Earaches can make for a long night. Your child may be symptom free during the day - but in the middle of the night she wakes up crying and rubbing her ear. Depending on how bad the infection of the middle ear is, your child may be comforted by either Aleve, Advil, Motrin or Tylenol (never give aspirin to a child under 20) and a warm washcloth or a heating pad placed on the ear. In other instances, you have a long night ahead of you until your child can visit your physician and possibly receive numbing ear drops that relieve your child’s discomfort. Your physician may also prescribe antibiotics, depending on the age of the child and the seriousness of the infection. Antibiotics do not address the issue of pain, so be sure to give your child one of the medications listed above.
Just why do children get middle ear infections? The tubes connecting a child’s ear to throat are small - so they can become blocked more easily. When your child has an upper respiratory infection, such as a cold (allergies can also lead to ear infections), the tube can swell and become blocked - trapping fluid within the ear. That fluid is easily infected by the very germs in the nose and throat that are causing the cold.
Today, doctors and researchers are taking concussions in children more seriously. Researchers have found that young brains don’t recover from concussions as quickly as they originally thought. And they’ve found that children’s brains are also more susceptible to second-impact syndrome in which the brain can suffer grievous injury as a result of suffering another blow to the head shortly after a first blow.
The problem remains - kids are still returning to the playing field too quickly after experiencing a head injury. The causes are many - parents may not know any better, athletes may hide their symptoms, and coaches may not be aware of the seriousness of concussions.
According to a report in Time magazine, a study found that from 2005 to 2008, 41% of athletes with concussions returned to the field too soon - and that can make them vulnerable to second-impact syndrome. While the American Academy of Neurology recommends that an athlete whose initial concussion symptoms last longer than 15 minutes be benched until he or she is symptom-free for a week - the study found that 16% of high school football players who lost consciousness during a concussion returned to the field the same day.
As an ER physician, I’ve seen firsthand the difficulty parents of children with asthma have in deciding whether or not to bring their child to the ER. Parents don’t want to put their child at risk, yet they don’t want to make an unnecessary trip to the ER. The best advice? Put together a plan with the advice of your pediatrician and stick to it. In this manner, when your child is having an asthma attack you have clear indicators and steps to follow. Ask your pediatrician to help you determine what symptoms and - if your child uses one - what peak flow meter readings indicate a trip to the ER.
In general, if you notice any of the following symptoms, seek immediate medical care.
- Bluish or gray lips, skin or fingernails.
- A peak flow reading below 50% that doesn’t improve after giving your child medication.
- Severe symptoms that reappear, peak or don’t go away despite repeated use of medication. If symptoms return quickly - within 5 to 10 minutes of using medication, contact your doctor.
- Difficulty speaking.
- Retractions - areas of skin around the base of the neck or between the ribs that pull in when your child inhales.
Finally, one of the biggest risk factors that triggers asthma is exposure to second hand smoke. This means parents shouldn’t smoke in the home or car at any time, because smoke permeates drapes, carpet, and fabric, and this can set off an asthma attack.
The dreaded “Freshman 15″ - the reputed number of pounds a college Freshman gains during the first year of college - has become almost an accepted fact-of-life on American campuses. And that’s unfortunate, especially when you consider the dramatic rise in obesity this country has experienced over the last 20 years. This rise in obesity - as well as the decrease in physical activity and excessive intake of calories, sugars and fast food - has led to the dramatic increase in the number of young people with type 2 diabetes. These youth are at increased risk of developing heart disease, nerve damage, stroke and kidney disease.
Overweight youth with poor eating habits prior to college simply cannot afford to gain the Freshman 15. It puts their long-term health at risk. And for those teens with good eating habits, college becomes a ‘testing ground’ wherein the choices they make can affect their health going forward.
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When a child is ill, parents often turn to family members, the Internet or a nurse help line for initial answers. But often a nagging question remains — should I seek medical attention, or emergency treatment, for my child?
Fortunately, during my nearly 20 years in the Emergency Room I’ve rarely diagnosed a serious disease in a young child. There have, however, been instances — such as the time a child was brought in because he experienced a seizure — his first —and tests revealed the cause was a brain tumor. And I’ve seen children who appear to have the flu, which is actually new onset diabetes.
Many parents worry about “abusing” the medical system — they’re afraid of bringing their child in too often. However, it’s important for parents to understand that there are times when your child needs medical attention — sometimes emergency medical treatment. Trust your parental instincts. If your child just doesn’t look right to you, then your child should be evaluated.
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