Archive for May, 2012

Understand stress better to see how it causes frequent urination

Stress, an invention more of the modern world is nothing, but the way your body reacts to different stimuli in the environment like your own feelings, movements and reaction to people around you and certain peculiar situations. It is good to note that certain situations and circumstances lead to more stress than others and the reaction of different people to particular situation could vary from one another.

Analyzing the different situations that cause uncontrollable stress could be a childs reaction to the first day at school/ starting to go to a new school, divorce and separation that affects both parents and children, winning an award or taking a test, death of a near and dear one or being sick for a long time. It is wrong to characterize stress as totally bad or good, for some can be really happy and challenging and make one alert, but it is the way we view stress that makes it good and bad.

Being excited, happy and positive of a change could lead to positive stress, while a negative response like feeling sad, unhappy, scared or mad could lead to bad stress. It is worth mentioning here that the way we handle stress could do a lot with whether it causes a negative or positive effect. It is now advisable to analyze how stress can cause frequent urination.

Stress and frequent urination

Understanding the process of urination, it is best to understand this process as the way a body throws out toxins and waste products from the system. Frequent and pain in urination could cause concern with an overactive bladder and frequent visits to the bathroom causing embarrassment and inconvenience especially to women. It is best to understand that an urinary tract infection or UTI could be the most common reason for a burning and pain sensation while urinating with frequent urination also promoted with drinking a lot of water and using other methods to flush out the infection from ones system.

Besides there could be other causes like hormonal changes in women at different stages of their life that could cause not only mood swings, stress but also frequent urination as these changes reduce the capacity of the bladder to contain urine. In addition uterine tumors, ovarian diseases, chronic kidney diseases, diabetes, stones in kidney and gall bladder and pregnancy could cause frequent urination. It is true that ovarian cysts, chronic renal failure, high blood pressure increased levels of calcium, and psychological causes like stress and anxiety could cause frequent urination.

As we all know that urination is a way of the body to get rid of waste products and toxins. Stress causes various reactions in our body that causes a feeling that we should desperately get out of a situation with negative stress leading to a reaction of fight or flee. Irritable bowel syndrome that is also a part of the reaction to stress also makes us have various disorders that are connected with the bowels and is also related to stress.

It is true that we should realize that stress causes an urgency to get rid of waste products from the system and the body feels unable to identify and differentiate between the unnecessary panic and the necessary one. This causes the body to want to eliminate waste products and toxins more often. It is worth realizing that even soldiers that go to the war front experience such symptoms when they are aware of the danger of being attacked and killed in war. This reason has been vouched by many doctors all over the world; truly panic attacks, anxiety and stress cause increased and/frequent urination.

So the answer to the question does stress cause frequent urination lies in,Yes, with lifestyle changes and change of attitudes helping to get over it.

Are temper tantrums abnormal in children

It would be rather frustrated when your parents tell you that you threw much worse temper tantrums than their grandchildren, but this could be the truth because temper tantrums are inevitable and form a part of the emotional development of most children. They start around the age of 12 months and could continue till the child becomes 4 years, temper tantrums arising mainly out of the inability of a toddler to express one clearly. Known as the terrible twos, temper tantrums is more a cry for independence, but the inability of the mind, and body to help in being independent. There are a few things that can help handle temper tantrums in toddlers, and a few other things that would help the toddler during a temper tantrum.

Important pointers in handling temper tantrums in toddlers

1.Regular quality time spent with your toddler playing, reading stories or talking with him/her could being down the frequency of these outbursts and
frustrations. It could be just about 5 to 10 minutes with him/her on a one to one basis, with setting limits and consistent guidelines. Mutual respect and understanding built up in the toddlers mind would help decrease the length and intensity of the tantrum considerably.

2.With regular observation you would be easily able to find out when your toddler may have temper tantrums, and you would be most smart in finding ways to
divert it as once the temper tantrum starts it may sometimes be unable to control his actions and he may hurt himself and others around. It is quite common to see parents that are smart carry their toddlers favorite toy or picture book just to divert attention and maintain calm. Some have been prompt enough to just carry their toddler and leave the place at once.

3.Finding out the reason for the tantrum like getting hungry, feeling sleepy, or getting tired could help chart out an appropriate response. Some may get temper
tantrums that could be due to fear, frustration or being neglected. Fixing up appropriate mealtimes, snack time, play time, bedtime routine, and time to make the toddler feel secure and comfortable would help slowly and surely in controlling temper tantrums. Surely fear and frustration needs immediate comforting from a near family member.

4.You would definitely be a smart parent with maintain your calm and get over your frustration when your toddler has a temper tantrum. Making sure not to react
as your child does would only make him/her more violent. It would help to first make sure your toddler is safe by removing things that hurt from around him/her. It would also be advisable if possible to move the child to a safer place. The best technique that has always worked for parents to maintain their calm is by taking a few deep breaths, and this could be followed with making sure your toddler is safe and taking some time out by yourself to cool down. Your spouse or some other person that could take care of the toddler for a while could help you.

5.Trying to reason out or discipline your toddler during a temper tantrum is useless, it would only make the child feel more controlled and convey the feeling
that feelings should not be vented, with hitting conveying the meaning that hitting or losing control is acceptable behavior. Helping the toddler to verbalize his/her feelings with suggestions shows your empathy without giving in to the tantrums.

Then at last explain that the behavior is not acceptable once the temper tantrum is over to the toddler in his/her own simple language making sure that you communicate very clearly that you do love and care for him/her. Do not miss on the opportunity to discuss and suggest acceptable options.

Understand what tonsil stones are and whether you have it

Ah my sore throat is so painful and it would never heal! But I am so scared to dig out the white and yellow lumps that seem embedded in my throat because it would damage my tonsils. What do I do? This could be the cry of one of you who has tonsilloliths or tonsil stones that send out that foul smell that the best of mouth wash or mints cannot remove. There is no single way to predict who could get this disorder as observation shows that dental hygiene plays no part in this mysterious and embarrassing disease.

Tonsil stones are formed over time when globs of mucus and other matter like bacteria and dead cells are locked in the back of the throat in the crevices of the tonsils harden. Being white or yellow in color, these stones could give out a strong putrid smell; it could make a person feel that he/she has something on the back of the throat with it being more common among those that suffer from tonsillitis.

Pick a suitable natural remedy for tonsil stones

1.Nutrition has played a vital role in many diseases, with tonsil stones or tonsilloliths not left behind. It proves vital to eat a healthy and nutritiously
well-balanced diet that contains vitamins and minerals that act as a preventive measure. Probiotics has been the present rage with a diet that is rich in probiotics or good bacteria helping to fight bad bacteria that causes tonsil stones. Dairy products have always played a role in building up of mucus and calcium that promote tonsil stones. So you would best avoid eating about an hour before retiring to bed and also brush your teeth before retiring to bed. This would definitely help food hoarding the mouth all night and preventing this condition.

2.There could be no substitute for oral hygiene; this natural remedy for tonsil stones could also be a preventive measure. Brushing your teeth after every meal
followed by gargling with warm salt water or an alcohol free mouth wash helps to slowly but surely dissolve and remove these stones. It would prove useful to add a drop or two of grapefruit seed extract to an antiseptic mouthwash and gargle a few times daily. Gargling has surely helped dislodge tonsil stones in the initial stages. Tonsil stones are also sometimes removed with brushing and scraping with a toothbrush but care should be taken to avoid severe gag reflex.

3.How about a hearty laugh or coughing to frighten the tonsil stones to leave you alone. It is true that small tonsil stones have been removed this way. The
cure and prevention of tonsil stones lies in chewing a garlic clove at bedtime; the natural antibiotic and healing properties of garlic helps. Cotton swabs and Q-tip could be gentle ways to remove tonsil stones. Applying saline solution to the stone would help bring it to the surface to remove it gently, but this is possible only when the exact location of such stones is known. The use of a medicine dropper with a curved tip could also be used for removing small tonsil stones that lie on the surface and can be easily sucked out, but care is to be taken to avoid gag reflex. As tonsil stones increase in size it is possible to locate them with the use of mirrors and to use cotton swabs to gently push them up and remove them. It is advisable to use to wash the area of the tonsil stones well with an antiseptic mouthwash after removal.

Lastly tonsil stones though annoying and uncomfortable cause no great harm, with their treatment varying with the size of the stone. Large stones require tonsil stone surgery, but these surgeries could involve a long recovery time and be painful and costly. Surgeries have never been permanent cures, with the best natural remedy for tonsil stones lying in the famous saying, prevention is better than cure.

Aspergers Syndrome and young children

It is interesting to note that Aspergers is autism in a mild form when children could have problems in socializing and communicating with other children. However most Aspergers children neither have delay in acquiring language skills, nor are there any delays in cognitive development. Young children with Aspergers syndrome generally are able to attend normal schools. So it is quite easy to neglect the issue that they suffer a disorder.
It is imperative for parents, teachers and schools to take the teaching of their young children suffering from Aspergers syndrome very seriously, and parents need not hesitate to tell their children that they have been suffering from Aspergers syndrome. Taking a prompt and timely action would save the child from loss of his/her self esteem because they are so different from other children and do not make friends easily.

Knowing the symptoms of Aspergers in young children would help

1.Some of the early signs as a toddler include delay in milestones like crawling, standing unassisted and simple gestures. These infants may not respond
properly to environment, with most infants avoiding attention, eye contact and in later stages they may under-react or over-react to certain situations.There could be signs of delayed understanding of the concept of joint attention and the toddler may fail to evidence interest in the same thing.Also young children with Aspergers syndrome may not have reached the milestone of pointing to objects that interest him by the age of one year.

2.It is significant to note that infant with Aspergers syndrome will behave abnormally with maintaining eye contact, facial expressions and facial expressions with another person. As a toddler you could notice that they are not able to use appropriate vocabulary and may not listen to others as they continue talking continuously on the topic of their interest. Lack of social skills like an infant/toddler being unable to smile as a social sign, the young child ignoring the voices of even parent and getting irritable and angry with least social contact could be significant symptoms.

3.Another significant yet amusing aspect of Aspergers children is that they learn complex words like mountain, sheet rock faster than simple words like Mama and Papa, and this applies to their obsession for complex topics that would not amuse normal children. Young children with Aspergers syndrome would be greatly interested in some complex designs on a book or fabric. They could have an obsession for music that only adults appreciate. This obsession could at times make them oblivious to the environment in which they are.

4.It is impossible to overlook the clumsy behavior of Aspergers toddlers and young children, and they may present odd postures with a very stiff and rigid
self. Showing delays in picking up skills that require coordination like walking, crawling, playing, catching a ball, potty training, and riding a bicycle, this delay in motor movements is sometimes the main symptom of some abnormality in the young child that is significant by the time the child is 3 years or more.

5.You could not overlook the preoccupation that certain children with Aspergers have towards certain things especially trains and maps, with the young child wanting to spend most of his/her time learning and cultivating that hobby. They may gain and pursue their interest in learning more and more about their object of interest. Most toddlers may learn to read early, but these children may find it difficult to understand what they read.

I am sure these symptoms would help you recognize Aspergers in young children to take care of them.

Know all about writing disorders in children or dysgraphia

Dysgraphia or writing disorders in children is experienced by some children that have great difficulty in putting down their thoughts in writing and could lead to writing that is not only illegible, with letters and words that are not just properly written, but could lead to excessive errors even when enough time and attention is given to doing writing well. This disorder has made many parents puzzled with them assuming that their children are lazy, do not want to make adequate efforts and are generally careless.

However it is best for you to understand as a parent that it is not just additional writing practice that helps, for writing disorders in children are similar to late developments in childhood, with the warning signals for this disorder being delay in speech, language development, learning gross motor activities like catching a ball, jumping and running and other fine motor activities involving manipulating objects effectively in their hands. It is depressing, yet true that dysgraphia makes a great impact on a childs success at school and later on life, so this condition involves immediate attention to reduce the impact of the problem.

Lets look at some ways to overcome dysgraphia with appropriate diagnosis

It is significant to note that pediatricians, occupational therapists, and educational psychologists could play a vital role in not only identifying the writing disorders early, but could play a great role in reducing the impact of the problem. An occupational therapist plays a major role in not only finding out areas for the problem, but can also help to bring about a significant change at school with appropriate therapeutic interventions and activities. In addition educational psychologists can help with making psycho educational assessment, with early diagnosis helping to contain the problem effectively.

Writing disorders could result from specific causes like motor coordination problems, spelling disabilities, or also from language disabilities, with motor dysgraphia resulting from visual-spatial perception problems, motor planning deficits, executive dysfunction and other anatomical problems. Non specific writing problems could generate from poor school attendance, psychosocial deprivations and mental retardation, with still others suffering from want of instructions in the written language.

It is a very significant factor to note that age specific remedies for deficiency in writing skills is recommended for age specific children problems, while bypass strategies are very useful for dealing in specific deficiencies. Most elementary school children with writing disorders would be benefitted with practice being given to grip the pencil, exercises to prepare children for writing, and practice combines with instructions given directly to improve fluency of the language and organization of the writing skill.

When a child reaches higher primary classes or middle school, it would be highly beneficial to use bypass strategies for children with writing disorders. It has been found that these strategies that make use of computers and other devices have proved to be very beneficial. In addition, many have gained advantage through avoidance of any negative reinforcement at any cost, with increasing the time given to perform writing assignments, with shortening assignments, and lastly with special grading of the content rather than the quality. Many children have showed improved performance with being assessed orally and also being allowed to make oral presentation. This has helped many children with such problems to receive a boost in their self-esteem and self confidence.

It is revealing to note that writing disorder studies in children reveal that emphasis on writing as a process with emphasis on writing being more for purposes of communication only would greatly help motivate such children to write for purposes that are real. This would also help create compositions that were more based on editing, planning, revision and drafting. As a last word it is very true to say that the right combination of right diagnosis, direct instruction techniques used for remedies, using bypass strategies and other strategies to assist in the cure of writing disorders in children they would be greatly helped to overcome their deficiencies in the written language.

Being always thirsty and frequent urination who can they be

It may be embarrassing to always feel thirsty with frequent urination, with these symptoms being due to a peculiar yet serious lifestyle disease; diabetes. Knowing and understanding about diabetes would help us to better understand why these 2 symptoms present themselves simultaneously. It is best to realize that in diabetics the sugar in the blood finds it difficult to enter the body cells and supply them with energy.

This leads to weakness and loss of weight with the building up of sugar in the blood stream leading to other symptoms like excessive thirst, increased and frequent urination accompanied with blurring of vision, a dry and itching skin and a feeling of numbness and tingling sensation in the legs and hands. Sores may not heal easily and if neglected could lead to gangrene and amputation of a limb.

Being always thirsty with frequent urination is a result of the sugar that the body tries to eliminate through urination and this could be very frequent. It is next best to understand that dehydration could result as a consequence to frequent urination. This could in turn lead to blurry vision, dry and itchy skin, all this being a consequence of the fluids being pulled away from the lens of the eyes that make it difficult to focus, and the drawing of fats from the body also. So it can be said that dehydration causes excessive thirst to compensate for the body fluids.

The connection between being always thirsty and frequent urination:

As we all know that frequent urination that is a prominent sign of diabetes where a person has excess sugar in ones blood that is not being channelized to the cells to give energy also brings along with it the consequences of excessive thirst. The kidney, as a consequence of the excess sugar has to work hard in order to not only absorb the excess sugar, but also to find ways to eliminate it.

The excess work demanded of the kidney sends signals and messages to the brain that more fluids are required by the body. This shows up as a feeling of always being thirsty. However this excess work done by the kidney works on eliminating the sugar from the body in the shape of frequent and increased urination.

The frequent urination caused by the kidney throwing out the excess sugar also results in drawing on the fluids in the body tissues. You can imagine the result of the kidney that draws on cells of the body and would definitely agree that this results in a feeling of being extremely dehydrated. Understanding the consequences better, the more water one drinks one is bound to pass more and yet more urine to pass out the sugar as waste. The circle of dehydration leading to excess thirst, with excessive thirst leading to consumption of more water and fluids that causes excessive and frequent urination again continues.

This may make one feel that if water if drunk then there would be a stop to this circle of excessive thirst leading to frequent urination and frequent urination leading to thirst again, but I would say this is a wrong notion. It is this hydration from time to time to helps the kidney eliminate sugar in the urine. This process helps to bring down the sugar level in the blood and urine in the course of time. Again it is also best to realize that dehydration and fluid losses could further lead to more complications in the kidney.

It is a well established fact that diabetics urinate frequently due to excessive sugar in blood that is to be eliminated. But it is best to again realize that loss of fluids that causes dehydration and the feeling of being thirsty always also need to be given serious attention as in case of negligence, it could lead to serious consequences that may involve emergency hospitalization with prompt professional care.

Realizing some very significant signs of dehydration like dry mouth, dizziness. dry mouth, dry eyes, blurred vision, headache and muscle weakness it is best to overcome these symptoms before more serious consequences like low blood pressure, sunken eyes, confusion, irritability, inadequate perspiration, and unquenchable thirst take over.

Having known about being thirsty and frequent urination, dont you think effective treatment in the form of medications, diet and exercise is the best solution.

Understand Autism Spectrum Disorder in children

Autism or autism spectrum disorders as it is also referred to children that may show a number of symptoms ranging from lack of social skills, empathy, communication and language skills to inflexible behavior. Autism spectrum disorder that contains a number of behavioral and other disorders could be very mild or severe affecting all parts of a childs life. It is imperative to understand that any 2 children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders like Aspergers syndrome, Rett syndrome, pervasive development disorders of a non specified nature or autism itself may show varied degree as well set of symptoms.

Understanding autism in its wider sense involves understanding that the deficits could be in 3 major areas, namely social skills, communication and behavioral skills and interests. Every child could face unique challenges, have unique symptoms and may exhibit unique abilities, and a parent that learns all about the autism spectrum disorder symptoms and autism language would be best prepared to communicate easily with doctors, therapists and teachers to get assistance.

Be autism smart with knowing all about autism spectrum disorder symptoms in children

1.You would be surprised to notice that your child with autism spectrum disorder may lack in social skills. They may not only suffer from inability in making friendships and fruitful relationships with their peers and siblings, but some may also have difficulties even with parental bonding. The use of inappropriate and unusual body language like looking somewhere else when addressing a person, lack of eye contact and using of inappropriate gestures and facial expressions mark some other symptoms of autistic spectrum disorder.

2.It is quite disappointing to observe that autistic spectrum disorder children may also lack interest in sharing their interests and achievements and knowing about others. They may also prefer to be aloof and detached generally and may find it very difficult to express as well as appreciate other peoples feelings and empathize with them. Inability to understand verbal and non-verbal cues, these children may not understand the power of the human touch and may resist it. It is a pity that many such children get depressed with their inability to make friends with their peers and enjoy activities like imaginative play that most other children indulge in.

3.Impaired communication skills with late development in speaking skills mark one of the significant autistic spectrum disorder symptoms, with repetitions, difficulty in understanding simple commands, directions and questions being some other important features. Inability to enjoy fun and play imaginative age appropriate games marks an important feature in these children. So it is significant to note that adults as well as teenagers may also engage in childish play.

4.Children with autistic spectrum disorder lack ability to understand that communication is 2-way traffic, with them being unable to initiate conversation and speaking in a monotonous flat voice with lack of any emotions. Repetition being the feature of most such affected children; it is significant to note that they are experts at memorizing things without really understanding the meaning.

5.The abnormal repetitive nature brings us to another significant autistic spectrum disorder symptom of their being very rigid in their habits. This initiates them to throw temper tantrums and turn violent when there is a break in routine that could be a great sense of stress to people dealing and looking after them.

6.Autistic spectrum disorder symptoms in children may show up as their being very much more or being very less sensitive to certain sensory inputs like loud noises, crowds, things that can be felt, and tasted. It is significant to observe some of these children bang their head, touch people or objects to feel them and to scream rather than speaking to people in a normal modulated tone. It is true that having to wear clothes, eat birthday cakes, walk barefoot on the grass and wearing socks and shoes could be painful for these affected children.