Children and Digestive Problems
Posted by este in Kids Health on October 14, 2011
Digestion is a biological process by which the complex molecules of food substances are broken down into simple ones so that valuable nutrients present in them can readily get absorbed into your body. As long as the digestive system is functioning normally, your child is healthy. Any abnormality in its functioning can lead to some minor or major digestive problems in children. Small children are prone to them mainly because their overall digestive system is not very matured.
Common Digestive Problems in Children
Digestive problems in children are triggered by wrong foods, wrong eating habits, infection, exposure to toxins and so on. The most common among them are given below:
Constipation: In this condition, children have infrequent bowel movements. Its symptoms are hard stools which are difficult to pass. Stool withholding, lack of fiber in diet, side effects of medicines are the most common causes of constipation. Constipation in children can be relieved and regular bowel movements is restored by including lots of fiber-rich foods in their diet.
Diarrhea: Diarrhea in children is mostly triggered by bacterial or viral infection. It can be a symptom of an undetected disease of the digestive system. It is identified with watery stools 3 or more number of times in a day, abdominal pain, nausea, bloating, dehydration, etc. Diarrhea can be acute or chronic. In acute cases, these symptoms last for one or two days. On the other hand, chronic diarrhea is more serious and persist for several days. Here the treatment involves replenishment of lost fluids with the help of rehydrating solution and avoiding all such foods that causes stomach irritation. Read the rest of this entry »
Preparing Your Child for Surgery
Posted by este in Kids Health on October 14, 2011
If your child needs surgery and you have opted for elective surgery, then you have time on your hands to explain to your child all about the procedure. It’s advisable to talk to them about the hospital procedures and the surgery, it will make you less anxious. Explain in kid-friendly terms why he has to undergo the surgery. It’s human nature to fear the unknown. So if they know what is going to happen and why it is going to happen, they will be less scared. So to put their fears to rest, you as a parent should educate yourself about the surgery, so that you are in a better position to answer your child. To do that, schedule a visit with the doctor and ask all questions pertaining to the procedure and if there are any risks associated with the surgery. Find out if the hospital rules allow parents to be present in the operating room when the surgery is being carried out, and whether you can stay back for the night if the child is not discharged the same day. Once you gather all the right information, help your child understand all the unknown facts.
Preparing Your Child for Surgery
Dealing with Infants
Even though they can’t yet talk, infants are very sensitive to their surroundings. They will easily get disturbed by the hospital environment since it’s new to them. They are acutely sensitive to the pitch of their caregivers’ voice and their mannerisms. So if you are tensed, your infant will feel the stress too. Lower your anxiety levels, remain calm and composed, and stick to a routine to help your infant cope better with the surgery. Carry their security blanket if they are used to one, whether it’s the pacifier, a favorite blanket, or a stuffed toy. As compared to older kids, infants will need extra comforting. Sometimes, surgery is carried out on an empty stomach, so if your child has to go with little or no food for a day, it is going to make him very cranky. They may even demand to be held more often than usual. Hold your baby close and offer all the comfort you can.
Dealing with Toddlers and Preschoolers
An age when children can’t yet fully communicate their wants, but still want to be independent. You might want to ask your pediatrician to have a friendly talk with your little one about the hospital visit. One of the best things you can do to allay their fears is to buy a doctor set and play with them. Kids this age love roleplays, and this will prove the ideal setting for you to explain what might happen on the day of surgery. Take turns playing the doctor and then the patient so your child gets a better understanding of the scenario. You could even use his stuffed toy as the patient with your kid enacting the role of the doctor to better explain what a surgical procedure seems like. Always use child-friendly language. It might be a good idea to take your kid for a tour of the hospital facility, and familiarize him with the settings. On the day of surgery, bring along their favorite toy, books and DVDs. Read the rest of this entry »
5 Easy Health and Fitness Tips
Posted by este in Exercise, Health and Fitness, Tips on October 1, 2011
Getting started with a lifestyle of health and fitness is not really the hard demanding task that anyone usually believe it is. When you really think about this, the difficult element is often the beginning. Later on, the rest will likely be a lot easier after you really get the hang of it. All it takes is self-control along with responsibility.
Below are 5 easy health and fitness tips on how to get a head start on your route to superior health and fitness. Read every one and you’ll realize that it is actually easier than you maybe thought it would be. You only need to take the initial few simple steps.
Health and fitness tips #1: Start small.
When your preferred food is something you have to steer clear of, there isn’t any meaning in leaving it out if you just binge when you can’t take the abstinence any more. Take moderate actions. If you consume the meal each day try and cut down on your consumption and make it just 3 times weekly. When you have managed that, decrease further and make it once every seven days. Doing this, you can still take pleasure in the foods but not build up your longing for these.
Health and fitness tips #2: Plan reasonably.
Establish goals for yourself. But it does not necessarily imply that you will need to kill yourself to get it so when you don’t you’ll also kill yourself. Establishing too high goals will usually only bring about failure and frustration. While you prepare, be sure that you is able to do it. How will you know? Remain realistic. You know what you are capable of. It is far better setting goals for yourself that you know you can apply. Achieving them gives you a feeling of achievement which will make you more self-confident and much more happy to continue with your task.
Health and fitness tips #3: Use a friend.
Sharing the pains and aches along with the pleasures of achievements with a buddy may help make the program easier plus more tolerable. In reality, those with a companion are better suited to stick to their plans than those who will be undertaking the projects on their own. Simply because if you have a friend with you, he / she provides an assistance system that can help keep you on course which will help prevent you from abandoning. In addition to having a buddy along with you encountering the same struggles definitely makes the process more fun and much more enjoyable.
Health and fitness tips #4: Have self-discipline.
This really is one of the few issues that can make or shatter your intends to finally live a healthful lifestyle. As a way to really stick to the plan, you should develop self-discipline especially when it involves things which you eagerly want to accomplish or stuff that you are used to doing. Temptations in the process will be many and you need to be willing to face all of that!
Health and fitness tips #5: Practice it for your self.
Many men and women set out to live a life of health and fitness in hope of getting noticed by other people. Even though this is a valid reason, at times, it’s not sufficient to see you through the full process. It is better that you just do this for yourself simply because you want a healthier and better you compared to do it for other people’s acceptance. After all, the only real acceptance that you ever need to have is your own.