Excessive Sweating In Children

If you notice excessive sweating in children, many times we perceive it to be a common phenomenon. This is justified as children are known to spend a considerable amount of their time playing in engaging in physical exertion. As such, they tend to sweat a lot more. However all may not be well and at times excessive sweating in children denotes a continuous and ongoing problem for the youngster. In case you observe that your ward or child is sweating incessantly, it's time to pay heed and take corrective action. Do confirm if the child has been experiencing excessive sweating even when they are in school or may be at other times that do not involve physical exertion. If the child answers in the affirmative or if you can clearly notice such an occurrence, it's important that you seek help.

Obviously, excessive sweating in children does not necessarily refer to Hyperhydrosis, but could be a tell tale sign. Since we are not professionals and would not be able to make an accurate judgment, seeking medical help is a great option. A few routine tests can determine the cause of excessive sweating in children. This can help determine what is plaguing the child and how his/her situation can be improvised.

In most instances, excessive underarm perspiration problems seem to start in ones adolescent years. However in case of the palm and sole, excess sweating starts a lot in a majority of cases. The armpit sweating concerns start to develop rapidly around the child's early teenage years in most cases. Now as adults we do realize how embarrassing sweating at all times can be. Excess sweating has many drawbacks and can influence a patient in a depressing manner. As adults we realize the implications, as children the situation is a lot tougher. Excessive sweating in children can cause uniforms to be stained and could cause increased body odor.

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Children and adolescents with Hyperhidrosis are in fact not only enduring a medical problem but tend to suffer a strong psychological setback. This is because their condition could cause them to be the butt of jokes at school. For this it may not always be possible to blame the other kids as children think in a very different manner. However, for a child who is ridiculed, facing school life becomes increasingly difficult. They start to undergo tremendous social embarrassment that is wholly connected to their excessive sweating condition. Continuous teasing can cause children to develop a low esteem. Many times, excessive sweating in a child can cause others to shun an affected child. This could be a very traumatizing experience and could cause the child to behave like a social outcast. Apart from this, excessive sweating in children could cause serious outcomes. This includes experiencing great difficulty in concentrating in school, obscurity and evasion of social situations.

Excessive sweating in children makes them rather self conscious and causes them to shy away from interactions. This is because , sick kids feel insecure and are in the search of a safe haven where they are not placed with others who would ridicule them, obviously parents will have serious concern regarding a child's behavior. Since it is difficult to pacify the child or help them see the situation, it is important that you seek proper guidance at the earliest possible. Apart from this it is essential that early treatment is introduced as this can greatly improve the child's quality of life. The situation may need psychiatric intervention and parents could also enroll in related forums and introduce children into help groups so they can help retain their lost faith.

How to Get a Good Night's Sleep Without Using Drugs

Sadly, too few people do not get the sleep they need in their day. They struggle with it and they fight with it to get the best sleep they can before they have to go off to work the next day. Worse still, many people cure their sleep with drugs, including sleeping pills, that can do more harm than good.

However, there are some tips that you can use to get a good night sleep without drugs, and simply by altering your daily habits.

Do not nap during the day because if you have trouble sleeping during the day, napping will throw off your body clock and make it even tougher for you to sleep during the night. If you do nap, do it early in the day and for no more than 30 minutes.

Limit your intake of caffeine and alcohol. If you drink too many caffeinated or liquor beverages, you can seriously disrupt your sleep. The same is true with smoking, so avoid it.

Try and expose yourself to sunlight and bright lights when you wake up in the morning since this will help regulate your body's natural biological clock. Exercise early in the day, for 20 to 30 minutes, will help you sleep. Do not exercise at night, only in the morning or afternoon, because body activity can make it more difficult to fall asleep.

Iron in your body has a lot to say about how well you sleep. An iron deficiency can lead to problems sleeping, and if you have poor iron in your body, you may need to think about taking a supplement to help you sleep.

Your bed is for sleeping, so make it the place for sleeping. If you watch television, read and work in bed, then your body will not recognize that the bed is a place for rest and intimacy. It will recognize it as a place where you are active throughout the day. The bedroom should be peaceful and quiet. If there is a lot of outside noise from your bedroom, then do what you can to filter it out with a fan or white noise machine.

Scheduling your sleeping habits is very important. Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, even on the weekends, to keep your body regular and not out of whack. Do not oversleep and do not go to bed too late. Get into the habit of certain bedtime rituals, including through soft music, herbal tea and other things to let your body know its time to sleep.

Do not eat before bed. If you eat before bed, you will have to deal with your body working to digest food, which can interrupt your sleep. Go to bed when you are tired, and fall asleep when you are sleepy. When you feel tired, just get in bed and read a book until you begin to doze off, then go to sleep.

Sleeping is very important, but not enough people get the sleep that they need on a regular basis. By incorporating good sleeping habits, you will be able to enjoy a good night sleep, and that means a better day afterwards.

People Affected by Insomnia

Studies estimate that up to one-third of American adults experience a form of insomnia each year, with up to 20% suffering from severe sleeplessness. In spite of this widespread problem, studies suggest only 30% of American adults who visit their doctor discuss sleep as an issue. On the other hand, doctors rarely inquire of their patients about their sleep issues or habits.

Independent studies indicate the three primary risk factors that attribute insomnia are: psychiatric issues, physical complaints and chronic pain. In fact, about 90% of people with depression also have insomnia. Physical complaints such as headaches and chronic pain with no associated cause are main factors for insomnia.

There is a high incidence insomnia and depression coincide with somatic symptoms (chronic pain). Further, insomnia worsens conditions involving chronic pain for people who are not depressed. Typically headaches manifesting during the early morning or night could be caused by sleep issues. In one of the studies, patients who were treated for their insomnia, over 65% reported their headaches disappeared.

Interestingly, insomnia typically affects more women than men, although men are not completely immune from the disorder. As people age, the quality of sleep deteriorates equally in both men and women. A major study demonstrated as males age from their teens to their 50s, they lose up to 80% of their ability to achieve deep sleep.

During that same time period, light sleep increases and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep remains unchanged. After age 44 REM and total sleep diminish and awakenings increase. This study did not include females, and there is some evidence to indicate that women are not as affected as they age as men. However, young adult women suffer from sleep disorders due to both biologic and cultural reasons.

Various women issues have been linked to insomnia such as hormonal events, like premenstrual syndrome, menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause. These conditions are natural, and in most cases, sleep disturbance is temporary and can be mitigated with both sleep hygiene and the passage of time.

After childbirth, most women develop a high sensitivity to the sounds of their children, which causes them to wake easily. Women who have had children sleep less efficiently than women who have not had children. It is possible that many women never unlearn this sensitivity and continue to wake easily long after the children have grown.

Generally, other groups of people likely to suffer from sleep issues include those who travel frequently (jet lag), those suffering from chronic stress and individuals suffering injuries to the brain. Most Americans achieve 7 hours of sleep a night or less. To be more mentally alert and to avert the risk of other serious health issues, doctors suggest people get a full 8 hours of restful sleep per night.

Autism - Proprioception and Sensory Needs - What I Do to Help My Son Settle and Sleep

My four year old is a bundle of energy. He flits from one thing to the next without a breath. Diagnosed with Autism and also ADHD he has many of the usual difficulties faced by children with this diagnosis. When I talk about proprioception in relation to my son I am talking about some of these challenges.

Proprioception is about knowing where we are in our space. Most of us can tell if we are standing straight or leaning, near an object or farther away. For Billy this is not always the case. Before his diagnosis and before I had any sort of understanding of his world, he drove me crazy... Don't get me wrong, I love this little boy to the extreme, however - not one night went by without he ended up not only in my bed, but trying to sleep so pressed against me that I had to hold myself from falling out. Day after day, he would run around and around our house with countless bumps and falls. His constant need to feel surfaces against him as he ran would result in all sorts of injuries. As a mum it was horrible to see him bumping himself all the time, but because at that time I did not understand what he needed, the attempts to help him were not enough. Reading books and working with our OT has changed things for the better and once I began to understand my sons condition I could be more proactive. Taking a look at what I had been doing, I realised that I was on the right track, but I had to do more.

Problem - Billy needs to concentrate to gain sensory input from the world around him. Nuro-typicals do not.

The answer - Give him what he needs.

These are some of the strategies that I am using with Billy.

Swinging Hammock - Billy has a hammock that is attached under our veranda with both ends tied in the one spot. This means the hammock is like a pocket for him to climb into. He gets in on his tummy and can spin himself around, back and forth, side to side. While he is doing this he is getting a pressure feedback against his skin and body that is sending messages to his brain and allowing his system to relax and not have to think about where he is.

Trampoline - Trampolines are great in so many ways. Billys has a cover over it and he can go out there when ever needed. Sometimes he is so unsettled at night that he asks to go out and jump just to help him relax. He has a 2 minute timer that he takes with him. When the timer goes off he comes back in and settles down. The netted trampolines provide an enclosed place to play and also is a spot we use for his activities. Billy has many crash mats that we use for him to jump into and these can be put onto the tramp and he can jump around in them while bouncing. Like everything, you need to be careful while on the trampoline with children.

Crash mats - As I mentioned "crash mats" can be used anywhere. We have them on our veranda as well as in Billys room. They are mainly bean bags filled with foam offcuts but the ones that work best are the big ones made from old dooner covers. Just get offcuts from places like clark rubber and fill the cover, then sew it up. Make sure that there is enough foam in the bag for it to be safe to jump on and also provide a good safe area for them to play in while using it. Make sure little kids are not able to get under the crash mats especially while the big kids are using them.

Blankets - Squash Squash Squash - Billy and his brother love this game. Just pack some blankets under them and then also on top - make sure you only cover their mid section so that their head and legs are free. Light pressure only is needed, but make a lot of noise about it. I tend to say silly things like 'Im a squissy monster, I'm going to squish you" - They laugh at me and love it. Billy tells me he likes to be a Billy sandwich, meaning that he is in the middle of the blankets.

Obstacle games - These ones are great, you get them down on the floor going under things, using all fours (this is great locality sensation for their system and also has many other benefits in the cognitive functions) climb around and in between objects, make a pillow mountain to climb over and then do a puzzle while laying under the coffee table. (anything you can come up with that will challenge them safely.)

Weighted toys - Weighted blankets and toys are fairly new to me. Since diagnosis I understand much more, but before that when someone suggested a weighted blanket I thought the idea was ridiculous because my children never liked to have any covering on them to sleep at all and if they did it had to be the exact one that they had chosen. It did not make sense to me that a child that did not like anything to touch him, should have a heavy weighted blanket on him to help him sleep. - Then I found out what was really the issue with Billy and his brother. It is actually the light touch of the sheet or blanket that is the problem. It is not that they don't like anything touching them, it is that they don't like to light touch of things. It took no time for Billy to take to his weighted blanket. Not only that, he also has a 2 kilogram weighted snake that he runs with around his neck and also has beside him while he sleeps. Running with the snake does not stop him, but you would be amazed as to how much slower and safer he is with it on. ( It also has the added benefit of making him tired carrying it around ) Billy still sleeps with his favourite blanket and it has to be the right way around and very exact, however he also has the weighted blanket over the top. He still ends up in my bed, but thankfully not as often.

There is no 1 magic cure, working with your child to figure out what they need is the key. Don't worry if you are asking the right questions, just keep asking and listen to what they tell you. Many times I have heard my son trying to explain what he is needing but only since I have tuned into his needs am i really hearing him.

If you are reading this right now, you are already trying to understand your child and therefore are well on the way to providing them with their needs. Keep up the good work.

Suzanne

Worms in Children - How to Treat Them and Avoid Them

Thread worms are thriving everyday in the bottoms of little children and affecting their daily activities and causing sleepless nights for many families. It's not a nice experience but easily identified and treated. I am frequently finding worms a problem for our little pre-school aged non-sleepers and mum and dad are horrified. Worms are spread very easily in the community across all social backgrounds and generations. They are spread most commonly in pre-schoolers' because in my experience the only things toddlers share are germs (and love) and this age group are not always efficient at hand washing, particularly before eating.

How do we identify a child with worms?

*An infected child has an itchy bottom!! They will naturally be very irritable during the day, frustrated, uncooperative, fidgety, not be able to sit still, cannot concentrate, argumentative and angry. Often the most common reason for children trying to climb out of the cot is that they have worms.

*You might suspect someone performed a personality transplant on your little angel!

*They want to scratch their bottom and will commonly be seen taking their clothes or nappy off.

*They will walk strangely like they are trying to keep a coin safely between their buttocks and having trouble (imagine).

*They will frequently urinate and or bed wet at night.

*They will not be able to go to sleep and not be able to explain why to you, but will be crying and uncomfortable, not naughty.

What to look for

*If you suspect worms, look for a pinky/red rash about 2cm wide completely around the outside of the genital area

*If you wish to look for worms, keep the room dark, ask for your partners help, comfort the child and 'spring' a torch light onto the exposed bottom. The worms come out at night to lay eggs. This process creates the uncomfortableness and irritability. So in the night time only you will see 1.5cm long wriggling pieces of white sewing cotton, moving fast away from the light, around the anal passage. In girls the worms can crawl into the vagina and be even more irritable.

How to get rid of them

*Firstly, collect as many worms as you can see immediately and dispose of them. Your child will feel calmer after the worms have disappeared from the skin.

*If you have a daughter and you suspect they are in the vaginal area, you can very gently slightly spread open the outer labia (flaps of skin) and if you see any worms, gently roll them onto a cotton bud (q tip). Tissues and cotton balls are too large and you won't be able to see what you are doing. (personal experience) This will provide immediate relief from the irritation of the worms trying to lay eggs in this sensitive area

*Apply a thick layer of Vaseline to the anal area to provide temporary relief to the skin and catch any worms that come out again in the night.

*Wash in hot water/use the dryer/hot sun on all linen, towels and clothing worn by the child. Repeat for the whole family. The worms can live outside the body long enough to infect everyone.

*There are a variety of medications to offer your family. There are one dose liquids, orange chewable tablets and chocolate squares, please do the whole family the day you find the worms and then again 7 days later in case of re-infestation See your pharmacist for the appropriate dose and the minimum age.

*It's a good idea to keep the medication in your medicine cupboard (personal experience), it will be late at night that you discover them, the shops will be closed and no-one can sleep if anyone else has worms crawling out of their bottom!

*Please inform your pre-school/daycare centre if your child has them (even anonymously if embarrassed) so that other families can be on the look out for them and the centre's can be more proactive with hygiene and symptoms in other children. Always think about whether you would appreciate the warning if another child had worms and played with your child.

How do children get worms?

*Through their mouth.

*The worms come out at night to lay their eggs in the tissue around the anal passage, this causes the skin irritation.

*The child scratches their bottom because it's itchy.

*The eggs get under the finger nails and are spread onto everything the child touches: toys, toilets, taps, towels, pencils, chairs, etc.

*The next child/person touches the same objects and then....doesn't wash their hands before eating/ touching the face and they swallow them.

Tip The simplest form of infection control used in hospitals everyday that prevents doctors and nurses from catching all of the bugs in the hospitals is HAND WASHING. Make it a family routine that no-one eats before they have washed and thoroughly dried their hands. Encourage this at pre-school and day care as well. If we start young enough the children will think it as normal as cleaning their teeth before bed or kissing you good bye. It is up to us as parents to start and lead by example with these sensible habits.

(C) Copyright-Natalie Ebrill. All Rights Reserved Worldwide

Dental Sedation and Autism

Oral health care for a child with the diagnosis of autism is not much different from the oral health care of other children. However, children with autism often have difficulty in communication skills, so cooperation from your child might be a difficult challenge when visiting the dentist. For parents of children with autism, a visit to the dentist is more than a child opening his or her mouth and getting a reward after. If your child is too difficult to work with and the need for a dental procedure is urgent enough, a dentist may have no choice but to use dental sedation in order to perform his job.

What is dental sedation? Is it necessary? Is it safe?

Sedation is the utilization of medications called "sedatives" to create a state of relaxation. It is usually done to facilitate a medical, or in this case, dental procedure. There are three levels of sedation that may be used with pediatric patients that require extensive dental care:

-Conscious sedation is inducing a minimally depressed level of consciousness that retains the patient's ability to maintain an open airway independently and continuously and respond appropriately to physical stimulation or verbal commands.

-Deep sedation is a type of sedation in which the patient is not easily aroused and which may be accompanied by a partial loss of protective reflexes, including the ability to maintain an airway or to respond properly to physical stimulation or verbal commands.

-General anesthesia is an induced state of unconsciousness. The patient cannot respond to physical or verbal stimulation of any kind and it will be up to the dentist to insure that an airway is maintained.

Most people immediately associate sedation with general anesthesia, in which the patient is put to sleep during the whole procedure and awakens afterward in a recovery room. However this is normally the last possible choice for a pediatric dentist. He will recommend a lower level of sedation instead if he can, trying to use whichever form of anesthesia has the lowest risk while being effective. To make his decision he will take the child's age, cognitive level, coping and communication skills, physical health, the attitude of the parents toward anesthesia and the urgency of the procedure into consideration.

Although the decision regarding which level of sedation to be used on your child must ultimately be made by the dentist, you as the parent should always have a say in the matter. If you are not comfortable with the suggestion of your dentist, make sure that your concerns about it are heard. To help you further understand the decision the dentist will be making, here are some guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAPD) that the dentist will be using in making his recommendation: (American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, 2010)

The AAPD recommends conscious sedation for:

-Preschool children who cannot understand or cooperate for definitive treatment

-Patients requiring dental care who cannot cooperate due to lack of psychological or emotional maturity

-Patients requiring dental treatment who cannot cooperate due to a cognitive, physical or medical disability

-Patients who require dental care but are fearful and anxious and cannot cooperate for Treatment

The AAPD recommends deep sedation or general anesthesia for:

-Patients with certain physical, mental or medically compromising conditions

-Patients with dental restorative or surgical needs for whom local anesthesia is ineffective

-The extremely uncooperative, fearful, anxious or physically resistant child or adolescent with substantial dental needs and no expectation that the behavior will improve soon

-Patients who have sustained extensive orofacial or dental trauma Patients with dental needs who otherwise would not receive comprehensive dental care

Sedation Procedure

Dental Sedations are usually done in an outpatient dental clinic that is well-equipped. The whole procedure usually won't take more than 90 minutes for most procedures. Although some details vary depending on the dentist's practice among other things, in general the process will go like this:

-Initial assessment of the pediatric dentist and scheduling of the actual procedure.

-Consent signing by the parents

-Guidelines are given prior to the procedure - your child will be asked to go on a NPO (nothing per orem or mouth) diet 6-8 hours before the procedure. This is a standard operating procedure for any sedation process. It will aid in the proper ventilation of your child and will avoid any episodes of vomiting after the procedure is done.

-Sedation medication is introduced via injection, an IV line, rectal line (just like when you give suppositories for fever), orally or through inhalation.

-Dental procedures are done. Your child may or may not be strapped onto a papoose board. Papoose boards restrain the child's limbs and help in stabilizing your child during the procedure. Oxygen and pulse oximeters should be available and used if the need arises.

-Monitoring of the patient until sedative wears off.

Safety of Sedation

Sedation is an accepted standard of care. The 3 levels of sedation are all accepted and supported by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the American Dental Association, the American Medical Association, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Pediatrics dentists are also trained and certified to perform sedation as part of their profession. Usually, dentists who specialize in treating pediatric patients are also well equipped to handle children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

How to Handle Difficult Behavior of 10-11 Year Old Children

Handling difficult behavior of 10-11 year old children is never an easy task; however, read further for some great tips on how mange their difficult behavior. This article isn't just for parents, it will work for anyone taking care of a 10 or 11 year old - teachers, babysitters, grandparents, and anyone that plays in a leadership role with your child.

The great thing about this age group is the children have developed attachment to things or activities. A threat to end the activity or take away a prized possession, could be just the trick to getting the child to behave. However, this will only work for a short period of time and cause more harm than good in the long run. Also, avoid using threats with your 10-11 year old, they just communicate that you are frustrated. Your child will quickly pick up on your "hot buttons" and continue to test the waters even further.

Also, while screaming or yelling may be a natural response when the child is testing your limits, try talking with them in a direct, firm manner without raising your voice. This will send a message to the child that there is a level of respect as well as disappointment in their behavior. Again, it is very important to follow through with any reprimanding.

Lastly, if there is another adult in the child's life, make sure they are on the same page. If you are threatening the child by taking away television privileges and the other adult allows the child to watch TV, the child's behavior will not change. If the other adult also allows the child to get away with their difficult behavior, the child will not make any progress.

Try these helpful hints and the child's behavior is bound to improve.