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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!