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

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.

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.

 

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.

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

 

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.

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.