Using Aromatherapy For Children

Aromatherapy is an alternative system of medicine that uses essential aromatic oils and fragrances for soothing the mind and the body to obtain relief from stress, tensions and various other physical disorders. These oils are distilled from leaves, fruits, flowers, resins, seeds roots and wood. Amongst the various available aromatherapy oils only a few of them are suitable to children and one should exercise proper care while using these oils on children.

These oils can be really beneficial if used in proper proportions and cannot interfere with health if the child is on other prescribed medications. It is necessary to take advice from a qualified medical health practitioner before using these oils.

Children are able to improve their general health and well being with the help of these oils. These oils can be used externally when added to bath water or mixed with creams, lotions, compresses and foot baths. But care must be taken to see that you obtain the original varieties of these oils and avoid the synthetic ones.

These aromatherapy oils can be inhaled through a nebulizer, diffuser and can also be applied externally. For topical application the main oil should be dissolved in carrier oil and then applied.

Aromatherapy can be really effective if used with proper care and also can improve your child’s health, happiness and well being.

Strike the Perfect Balance

If you want to prevent diabetes and atherosclerosis, there is only one simple way to do it. Aside from physical exercise and the adoption of a non-smoking lifestyle, well, YOU SHOULD EAT LESS FAT!

Like in many conditions, prevention is always the biggest and most effective way to ensure the health of the people. And with the rise in the incidence of chronic degenerative diseases, doctors would always advocate the importance of prevention. With diabetes being one of the more commonly seen endocrinologic problems, doctors have exhorted patients and caregivers alike to be very watchful of their condition. Diabetes management requires striking the perfect balance - the slightest tip of the scale may mean danger to the patient. This is true whether in Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes.

Another endocrinologic problem is goiter, and its companion iodine deficiency disorder. One out of every ten Filipinos suffer from generalized or localized thyroid enlargement, making the Philippines goiter endemic. Other goiter endemic places in the world are Belgium, Italy, Nepal, Western China and Zaire.

In the country, iodine deficiency disorder has been observed to be most prevalent in the Cordillera region. This though does not spare the rest of the country from the dangers of IDD. For example, most children in the six-to-12 age range in all the regions of the country suffer from mild to severe IDD.

Ibuprofen as Antipyretic

* Antipyretic is an agent that reduces fever.

Fever is a common symptom among children who are suffering from medical disorders of varying causes. To lower the temperature and to moderate the intensity of the accompanying restlessness and discomfort, antipyretics are given to feverish patients. The most commonly prescribed is PARACETAMOL. But since paracetamol has side effects, physicians have long searched for an alternative.

One alternative is IBUPROFEN, an analgesic and anti-inflammatory agent that laboratory studies show has antipyretic effect 20 times more potent than aspirin. The temperature lowering benefit from ibuprofen lasts six to eight hours compared with four to five hours from paracetamol. Aside from exerting effective and potent antipyretic activity, ibuprofen has other properties making it a rational alternative to paracetamol. Its effect on the antibody level is weak and does not interfere with the body’s ability to fight infection. It relieves discomfort and is well tolerates and accepted in its liquid form. It produces no toxicity because it is rapidly metabolized and excreted.

Ibuprofen syrup is considered as a rational alternative to paracetamol for children’s fever. However, further studies are recommended in order to compare ibuprofen’s efficacy, safety and tolerability against paracetamol at increasing dosages and to determine the precise role of confounding variables, such as age and initial temperature of feverish patients, on proper dosage of antipyretics.

Treatment of Typhoid Fever

Typhoid fever is a life-threatening illness caused by the bacterium Salmonella typhi that has an epidemic potential. Symptoms which can last for two or more weeks may include sustained fever, headache, malaise, loss of appetite, lethargy, abdominal pain and tenderness, enlarged liver and spleen, rose spots which are flat rashes, and changes in mental status.

How many people die due to Typhoid fever?
It is estimated that each year there are 216,000 to 600,000 deaths worldwide due to typhoid fever (The average total cost of hospitalization due to Typhoid fever across 6 Asian sites is US$334 or PHP13,694 per case.) In the Philippines, mortality rates for diarrheal diseases is 6.7 per 100,000 population.

How common is Typhoid fever in the Philippines?
In the Philippines, diarrheal diseases for the past 20 years is the number one cause of morbidity. Incidence rate is as high as 1,997 per 100,000 population. From 1993 to 2002, food and waterborne diseases such as Typhoid fever were among the most common outbreaks investigated by the Department of Health.

In 2008, the Department of Health declared a typhoid fever outbreak in Calamba City, Laguna, after it detected 752 cases in six villages.

How do you get Typhoid fever?
1. Through eating food or drinking beverages that have been contaminated by the stool or urine of a person shedding S.typhi.
2. Through S.typhi contaminated water supply used for drinking or washing food such as fruits and vegetables.

How is Typhoid fever treated?
It is treated with antibiotics, however multi-drug resistant strains of S.typhi reduces the effectiveness of these treatments and significantly increases treatment cost.

Acne problem among babies

Small kids may build up acne problem because of lingering maternal hormones after the delivery which can even cause stimulation to the baby’s sebaceous glands. After the delivery your baby obtains these kinds of hormones from the placenta.

There is nothing to worry about the pimples what your baby must be having. There are 20% of new born babies which are really affected by baby acne which is also called as acne-neonatorum.

There are various aspects of this weird kind of acne. The medication for the infantile acne is not as same as that of the acne treatment for any age group.

This problem is gender-biased. Male babies are mostly affected that the female counterparts. Generally babies have acne attack during the age of 3. And many babies have it from the delivery time. Simply the kinds of acne you look for in infants are papules and pustules. Pustules are actually whiteheads whereas papules are the red bumps. They have an assortment of pus.

There are some babies who have acne on scalp as well. Acne in small babies does nt need any such medication. Just take the normal care of the baby. Try to use mild soap for the baby and softly clean the face of the baby with water once in a day. Do not try any kind of harsh technique by applying oil and other type of lotion which you believe that they are good.

At times they can even worsen the situation. When you want to click the pictures of your baby then don’t try to cover his/her cheeks or any other parts with artificial cosmetics and if you really want to do touch up then better you do it in an imaginative way.

In case you or your child specialist feel that baby is suffering from sever acne then try to treat them with benzoyl, keratolytic agents or any topical creams such as retinoids.

The means of acne are really mysterious. If you got a family of acne that it doesn’t mean that your baby will also suffer from the same problem. And only because the baby has acne it doesn’t say that he will get attacks of acne when he grows up. Acne carries its own running style as well as attacking strategies.

You just have to observe the arrival of acne and also its departure. There is nothing related to the treatment part of the infantile acne.

Vitamin C and Nutrition

Functions of Vitamin C: Vitamin C is your best protection against infectious diseases like bird flu and dengue. It helps fight damaging effects of free radicals and cancer.

Vitamin C is a water soluble antioxidant that is important and essential for life and for maintaining optimal health. It is required for at least three hundred metabolic functions in the body. There are very few, if any, biological functions that do not require Vitamin C.

Vitamin C plays a vital role in keeping the immune system working efficiently and helps build collagen, the stabilizing tissue in the bone, muscle and skin. As an antioxidant, Vitamin C is one of our best defenses against the cell damaging effects of free radicals.

Almost all animals and plants produce their own Vitamin C. There are some exceptions, such as humans and a small number of other animals. Since the body cannot manufacture Vitamin C, it must be obtained through diet in the form of supplements.

The non-acidic Vitamin C is a remarkably effective form, especially for those suffering from chronic illnesses such as cancer. This type of Vitamin C enters the body four times faster then forms and stays in the body tissues longer.

Keeping Kids Safe From Swine Flu

With the onset of the cold weather, incidence of flu is going to shoot up. Add to that the recent swine flu pandemic and parernts arcoss the world have a tough task on their hands keeping kids safe from swine flu.
However, there are a few basic steps that parents can take to protect their children from swine flu as well as regular influenza.
Wash hands often- washing hands prevents the spread of germs and hence, protects children from catching infections from others. Make sure that your kids wash their hands each time they come back from play, school or even, the mall. You should also do the same.
Use a hand sanitizer – carry a hand sanitizer with you at all times and teach older children how to use it as well. This will help keep germs at bay when outdoors and when it is tough to wash hands. Apply a hand sanitizer after touching surfaces that may have been infected, such as elevator call buttons, hand rails, countertops and tables, and other such areas
Eat well and keep immunity up – a lowered or weak immunity can put kids at risk for infections. So, make sure that they eat a healthy and nutritious diet and rest adequately.
Practice restraint – teach kids to stay away from those who may be suffering from the flu or swine flu. Since swine flu is extremely contagious, avoid play dates with infected kids.
Do read Natural Ways to Prevent Flu for more tips on keeping flu away and also Protect yourself from the Swine Flu with CWI Medical Infection Control Products.

Start Your Day with a Healthy Breakfast

We frequently dismiss breakfast as the least important of the three daily meals. It might be the last thing on our morning to-do list. The morning rush or a desire to cut on calories are the usual reasons which make skipping breakfast among the top practices of an unhealthy lifestyle.

What we eat for breakfast is very important. It determines how we will feel most of the day. Do you usually have sweet roll, juice, donuts and coffee?

Eating only carbohydrate (sugar) sources (rice, donuts, sweet rolls, juice) provides calories but the sugar they provide is quickly used up. Too much carbohydrates forces the body to produce too much insulin from the pancreas. This also causes the liver and muscles to withdraw sugar and store it as starch or fat. So too much sugar defeats the purpose for which it is intended, which is, to produce energy. Carbohydrate sources alone for breakfast are inadequate.

We need to eat some protein and fat along with it, which will be digested more slowly, keeping our energy level longer. Whole grains, low-fat protein or dairy sources are good additional sources of energy. So a healthy breakfast should provide complex carbohydrates, protein and a small amount of fat - a combination that delays hunger symptoms for hours.

We make more than a hundred small and big decisions daily. Let finding time for having a full healthy breakfast be the first important decision that we make every day.

Breakfast Tips for Diabetics

Doctors and nutritionists usually give this dietary advice: Eat a king’s breakfast, a rich man’s lunch and a pauper’s dinner. However, despite repeated reminders, many just can’t seem to follow this healthy tip and do just the opposite: Light or no breakfast at all, quick lunch, and heavy supper.

Breakfast meals can sometimes be loaded with high-fat and high-cholesterol items. So be careful when choosing what you eat for this all-too-important meal of the day.

The American Heart Association recommends the following as healthy breakfast alternatives:
* fresh fruit
* fruit juice
* English muffin with jelly, jam or margarine
* Toast with honey or jam
* bagel with jam or reduced-fat cream cheese
* whole-grain cereals with fat-free milk
* low-fat or non-fat yogurt
* waffle with fresh fruit
* lean ham
* low-fat cottage cheese (can be added on toast)
* hot cereals such as oatmeal, grits, cream of wheat or cream of rice

If you are eating out for breakfast, the American Diabetes Association suggests the following:
* Choose a plain bagel, toast, or English muffin; other muffins may be loaded with sugar and fat.
* Add fruit juice or low-fat or fat-free milk.
* Order cold cereal with fat-free milk.
* Eat pancakes but without the butter.
* Opt for plain scrambled eggs.
* Limit bacon and sausage because they are high in fat.

Early Check Ups Save Smiles

Young children can benefit from a visit to the orthodontist.

“By age 7, we can tell whether a child’s jaws are developing correctly,” says Richard H. Albright Jr., DDS, clinical professor of orthodontics at the Temple University of Dentistry in Philadelphia. If needed, early treatment can actually guide jaw growth and help permanent teeth move into correct position, potentially shortening or simplifying later orthodontic treatment.

* First schedule an orthodontic screening, especially if your child shows signs of jaw growth problems such as difficulty chewing, breathing through his mouth, or grinding or clenching his teeth.

* Expect a wait-and-see approach. Most kids with early signs of jaw growth problems don’t require immediate treatment. But spotting trouble early allows you and your orthodontist to keep tabs on potential problems and begin treatment at the best time for the patient.

* Seek a second opinion. While it is possible to correct many jaw problems without tooth loss, certain problems require tooth extraction. However, if your orthodontist recommends pulling permanent teeth, you may wish to consult another orthodontist.

* Reassure your child. Whether he needs treatment now or in a few years, your child will still be able to play sports and any musical instrument. And once in place, orthodontic appliances are rarely painful.

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