BREASTFEEDING MAY PROTECT AGAINST CHILDHOOD ASTHMA

It is a chronic lung disease which cause inflammation and narrowing of the airways .  And the airways become swollen and sensitive and they react strongly to certain allergens .  Asthma can also be exercise induced .

 

 CAUSES

Congenital

Animals

Pollen allergy

Change in the weather

Dust

Fast fragrance ( soap , shampoo )

 

SIGNS

Chest tightness

Shortness of breadth

Cough with or without sputum

Wheezing

Difficulty in breathing

Cyanosis

Palpatations

PREVENTION

Breast feeding is protective against childhood asthma . The infant should be exclusively breastfed for 6 months to prevent asthma . Although it does not eliminate the disease but decreases its incidence upto 2 years of age

It is very important that one should identify those agents which trigger asthma attack in a patient . There are a number of allergens and irritants . It is very important to know which allergen or irritant worsens the symptoms .

Carpets , curtains and mattresses should be regularly cleaned and carpets can be avoided in case of severe disease .

Avoid working in outdoors on hot and humid days .

Avoid cigratte smoking

Keep your food and garbage in closed containers .

During pollen season , try to keep yourself indoors specially in the morning hours Stay away from dust and keep your house dirt clean .

Regular intake  of medication to prevent acute attack

Regular checkup

HEPATITIS A : SPREADING BECAUSE OF LACK OF AWARENESS

It is basically the inflammation of the liver caused by the hepatitis A virus . It is basically a self limiting disease .  It may be transmitted from one person to another by taking food or water contaminated by virus . The disease is common in the countries with poor hygienic standards . Hepatitis A is an epidemic which normally occurs in children .

HOW CAN YOU GET HEPATITIS

If you drink or eat food or water contaminated by the stool of the person having hepatitis A .

If u get in contact with the blood of the person having hepatitis A .

Having oral or anal sex wit the affected person .

SIGNS                

Fever

Shivering

Diarrhea

Fatigue

Generalized weakness                                                               

Anorexia

Nausea                                                                                               

Dark urine

Jaundice

 

PREVENTION

Washing hands after using toilet and changing diapers

Boiling water for 5 minutes

Blood transfusion with screening

Vaccination against hepatitis A

 Wash fruits and vegetables during trip to countries where hepatitis A is endemic .

HIV : THE CULPRIT OF AIDS

HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus . It is a virus that causes AIDS .  . This virus affects the immune system of the body and weakens it to such an extent that the body is unable to fight against simple infections and the patient gets vulnerable to various infections . So different infections take advantage of the weakened immune system . And the body gets diseased with any infection which comes in its way .

CAUSES

Multiple sexual partners

Unsafe sex

Using shared blades and syringes

Affected blood transfusion

From affected mother to child

Accidental inoculation from patient to health care worker

SIGNS

Persistence of fever , weakness , anorexia and weight loss

Diarrhea lasting for more than a week

Pneumonia

Easy fatigability

Depression and memory loss

Weight loss

Red brown spots on the skin , mouth or eyelids

Swollen eyelids

 

PREVENTION

Safe sex and use of condoms

Discarding needles after use

Screening blood carefully before transfusion and avoiding unnecessary blood transfusion

Preventing mother to child transmission by use of drugs and delivery by means of elective cesarean section

MENTAL RETARDATION : A PROBLEM WHICH REALLY AFFECTS

It is a condition which is diagnosed before 18 years of age which includes those children who have a below average intellectual function and lack of general skills . Mental retardation  is considered to be a common disease which manifests with the increasing age but the problem starts when the disease appears before 18 years of age . About 1-3% of the world is suffering from this disease  but the cause is found in only 25% of cases .

child suffering from cytomegalovirus infection

CAUSES

Congenital infections

Chromosomal abnormalities

Genetic abnormalities

Hypothyroidism

Hyperbilirubinemia

Malnutrition

                                                               Birth asphyxia

                                                               Iodine deficiency in the diet

                                                               Trauma to head

SIGNS

Children has difficulty in talking and understanding . He might have delayed milestones and may start talking late .

Impaired memory

Impaired problem solving skills

Not able to take care of himself

PREVENTION

Improving the nutritional status of the community as a whole specially the female child

Intake of balanced diet by the pregnant women

Reducing low birth weight and premature birth

Folic acid supplementation in pregnancy to avoid the neural tube defects

Avoiding teenage and old age pregnancies

Vaccination of pregnant women

Vaccination of the children according to the EPI schedule

Avoidance of inter marriages

Safe delivery by skilled birth attendants

  

CHILD ABUSE : A SOCIAL DILEMA

Child abuse is physical , sexual , psychological or emotional maltreatment of the children . It is an act of commissions or omissions by parents or caregivers that may result in harm to the child  .It might be a deliberate act but not always . It may involve slapping , kicking , burning bruising , pulling hair or shaking a child which may result in any kind of trauma to the children . Although the physical abuse is something that is evident but other type of abuses have long lasting effects on the personality of children .Mostly the children are abused in their home . Physical and sexual abuse of the children destroys their personality  and  confidence .

                                      

CAUSES        

Neglect of food , education health facilities by the parents .

Loneliness

Overwork by the children

Punishing the children off and on

     

  SIGNS

The child is withdrawn , fearful and anxious .

Shows extremes of behavior .

Unexplained injuries on the body of the child .

Late or missing from the school .

Runs away from home .

PREVENTION

Giving proper food and residence to the patient

Strong family system

Social awareness

Proper education system

Social organizations for preventing child abuse

Special measures for affected children

                                                                                                                         

                                                       

DENTAL CARIES : HOW COMMON

It is also called erosion or cavities of the tooth . It is one of the most common disease in the world today. It occurs in both children and adults and mainly results from bad dental hygiene . They are painless in the beginning but become painful later on . It is a pathological process in which there is destruction of tooth structure by the micro-organisms. Bacteria destroy the outer layer of the teeth  which results in the infection of the teeth.

 

SYMPTOMS

Whitish spots on the teeth

Pain in the teeth

Feeling of cold and hot in the teeth

Bad smell from the mouth

Bad taste in the mouth

PREVENTION

Eat balanced diet . Constantly drinking throughout the day should be avoided .

Daily brushing and flossing of the teeth

Routine checkup and cleaning of the teeth

Healthy diet till 5 years of age

Intake of balanced diet during pregnancy

Avoidance of taking sweets before sleep specially in infants

TREATMENT

Apply 2% sodium fluoride on children’s teeth till 5 years of age

Mouth wash is good for bad smell in the mouth

Use of calcium and fluoride by the patient .

ADOLESCENT HEALTH PROBLEMS

EARLY ADOLESCENSE

As soon as the child becomes an adult he/ she has to face certain problems , which might effect their health . Many mental problems also emerge in adulthood such as anxiety , depression and eating disorders . There is also risk of risky sexual behavior , STDs including HIV , violence and substance abuse .   Eating disorders , poor eating , excessive eating and excessive  exercise are also common in thisage group . there are multiple causes of these adolescent health issues .

CAUSES OF ADOLESCENT HEALTH PROBLEMS

Intake of imbalanced diet

Use of facial creams

Stress

Future concerns and carrier stress

                           Eyesight problems

                                      Bad company

                            Being lonely and not sharing problems with parents

PREVENTION

It is very important to pay specific attention to health of adolescents  . Everybody should be aware of these problems and their cause . So that adequate measures can be taken for their prevention . Parents specially should be aware of these issues and help out their children . They should give children proper time and company in a friendly envoirnment .

 

IMPORANT MEASURES

Use of balanced diet

Sharing problems with elders and parents

Adequate sleep

Healthy activities

Exercise

Games and healthy sports

                                    

HEROINE ADDICTION : A KILLER

Heroine  is a highly addictive drug derived from morphine  . About thousands of people become heroine addict everyday . The drug quickly overpowers the body and many of the people who never wanted to be addicted to it become an addict .Heroine addiction can be  dangerous physically and psychologically  . In the start heroine addiction is pleasing and soothing for the body . But afterwards it becomes a necessity and the human body becomes dependant on it .  With continuous use the body gets used to heroine  and one has to increase the dose of drug  to achieve the same level of pleasure .

EFFECTS OF THE DRUG

 It has adverse affects on the brain , heart and  muscular system . Excess use of heroine affects the respiratory system  . As well as can cause  dry mouth , nausea ,vomiting ,abcesses , cellulitis , liver disease , muscular cramps and irritability .IV use of the drug can result in the spread of hepatitis and AIDS due to sharing of needles by IV drug abusers . The drug can even be deadly because of the liver failure and over dosage .

PREVENTION

Keep indulged in healthy activities .

Avoid bad company .

Better opportunities for employment  by the government .

Awareness of public through media .

Rehabilitation centres for addicts .

Advertisements for prevention of addiction in children .