Child autism

Understand your child better:

by Nilma Dole
 

When parents don’t know the real reason for child misbehaviour and often try to discipline the child thinking it is because they are incorrigible, do they ever think it could be an illness or a condition of their health? More often than not, parents need to understand why a child behaves in a certain way and if it’s regular and if they have learning difficulties instead of scolding the child.

If you are a parent unsure of about why your child throws temper tantrums suddenly or all the time, have sleep problems, wet their bed, don’t eat properly, then it’s high time to go to a specialist paedritician or even a psychiatrist to determine the exact cause without trying to discipline your child or punish them severely.

In child psychiatry, the aetiology causes are genetic factors, brain damage, intoxication and other factors in the family that can be attributed to a child’s mentality but other external factors can also influence a child’s behaviour. Distinguishing what is mischievous behaviour and what is not can be difficult for the parent but with help from child doctors and psychiatrists, this can be possible.

According to Dr. Indika Mudalige of the Sri Lanka College of Psychiatrists, if the child has a tendency to have a repetitive and persistent pattern of dis-social, aggressive or defiant conduct, this condition can be a cause for concern. If it involves major violations of age-appropriate social expectations it can therefore be more severe than ordinary childish mischief or adolescent rebelliousness.

Symptoms of this condition include lying, stealing, aggressive behaviour, truancy from school, vandalism, arson, poor peer relationships and low performance at school. “The clinical features of childhood autism are abnormalities apparent before the age of three, restricted, repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behaviour, interests and activities,” mentioned the doctor. In addition to this, other signs include impaired social relationships affecting even family members, language problems and even stammering.

Special characteristics are seen in children affected with autism. “Every child will react to feelings that come inwardly or outwardly but it is difficult to determine in a child affected by autism,” he said.

The inability to identify can be triggered by incidents that occur almost at the same time according to priorities and importance, sounds. Certain signs come from front - lights and vibrations, sounds and those that come from behind - lights and vibrations and the inability to change attention from one incident to another that occur at the same time.

If an autistic child tries to suppress their inward feeling more than they can handle to keep calm, it will ultimately be a waste of energy. Instead, appropriate help and some tools to calm themselves down will provide energy for educational training. Moreover, studying this child closely and understanding the various problems in order to provide some meaningful solutions will be beneficial.

Sometimes, children with autism will not respond to certain sounds such as their mother’s voice, they might have lack of coordination when seeing things, they might have the inability to show something to another person by pointing the finger and deficiency in playing attention to things that are seen around.

Autism affects adversely the development of the several facets of the mind of a person. The mental development is drastically affected where social interactions with others does become difficult. They might have the difficulty in expressing their ideas logically and to understand others views and opinions easily.

Such tendencies could be seen in a child in the early stages of life. This could happen with a slow growing mind or mental retardation of a person and also due to a combination of several medical conditions with brain disorders or genetic dissimilarities or deformation in the brain structure. “So it is important to understand your child because if they have autism, no matter how many times you discipline the child, it won’t be affective,” said Dr.Mudalige. Be patient with your child and check with a good paedritician or your doctor to seek attention because if you don’t treat it in time, the child won’t have positive development and a better life within the family.

(References from Sri Lanka College of Psychiatrists and the Ceylon Association for the Mentally Retarded)

 Stay healthy during the rainy season

While formally part of the rainy season, the phenomenon of alternating heat and rain is usually a bad combination for health, and that puts us within reach of viruses, bacteria and parasites that prey on climate change, and some personal neglect.

Also, this season favours the reproduction of microorganisms, as there is more pollution by garbage scattered by rain and polluted water that accumulates. The environment then becomes conducive to the development of respiratory, gastrointestinal, viral or those transmitted by mosquitoes. It is time then to take certain precautions and care for our health and our family, especially children and elderly who are often the most vulnerable.

Diseases that occur more frequently during the rainy season include:

* Respiratory: breathing problems tend to increase due to frequent wet, damp and cold. Those with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with acute decompensation often flu. The pictures of bronchitis and pneumonia are also common at this time. Usually when a person gets wet, gets the flu, the cure is wrong and then the picture is complicated.

* Gastrointestinal diseases and / or diarrhea are common to the first rains arrive: amebiasis, salmonellosis, shigellosis and others such as hepatitis A, are caused mainly by contamination of food and water.

* Dermatitis or skin infections: mainly caused by fungi.

* allergic conditions such as rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, conjunctivitis and bronchial asthma, which affects mainly infants.

* Diseases transmitted by mosquitoes and other insects, like malaria or dengue.

How to prevent diseases during the rainy season?

* Maintain a balanced diet, eat lots of fruits and vegetables, especially those containing vitamin C.

* Drink only bottled or filtered water, well boiled.

* Wash your hands constantly.

* Wash and cook food thoroughly before swallowing.

* Get plenty of rest and protect yourself from the cold and rain. Exit warm, use umbrellas, change wet clothing immediately.

* Try to keep your skin dry and prevent children from being all the time in contact with water.

* Avoid washing your clothes or dishes with contaminated water.

* Remove all puddles from forming, to prevent mosquito breeding.

* Make sure both the patio and the roof of your house are clean and not collect water. Try spraying and keep clean and tidy the house.

* If you live in a high humidity or warm, preferably using sleeved shirts or blouses, trousers and mosquito repellents. Place mosquito nets on doors and windows.

* Disinfect toys and objects that have been in contact with contaminated water.

* Avoid self-medication or home remedies.

* See your doctor at the first signs to give you an accurate diagnosis.

* If you are sick to rest, avoid contact with sick people. dididnet

Bad breath needs dental aid

by Dr Neeraj Verma

Home care and treatment for bad breath

1. Tongue cleaning: Gently cleaning the tongue surface twice daily is the most effective way to keep bad breath in control that can be achieved using a tongue cleaner or tongue brush to wipe off the bacterial biofilm, debris and mucus.

2. Eating healthy breakfast with rough food helps clean the very back of tongue.

3. Chewing gum: Since dry mouth can increase bacterial build up and cause or worsen bad breath, chewing sugarless gum can help with production of saliva and thereby help to reduce bad breath. Some chewing gums contain special anti-odour ingredients.

4. Gargling: Right before bedtime, with an effective mouth wash such as chlorhexidine, zinc gluconate chlorine dioxide, is a common method to reduce bad odour. However, one should consult a dentist and use these gargles and mouth washers under the guidance of a qualified dentist.

5. Maintaining proper oral hygiene: Teeth brushing, flossing, periodic visit to dentist and hygienist. Flossing is important in removing rotting food debris and bacterial plaque from between the teeth. Dentures should be properly cleaned and soaked overnight in antibacterial solution.

6. Maintain water levels in the body by drinking several glasses of water a day.

Bad breath coming from the mouth is known as halitosis. Bad odour is estimated to be the third most frequent reason for seeking dental aid, following tooth decay and periodontal disease. Whether the smell is from an oral source or not, halitosis has significant impact, personally and socially.

How does bad breath occur? After eating any food item, it sticks in between the teeth and on the tongue. If allowed to remain there, it is acted upon by bacteria and other micro organisms present in the mouth. This causes food rot, leading to bad smell.

Some food items themselves cause bad breath because of their inherent odour. Common examples of such food and beverages include onion, garlic, cheese, certain spices, orange juice and soda. Once these are digested and the volatile oils are absorbed into the blood stream, they are carried into the lungs and given off as bad breath.

Bad breath may also be a sign of a health problem. Chronic lung infections, liver or kidney diseases and diabetes are some conditions that may result in bad breath in these chronically ill patients. The other sources of bad breath could be nose, tonsils and stomach.

In most cases (85-90 percent) bad breath originates in the mouth itself. The intensity of bad breath differs during the day due to eating certain foods as mentioned above, or obesity, smoking and alcohol consumption. Because the mouth is exposed to less oxygen and is inactive during the night, the odour is usually worse upon awakening (morning breath).

The most common location for mouth related halitosis is the tongue.

Large quantities of naturally occurring bacteria are often found in the posterior dorsum or the back portion of the tongue, where they are relatively undisturbed by normal activity.

This part of the tongue is relatively dry and poorly cleansed. The odours are produced mainly due to anaerobic breakdown of proteins into individual amino acids, which further breakdown to produce foul gases.

Gum disease occurring as chronic periodontitis, sublingual bacterial plaque, or pus pockets in the gums are some of the other local causes of bad breath.

Diagnosing causes of bad breath

Before diagnosing the causes of bad breath, occurrence of halitosis should be confirmed as below: Self diagnosis Smelling one’s own breath odour is often difficult. However, many people with bad breath are able to detect it in others.

Simplest and most effective way to know whether one has bad breath is to ask a trusted adult family member or very close friend (confidante).

Professional diagnosis

If bad breath is persistent and all other medical and dental factors have been ruled out, specialized testing and treatment is required.

Some of several methods for diagnosis are:

1) Halimeter: A portable sulphide monitor used to test for level of sulphur emissions in the breath.

2) Gas chromatography: Portable machine specifically designed to digitally measure the molecular levels of three major sources in sample of mouth air (hydrogen sulphide, methyl mercaptan, dimethyl sulphide).

3) Bana test: This test is directed to find the salivary levels of an enzyme indicating the presence of certain halitosis selated bacteria.

(The writer is a Senior Consultant - Dental, in New Delhi).

Courtesy: AHealthyMe

Eating healthfully on a tight budget

by Amy Scholten

When you are on a tight budget, shopping for food can be a daunting experience. It is a common misconception that cutting back on food expenses means sacrificing good nutrition. However, you can be healthier and wealthier by getting wiser about planning meals and shopping.

Here are some guidelines that can help: Let the pyramid be your guide. Many people plan their meals around meat, and leave grains, vegetables, and fruit for side dishes. However, according to the http://www.mypyramid.gov/, the bulk of your diet should be made up of whole grains (whole wheat breads and pasta and brown rice), and lots of vegetables and fruit.

Meats and dairy products should be treated as side dishes and eaten less frequently. This is not only more economical but more healthful. Here are a few examples of meals made mostly with whole grains, fruits, and vegetables: Chili-beans, vegetables, meat, served with a salad Stir-fry-vegetables with a small amount of meat served over rice or pasta and a salad, Stews or soup-beans, vegetables, pasta, rice, meat or chicken, served with salad. Taco-beans or meat with lots of lettuce, tomato, onions, and a corn tortilla

Make it from scratch: Many of the prepackaged, boxed, canned, and frozen foods you buy from the store are high in fat, calories, sodium, sugar, and cost, compared with foods prepared at home. They may also be comparatively lower in vitamins and minerals.

You pay for the fancy packaging and convenience of these items, but you get much less for your money. For example, you can make many more bags of popcorn from a bag of un-popped corn compared to buying a bag of already-popped popcorn. The pre-made popcorn is much more expensive and has more fat and sodium than what you can make at home. Of course, making food from scratch may take a little more time, but it can be well worth it in terms of cost and nutrition.

Have a game plan for shopping: Have a game plan for shopping that includes what you are going to buy and where you are going to buy it. Here are some tips on developing a shopping plan: Plan meals and snacks several days in advance. Then write out a shopping list and stick to it! Compare prices among grocery stores. Shop at national chains and discount food outlets. Do not shop at convenience stores.

Courtesy: AhealthyMe

... Remedies and prevention

Bad breath is something that most of us are afraid of. In many cases, majority of the population do not know they suffer from bad breath. To get rid of bad breath, we have to take steps in preventing bad breath to occur every time you open your mouth.

These home remedies to get rid of bad breath will be helpful for you.

1. The best bad breath remedy is that you have to make it a habit to brush your teeth or rinse your mouth after every meal.

Make it a routine to brush your teeth or rinse every night before you go to sleep.

2. Mouth wash is readily available in any medical store. But keep in mind not to purchase a mouth wash that contains dyes and alcohol.

3. Sunflower seeds can be helpful to get rid of bad breath. All you have to do is chew on some sunflower seeds and drink a glass of water ,mainly after you eat a non vegetarian meal.

4. An apple a day keeps the doctor away. It is very much true. Eating an apple daily will help remove bacteria in the mouth, the main cause of bad breath.

5. Lemon does wonders. The lemon juice mixed with warm water can be used to gargle your mouth to help get rid of bad breath. It is a one of the best home remedies for bad breath.

6. To get an aromatic breath, cardamom is the best. Although it is pungent, it will give you good results for bad breath. It is also a mouth refresher.

These home remedies for bad breath will be of good use. But, in order to prevent this, we can take certain precautions to prevent bad breath.

1. It is good if you drink plenty of water. Drinking plenty of water will help rid the bacteria in the mouth.

2. Bad breath remedies is good as it helps to kill the unwanted germs in the mouth.

Although, you may brush regularly and maintain a good oral routine, it is important that when you brush your teeth, make sure to use a tongue scrapper to clean the tongue. The bacteria usually stays on the tongue causing bad breath.

- Saurabh