleep and stay asleep.  It will increase the chances of getting better sleep, and can be of some help for virtually every type of sleep problem.

The bedroom is very important in sleep hygiene and combating sleep problems.  It should be clean, quiet, and at times an air cleaner may be helpful.  The bed should have a comfortable mattress and pillows, and both should be replaced whenever they are no longer comfortable.  Bedding should all be washable.  Clock watching, reading, and television in bed can occupy attention and prohibit sleep.  The only two activities for which the bed should be used are sleeping and sex.

Reduce all types of noise and dim light sources in the evening.  Sleep in total darkness and avoid exposure to a bright light if you have to get up.  Try to get sunlight in the mornings.  Keep the bedroom at a temperature comfortable for sleeping.  Allow enough time for sleep and keep a regular sleeping schedule, even on weekends.  Diet, exercise too close to bedtime, caffeine, and alcohol can all adversely affect sleep, as can smoking.  If you practice good sleep hygiene and still do not wake up feeling refreshed and alert more help is required.  See a physician for more help.

Friday, April 10, 2020

Is It Safe to Eat Moldy Food?


Foods inevitably mold and the question arises, “Is it safe to eat moldy food?”   Tossing large amounts of food can seem to be uneconomical and people hesitate to do it.  However in some cases eating moldy food can cause serious consequences.  There are certain rules that never change regarding the safety of eating moldy food.

If the food is hard, such as a brick of cheese or a carrot, the moldy section can be cut off (plus about one inch around it) and the food safely eaten.  Small mold spots can be trimmed off of firm vegetables.  To avoid spreading the mold, care must be exercised to keep the knife out of the moldy areas. Soft foods should be thrown away when mold is spotted.  The “roots” of mold can permeate soft foods, contaminating areas that appear to be mold free.  Molds also release toxins (mycotoxins) that can be present in the food.  Foods with high moisture content, left-over meats and casseroles, yogurt, jams and jellies, soft fruits and vegetables, bread and baked goods, peanut butter, legumes, and nuts must all be discarded if moldy.  Soft cheeses must be discarded, but cheeses such as Brie and Camembert should be discarded only if they contain mold that is not a part of the manufacturing process. If you have fruit that is about to mold or spoil, toss it in the freezer and blend it later to make smoothies. 

Moldy food should be placed in a paper or plastic bag before it is discarded.  Do not attempt to smell moldy food to see if it has spoiled.  This can introduce mold spores into your respiratory tract.  You may also have to discard food that possibly touched the moldy area as molds can spread quickly, particularly in produce.  Proper food storage will help prevent food spoilage. 

Thursday, March 12, 2020

Diet Drinks May Not Be Wonderful


Many people believe that drinking diet soda will allow them to “have their cake and eat it too” and control their weight.  Research has repeatedly shown that artificially sweetened no- or low- calorie drinks and other diet foods actually stimulate appetite, increase cravings for carbohydrates, and stimulate fat storage and weight gain. In fact diet soda drinkers suffer from the same health problems as those who drink regular soda.  These health problems include excessive weight gain, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and stroke.

Artificial sweeteners trigger enhanced activity in the pleasure centers of the brain, yet provide less satisfaction.  The brain craves more of it because there is no satisfaction on a cellular level by the sugar imposter.  This can contribute to overeating and weight gain as well as an addiction to artificial sweeteners.  Recent studies show that older women who drink at least two diet drinks a day are more likely to have a heart attack, stroke, or other cardiovascular issue. The reason for this is unclear, but it is possible that there are feedback mechanisms that are disrupted.

Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Terpenes/ Terpenoids


Terpenes and terpenoids are a large class of organic compounds found mainly in plants.  The only difference between them is that terpenes contain only carbon and hydrogen, while terpenoids also contain oxygen.  They are in all parts of a plant, including the leaves, stems, flowers, and pollen.  They occur in the essential oils of plants obtained by steam distilling plants.  They are responsible for odors (fragrances) and colors of many plants.  Turpentine is a terpene, and the distinctive odor of juniper and piƱon trees is caused by terpenes.  Terpenes also occur in animals and are building blocks within nearly every living creature.  Steroids are produced from terpenoid precursors. 

People who are chemically sensitive are often sensitive to terpenes.  They may develop symptoms and problems from fragrances associated with many different products, including essential oils. Terpenes are encountered in many places and are natural flavor additives for food; fragrance elements in perfumes; and have traditional and alternative medicinal uses.  They are additives in many commercial products and may play a large role in pollen allergy.  All plants contain terpenes and their levels go up about a month before the plant pollinates.  People frequently have symptoms to both the terpenes and the pollen.

Monday, January 27, 2020

Food and Arthritis


Foods, particularly foods to which there is a sensitivity or allergy, can cause joints to ache and deteriorate.  Although any joint can be affected, hip, knee, and ankle joints may become excruciatingly painful if these foods are eaten.  The thumb joint can also be painful.  Some people choose to eat the foods occasionally with full knowledge that their painful joints will adversely affect their sleep and ability to move for several days.  Sometimes the ankles become so painful the person has difficulty walking or may even become unable to walk for a time. 

Sugar, wheat, pork, and foods in the Nightshade Family (a botanical family) tend to exacerbate arthritic pain.  The Nightshade Family includes tomatoes, potatoes, all peppers, eggplant, and pimentos.  (Tobacco is also in the Nightshade family.)  Even potato chips can trigger pain in some people.  Peppers of all kinds (especially bell peppers and chili peppers) are problematic for many people with arthritis.  It may take 6 to 9 months of total avoidance to determine if members of the Nightshade Family are affecting arthritis.

Thursday, January 16, 2020

The Importance of Magnesium

Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in our bodies.  It is important in a wide variety of biochemical processes in the body and is required for the production of more than 300 different enzymes.  If the body does not have enough magnesium, it cannot function optimally.  Insufficient cellular magnesium levels can affect metabolic function that leads to serious health problems.  Magnesium works in tandem with calcium, vitamins D and K2.  Eating processed food is a primary risk factor for magnesium deficiency.  Stress, lack of sleep, alcohol consumption, and use of some prescription drugs (diuretics, statins, fluoride and fluoride-containing drugs) can also cause the loss of magnesium.

Among the most common symptoms that magnesium is lacking are “Charlie horses” (muscle spasms that occur when you stretch your legs), fatigue or weakness, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, and headaches or migraines.  More serious symptoms include abnormal heart rhythms and coronary spasms, muscle cramps and contractions, seizures, numbness and tingling, and personality changes.  All of these are warning signs that you may need to correct a magnesium deficiency. Deficiencies can be improved/corrected by eating a varied diet, being careful to include plenty of dark-green leafy vegetables. It is important to remember that magnesium content of foods depends on the amount of magnesium in the soil in which a plant was grown.  Some people must add a magnesium supplement if sufficient magnesium is not present in their diet.