pneumonia in children
February 8, 2008
Pneumonia in Children
Pneumonia is the infection of the either one lung or both. When both the lungs get infected it is known as double pneumonia. When the pneumonia is mild enough that the visit to the doctor can be avoided and the child can carry out daily activities normally, it is known as walking pneumonia.
The lungs are an important part of the respiratory system. The air which is breathed in contains oxygen, which is filtered by the lungs. This oxygen then is carried around the body with the help of blood which is passed from the breathing tubes by the alveoli. Capillaries or the minute blood vessels are surrounded by small air sacs known as alveoli. There are over six hundred million alveoli in the human body. The air which is taken in is supplied to the alveoli; the oxygen extracted from the air is dissolved in the blood. Then it is the job of the red blood cells to distribute the oxygen to all the body parts. Oxygen is vital in the proper functioning of the human body and insufficient supply of oxygen can damage the organs and sometimes can be life threatening. This functioning is disturbed when the lungs get infected by pneumonia.
Pneumonia does not allow the lungs to function properly, because the infection produces fluid which obstructs the alveoli. In turn the oxygen does not penetrate deep inside the lungs and lesser oxygen is supplied to the blood. The breathing is affected and the condition worsens when both the lungs get infected with pneumonia.
People of all ages from infants to old could get affected with pneumonia. It is a myth among people that getting wet makes the person catch pneumonia. But it is actually the virus or the bacteria which causes the infection. When a person infected with flu or cold faces a deterioration in his/her condition, he/she can be infected with pneumonia. This happens because the irritation caused by the flu or cold helps the pneumonia germs to get into the lungs easily and move around to spread the infection.
The virus or bacteria which cause pneumonia can cause damages, whose severity can depend on the health of the child. If the infection is caused by bacteria, the child will get sick very soon and can get high temperature fever accompanied with chills. Pneumonia caused by virus develops very slowly and it takes longer time to go away. The child can also experiences cough, chest pain, headache, and or muscle ache. It can also make it difficult to breath, so the child will start to breath faster which may make him cough out gloppy mucus. The child would have to totally abstain from eating.
When given the right treatment, the child can recover fully. The doctor will first examine the heartbeat and breathing with the help of the stethoscope. The stethoscope also helps to check the lungs, the sounds made by the lungs help to determine if it contains any fluids. Sounds such as crackling or bubbling are indications of pneumonia. Chest X-ray will be taken too. White patchy area will show fluid buildup. By looking at the X-ray, the doctor can also determine whether the infection is caused by bacteria or virus. If it is caused by bacteria, antibiotics will be prescribed. And if it is difficult for the child to swallow the medicine or to retain it inside, he/she will be injected with IV fluid. And if virus is responsible for the infection, antibiotics won’t work. Fever reducers, along with cough medicine, will be given in this case. The medicines will be of no use, if the child doesn’t take adequate rest and plenty of liquids.
Shots can be taken to prevent pneumonia. These series of shots are called pneumococcal. Regular flu shots can also prove helpful, especially for kids who have asthma or other kinds of lung infection. Rest and sleep also strengthens the immune system. Washing hands regularly can keep harmful germs at bay.
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liquid vitamin supplements
February 5, 2008
10 Advantages of Liquid Vitamin Supplements
Our bodies can’t get by without vitamins. If our bodies don’t get the vitamins that we need from the food that we eat, then our bodies become unhealthy, making us predisposed to diseases. One way to ensure that the body gets the right daily amounts of vitamins, is by taking daily supplements of the different vitamins.
Liquid vitamins have been found to be better than the tablet- or capsule-form and they are currently on the market. There are so many liquid vitamins that sometimes it gets confusing. The truth is, it doesn’t matter. What counts is knowing why the liquid form has more advantages.
1. Liquid vitamins assure better assimilation. Therefore, if a vitamin is assimilated well, the chances of better absorption is increased. That means, the affectivity of the vitamins is more assured.
2. The body’s utilization of 100% of the vitamins absorbed is more guaranteed with the use of liquid vitamins. The pill form assures utilization of only 10-25% of the vitamins. So imagine what you are missing and wasting.
3. Most of the time, liquid vitamins are created from all-natural pure vegetable sources. Therefore, it tastes better than pills minus all the synthetic ingredients.
4. Liquid vitamins have the advantage of having all sorts of additional ingredients that aren’t possible with pills like fruits and vegetables and other nutritious contents. Therefore, it could be an all-in-one supplement to avoid all sorts of nutritional deficiencies. So you don’t need too many pill bottles in your cupboard, just one that does it all will do.
5. Aside from liquid vitamins being easily assimilated, the speed of absorption is also enhanced. Therefore, utilization of the vitamins needed is derived faster, almost immediately into the blood stream upon intake.
6. Liquid vitamins are perfect for babies, young kids and seniors as well because of the convenient means of intake.
7. The concentration of the vitamins in the liquid may be 3-5 times greater allowing for better and much more therapeutic effects than pills.
8. The ingredients aren’t compressed and there are no additional synthetic ingredients that bind the important ingredients together. If the ingredients are compressed, more digestion is necessary for its complete breakdown. Faster absorption is now hindered because of this.
9. Liquid vitamins come in many brands and flavors. There are specific ingredients for your specific needs. You can find practically any kind that you want because of the variety that are out on the market today.
10. Liquid vitamins are especially good for the elderly because of their digestive systems inability to assimilate food products. With the advent of liquid vitamins, they now have an alternative for better health.
pinworms in children
February 2, 2008
Pinworms in Children
Pinworms develop as a result of unhygienic habit of not washing hands before having food. They are small worms who resemble to small thread pieces and cause itching in the anus area. Pinworms infect humans only and reside in the intestines. Every school going kid encounters this problem at one time or the other. They can touch another kid infected with pinworm or an object having the eggs of the pinworm.
The eggs of the pinworm’s eggs get on the fingernails and that why it is a good idea to wash the hands regularly. If the food is eaten without washing hands, these eggs go inside the body, by the digestive system. In the small intestine, the eggs hatch and the pinworms move towards the large intestine. There, they cling onto the walls of the intestine and stay there for few weeks to mature. After that the female pinworms go towards large intestine’s end to lay eggs near the anus region. Usually the eggs are laid at night and that is the time when the area itches. It takes one to two months time period after the consumption of the eggs, for the maturing of the pinworms who lay new eggs. The eggs get hatched on the anus’s skin and the baby pinworms will crawl inside the body in order to grow.
Pinworms eggs are found anywhere like on the kitchen counter, school desk or bed. They are also found on utensils, clothes and towels. When outside the human body, the eggs can live up to two weeks. Within that time period when they are touched, there is a chance to enter the human body and flourish. Pinworms are contagious and can spread from one human to another. Also they can spread by air as the eggs are lightweight and the wind can blow them and they can be breathed in or swallowed by anyone. The child can intake more eggs when he scratches his bottom and doesn’t wash his/her hands immediately.
Children infected with pinworms can see worms in their stool after they pass and even on the underwear. The worms look like small white threads. But the eggs aren’t visible to the naked eyes. If the child observes these symptoms he/she should inform the adults about the condition. The itching caused by pinworms can be so bad that it can wake the child in the middle of the night and make him/her squirm. The doctors usually prescribe some medicine to kill the pinworms. The doctors also take samples from underneath the fingernail and the anus to check for eggs. The medicine will take about two weeks to get rid of the worms completely. If the itching is very irritating and wakes the child in the middle of the night, a cream is prescribed by the doctor. Sometimes other members of the house will also be asked to take the same medicine as a precautionary measure. The parents should wash all the clothes, towels and sheets used by the pinworm infected child.
The best way to deal with pinworms is taking precautionary steps in the first place. The child must cultivate a habit of washing hands before eating food, after using the bathroom and after playing outdoors. The fingernails should also be clipped regularly to not to allow eggs depositing there. The eggs also hang onto clothes, so it is a good habit to change underwear daily. And other clothes should be washed after every few days.
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learn your vitamins
February 1, 2008
Learn your Vitamins and your RDA
Although multivitamins are popular nowadays, there have been reports that these vitamins use an old system to measure our daily requirement. Learning your vitamins go with knowing the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) or the amount of adequate nutrients needed to be healthy. Listed below are some important facts you should learn about your vitamins and the RDA.
1. Vitamin C is responsible for the body’s normal growth and development. Foods rich in Vitamin C are potatoes, broccoli, cabbage, cranberries, water melon and other citrus fruits and juices. 2,000 mg. of Vitamin C can lead to diarrhea and upset stomach; but lower amount leads to anemia, bruising, bleeding and scurvy. The RDA of Vitamin C is 75 to 90 mg/day for adults; 15 to 50 mg/day for infants and children and 65 mg/day for adolescents.
2. Vitamin K is responsible in blood clotting. This can be found in some green leafy vegetable like spinach or cauliflower and cereals. Insufficient Vitamin K can cause easy bleeding and bruising. The RDA of Vitamin K is 90 to 120 mcg/day.
3. Magnesium is important for our metabolism. Soy products, legumes, bananas and nuts are rich sources of magnesium. Excessive magnesium can lead to toxicity while deficiency can lead to fatigue and sleepiness. The RDA of magnesium is 80 to 240 mg/day for infants and children; 360 to 410 mg/day for adolescents and 310 to 400 mg/day for adults.
4. Iron is needed to create myglobin and hemoglobin found in our muscles and red blood cells. The best sources of Iron are dried fruits, liver, oysters, whole grains and lean red meat. Low iron level in the body can cause iron deficiency anemia; too much iron can lead to iron poisoning. The RDA of Iron for infants and children is 0.27 to 11 mg/day; 8 to 11 mg/day for adolescents and 8 to 15 mg/day for adults.
5. Selenium can help prevent certain cancers. Common sources are fish, vegetables, enriched breads and meats. Selenium deficiency can cause heart muscle abnormality; high intake can cause toxicity leading to nausea, fatigue and mild nerve damage. Selenium RDA for infants and children are 15 to 40 mcg/day while adolescents and adults can take in 40 to 55 mcg/day.
The best way to get our daily RDA is to eat a balanced diet but this isn’t always possible. The RDA depends not only on gender and age but other factors such as illnesses and pregnancy. The Vitamins above are just some of the useful vitamins that help in supplementing our body with needed nutrients. Learning your vitamins goes well with consulting your physician. This can greatly help us improve our health and well being.