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1B ®Ijt (Sa?fttf Tuesday, April 13,2021
Children are not invulnerable to stroke
Understanding asthma
as allergy season returns
Though it’s predomi
nantly associated with
adults, stroke does not
discriminate based on
age and can potentially
affect children. The
American Stroke Associa
tion® notes that, while
stroke is most com
mon among the elderly,
strokes also occur in tod
dlers, children and teen
agers. According to the
ASA, signs of stroke are
often missed in children
and teens because of a
general lack of awareness
that stroke can affect
them. That’s in spite of
the fact that stroke is
among the top 10 causes
of death in children in
the United States.
Learning to spot a
stroke is vital for people
of all ages, and parents
of young children are no
exception. The ASA has
developed the acronym
“FAST.” to help people
remember the signs of
stroke.
• F = Face drooping
• A = Arm weakness
• S = Speech difficulty
• T = Time to call 911
(the ASA advises any
one who recognizes any
of the aforementioned
symptoms in toddlers,
children and teens to call
911 immediately)
Because many people
are unaware that young
children can suffer from
stroke, it can be easy to
assume symptoms of
stroke are indicative of
something else. But the
ASA urges parents to rec
ognize some additional
warning signs of stroke in
children, including:
• Sudden severe head
ache: These are espe
cially concerning when
accompanied by vomit
ing and sleepiness.
• Sudden numbness or
weakness on one side of
the body: Affected areas
may include the face,
arm and/or leg on the left
or right side of the body.
• Sudden confusion,
difficulty speaking or
understanding others
• Sudden trouble see
ing in one or both eyes
• Sudden difficulty
with motor functions:
Children may have trou
ble walking, suddenly
feel dizzy, and/or experi
ence a loss of balance or
coordination.
• New onset of sei
zures, typically on one
side of the body
Blood clots that form
in the heart and travel to
the brain are one poten
tial cause of ischemic
stroke in children. These
issues may be a result of
congenital heart prob
lems, so it’s vital that
parents of children born
with such issues recog
nize the potential for
their children to suffer
strokes. In addition, the
ASA notes that roughly
10 percent of children
with sickle cell disease,
which adversely affects
the ability of blood cells
to carry oxygen to the
brain, suffer ischemic
stroke. Children also may
be vulnerable to hemor
rhagic strokes, which
are most often caused
by rupturing, weakened
or malformed arteries
known as arteriovenous
malformations. Hemor
rhagic stroke risk is also
higher among children
who have hemophilia.
Though Johns Hopkins
Medicine reports that
pediatric stroke is a rela
tively rare condition, it’s
one that parents should
be aware of. That’s es
pecially true for parents
of children born with
certain conditions. More
information is available
at www.stroke.org.
The arrival of spring
and summer is typically
welcomed with open
arms. Warm air, green
grass, colorful flowers,
and, of course, vacations
are just a few of the many
reasons to celebrate
spring and summer.
Spring and summer
also marks the return of
allergy season. According
to the American College
of Allergy, Asthma, and
Immunology, allergies are
the sixth leading cause
of chronic illness in the
United States. A 2017 sur
vey found that 27 percent
of Canadians age 12 and
older reported having al
lergies. For many people,
allergies are a minor
seasonal nuisance that
are overcome by taking
over-the-counter medica
tions or staying indoors
on days when allergen
levels are especially high.
But the World Allergy
Organization notes that
a history of allergies is
a known risk factor for
developing asthma. In
fact, Statistics Canada re
ports that, among people
diagnosed with allergies,
63 percent also reported
having asthma.
What is asthma?
The National Heart,
Lung and Blood Insti
tute defines asthma
as a chronic condition
that affects airways in
the lungs. The airways
carry air in and out of the
lungs, and when people
have asthma, these
airways can become
inflamed and narrow,
compromising a person’s
ability to breathe.
Who gets asthma?
Many asthma patients
are diagnosed during
childhood. The ACAAI
reports that most chil
dren with asthma exhibit
symptoms prior to their
fifth birthdays. Asthma
symptoms also may ap
pear in adults older than
20, and such instances
may be attributed to
adult-onset asthma. Cer
tain adults may be more
likely to get adult-onset
asthma than others. For
example, WebMD reports
that women who are
experiencing hormonal
changes, such as those
who are pregnant or in
menopause, may be more
likely to get adult-onset
asthma.
What are the symp
toms of asthma?
The ACCA1 notes that
it can be hard to recog
nize symptoms of asthma
in very young children.
That’s because the bron
chial tubes in infants,
toddlers and preschool-
aged youngsters are
already small and narrow.
Head colds, chest colds
and other illnesses may
further narrow these
airways. So symptoms of
asthma could be mis
takenly associated with
colds or other illnesses.
A nagging cough that
lingers for days or weeks
or sudden, scary breath
ing emergencies are two
symptoms of pediatric
asthma. Parents also can
be on the lookout for
these symptoms:
• Coughing, especially
at night
• A wheezing or whis
tling sound when breath
ing, especially when
exhaling
• Trouble breathing
or fast breathing that
causes the skin around
the ribs or neck to pull in
tightly
• Frequent colds that
settle in the chest
Like pediatric asthma,
adult-onset asthma can
be easy to miss. That’s
because of natural
changes in muscles and a
stiffening of chest walls,
both of which are as
sociated with aging and
therefore often attributed
to age. The symptoms of
adult-onset asthma are
similar to those of pedi
atric asthma, and adults
who suspect they might
be experiencing asthma
symptoms despite no
history of the condi
tion can ask doctors to
conduct some specific
tests designed to detect
asthma. A lung function
test and a methacholine
challenge test are two
ways doctors can detect
adult-onset asthma.
Allergy season has
arrived, and that could
make some people more
vulnerable to asthma.
More information about
asthma is available at
www.accai.org.
Georgia Department of Public Health
District 4 Public Health
LAMAR COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT
Lamar County Health Department
100 Academy Drive
Barneville, GA 30204
Phone (770)358-1483
Make your appointment today!
Clinic: 1(800)847-4262 /(706)845-4035
WIC: 1(866)636-7942 / (706)298-6080
Hours
Monday - Friday
8:00a.m.- 5:00p.m.
We Protect Lives.
www.district4health.org
District4Health
c?) D4publichealth j W j |
Serving: Butts, Carroll, Coweta, Fayette,
Heard, Henry, Lamar, Meriwether, Pike,
Spalding, Troup and Upson Counties.
Call Monday-Friday
from 9am-4pm to
schedule your
FREE
C0VID-19 Vaccine
Any Georgia resident aged 16+ is eligible.
Upson Regional Medical Center
801W. Gordon St. in Thomaston
706-646-5727
Upson Regional Zebulon
Medical Office Building
7171 Hwy 19 S in Zebulon
706-646-5727
Upson Regional Barnesville
Medical Office Building
100 Hwy 18 W in Barnesville
770-872-5015
Schedule your appointment today!