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When little Janie or Johnny first begins to snore, it's natural for parents to see it as another cute childhood habit. In reality, snoring children can be showing signs of a serious underlying problem.
When children snore, it can be an indication of OSA, or Obstructive Sleep Apnea. This condition can pose a serious problem in up to three percent of normal, healthy preschoolers. Most often, snoring in children under the age of six years old is caused by problems related to the tonsils and adenoids. For these kids, it's not the size of the child or the tonsils that creates the snoring; it's the muscle tone that makes the difference. Children who have muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, craniofacial anomalies or Down syndrome are at higher risk for developing OSA.
Snoring in children with Obstructive Sleep Apnea is an indication that they are having trouble breathing while sleeping. These kids tend to be sleep restlessly. Their parents or caregivers often notice this behavior, often moving or waking them to make sure everything is OK, but will forget to mention the problem to the doctor. While awake, these children are able to breathe fully, without any hindrance, although they are usually mouth-breathers.
If you've noticed this sleeping behavior in your child, you must seek medical attention. Once the doctor has been alerted to the problem, a quick study of family history will often show that someone in the immediate family is also prone to snoring.
Treatment Options for Snoring Children
The first step in finding a suitable treatment is a sleep study. The physician will usually request a polysomnography. This test is painless and performed overnight, at the hospital, and is useful in diagnosing a variety of sleep disorders. During a polysomnography a variety of data will be recorded, including eye movements, muscle strength, heartbeat, brainwaves, ease of breathing and respiratory ability. The results for children will present differently than those for adults, as children naturally have different sleeping patterns than adults.
Once the test has been completed, the doctor may suggest surgery to remove both the tonsils and the adenoids. This will help to open the airway, essentially ending the OSA and the snoring. It will take six to eight weeks before healing is complete, and the positive results of the surgery are evident. It is recommended that the child receive no other treatments during this time of healing.
On the other hand, some kids just snore. If your child does not show signs of having Obstructive Sleep Apnea, then it's not necessary to have the surgery.
Never rush into surgery; even a minor operation is a trauma to the body and can be especially traumatic for young children. However, if your doctor indicates that OSA is present and suggests the surgery, by all means, go ahead. The procedure will help to calm the snoring and increase the amount of oxygen your child receives while sleeping. Obviously, these are both essential to the overall wellness of your child.
All parents want to provide the basic needs for their children. This includes ensuring that the child is getting enough of the right kind of sleep. See a pediatrician if you suspect that your child is suffering with Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Find the treatment option that is best for your child, and provide the sweet dreams that he or she needs and deserves. |
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How is Cosmetic Different from Plastic Surgery? |
There has been enormous growth in the available procedures for cosmetic and plastic surgery since the beginning of the twentieth century. Along with this has come the standard of looking healthy, young, and beautiful. If you are considering a procedure to alter your appearance, you may be looking into cosmetic surgery. Before you choose a procedure, you will want to know their differences. One thing you will want to know is the difference between plastic and cosmetic surgery. While these are both similarly-defined, there are several distinct differences.
Cosmetic surgery, is defined as surgery chosen purely for redefining your looks. If you are dissatisfied with a facial or body feature, you can choose cosmetic surgery to alter the specific area. Cosmetic surgery focuses on reducing lines and wrinkles in the face, removing body fat from a specific area, or lifting, supplementing or reducing a specific body feature.
Plastic surgery, on the other hand, focuses on body reconstruction. If you have a birth defect or have had a disease or injury that has caused a change in your features, you may use plastic surgery to change your body. Plastic surgery is known to remove imbalance as well as heal deformed areas that may have caused pain or problems in the past. If you have had surgery as a result of a disease, plastic surgery may be used to reform your body image.
As cosmetic and plastic surgery advances, the standards for and knowledge of them have also advanced. One of your choices will be in the selection of your surgeon. While both cosmetic and plastic surgeons are required to attend medical school in order to legally perform surgery, their backgrounds may be different. Both cosmetic and plastic surgeons receive the same background medical training. However, a cosmetic surgeon will not receive educational training for cosmetics specifically. They will obtain most of their training through a post-residency training program consisting of workshops, seminars, and eventually, certification.
Plastic surgeons, however, after completing their general medical education will also need to complete a specific training program. The focus, instead of being on cosmetics, will be on learning how to surgically treat physical problems, such as tumors, deformities, and other types of complications. Upon completion of this training, they will then earn a certificate for plastic surgery specifically. Either of these doctors have the option of becoming trained in both cosmetic and plastic surgery.
If you are considering cosmetic surgery, you will want to make sure the surgeon has been certified through a specific training program and has a proper medical background. This will be different than finding a surgeon to econstruct a body defect. By understanding the difference between these two kinds of surgeons as well as surgeries, you will be able to eliminate from consideration some available surgeons when deciding to have cosmetic surgery. |
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Skin Cancer: Prevention is Key |
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Although skin cancer usually happens to Caucasians, those who work outside, smokers and people with a family history of skin cancer, everybody is at risk these days as the statistics demonstrate. Cases of skin cancer have doubled every 10 years over the last 40 years and we need to take action to keep it from happening to us. Two of the types of skin cancers are very lethal if left too late and it is therefore crucial to follow the tips that will be provided, that are in part sourced from the world's largest healthcare organization, NHS Direct Online. Basically, the best way to protect your self from skin cancer is to take care in the sun is to take preventative action and be sure you don't burn your skin. Once you have been burnt the damage has already been done, so remember to cover up with loose fitting clothes. Make sure to cover your legs and arms if at all possible as well. Heat stroke can be prevented if you wear loose fitting clothes and drink lots and lots of water to replace what you lose. Keep in mind that tightly woven fabrics will provide the best protection from the sun. You should also avoid direct sunlight during the afternoon sun from 11am to 3pm as this is when the sun is at its strongest. If you must go outside during these times then make sure to cover up with clothes, hat and sunglasses and apply plenty of sunscreen.
Always use a sun protection lotion with an SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 15, although exceptionally fair-skinned people, children and people living in exposed areas of the world need to use lotions with an SPF of up to 40. Be sure that your entire body is covered by sunscreen with sun protection factor above 15. The absolute minimum to cover up is your face, hands, feet and neck but you should also consider using it all over as the most vulnerable parts of your body are the spots that are not usually exposed to sunlight. You also should apply sunscreen at least 30 minutes before going out in the sun and then apply it every couple of hours, as sweat and friction against towels for example will cause it to wear off. Also reapply right after swimming, even if your lotion says it is of a waterproof variety.
You should also consider wearing waterproof sun protection when you are out swimming. UVA and UVB rays can pierce through two feet of water. You should also remember that clouds and fog do not prevent the ultraviolet rays from penetrating and getting to your skin # that's the job of the ozone layer (which we by the way are killing off). Finally, you should cover up with clothing and use SPF 15 sun lotion even on cloudy days and always wear a hat and sunglasses that have UVA and UVB filters when in the sun. And if you want a concluding reminder about the dangers of sunlight, remember that ultraviolet rays can harm the retinas in your eyes, causing cataracts. |
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