Tag: Lifestyle Diseases Diagnosis

Does the needle scare you from getting vaccinated

23/02/21

Does the needle scare you from getting vaccinated

Dr Paula Goel, Pediatrician & adolescent Physician , Fayth Clinic

‘A needle makes my blood run cold’ . Does the needle scare you , so that you avoid doing blood tests or taking any injections which are required including vaccinations .

Many are deathly afraid of a needle that could save their lives. So scary, in fact, that studies show the needle averse individuals routinely skip medical procedures — vaccines, tooth removal, blood tests — that they know are good for them. 16 % of adults avoid the injections because of it

Here are some tips to distract you :

Distract yourself while you’re waiting.Bring along a game, book, music, or movie — something you’ll get completely caught up in so you’re not sitting in the waiting room thinking about the shot..
Concentrate on taking slow, deep breaths.Breathe all the way down into your belly. Deep breathing can help people relax — and concentrating on something other than the shot can take your mind off it.
Focus intently on something in the room.Find a picture, poster, or a sign on the wall. Concentrate on the details. Whatever it takes, keep focusing on something other than the shot until it’s over.
Research shows that coughing once before and once during the shot can help some people feel less pain.
Relax your arm.If you’re tense, it can make a shot hurt more — especially if you tense up the area where you’re getting the shot
Don’t shame or humiliate. Acknowledge the fear as genuine and help your child work through it, even if it requires seeing a therapist
Counseling for needle anxiety, is like any other phobias, through cognitive behavioral therapy Instead of avoiding pictures of needles, psychologists steadily expose patients to more and more images of needles. They progress to using fake but realistic needles to simulate the process of receiving an injection, even using real alcohol wipes.
Experts and vaccine advocates say there are other, short-term solutions, including using pain-blocking gels, intentionally tensing and relaxing muscles repeatedly to induce relaxation, mindfulness, and flat-out distraction.
Another technique is to press the thumb firmly into the child’s arm, producing a temporary soreness than can mask the sensation of the flu shot.
If your child is truly needle-phobic, talk to your doctor about whether anti-anxiety medication is needed.
If your child is simply anxious, try distractions: play games, ask questions, tell stories, sing songs, blow bubbles, show a movie or a cellphone video. Pre-schoolers can be caressed in a parent’s arms and comforted gently.
Don’t lie to your child that the doctor’s visit won’t involve a shot or that that the shot will be absolutely painless. Dishonesty and trickery could exacerbate your child’s fear and distrust
Sometimes people feel lightheaded or faint after getting a shot. If you feel funny, sit or lie down and rest for 15 minutes.
Don’t hesitate to tell the doctor or nurse that you’re nervous before getting the shot. Medical professionals are used to people who are afraid of shots and they’ll be able to help you relax.

So , we hope some of these pointers will help you to deal with your fear of the needle and hopefully help you to get through medical procedures with less stress.

Mail Us : enquiries@faythclinic.com
Book Your Appointment Here : faythclinic.com/book-appointment

Parental guidelines for overweight & Obesity in children & eens

11/01/21

PARENTAL GUIDELINES FOR

OVERWEIGHT & OBESITY IN CHILDREN & TEENS

Dr Paula Goel, Pediatrician & Adolescent Physician, Director,

Fayth Clinic, Mumbai

Overweight and obesity are a significant public health concern even for children and teenagers. The prevalence of obesity for children and adolescents aged 2-19 years is 18.5% and affects about 13.7 million children and adolescents in USA, whereas in India it is about 14% and growing . With the COVID lockdown, the incidence has further increased.

Overweight is defined as increased weight for age, height and gender of child. Standard charts like IAP, WHO , NCHS, UNICEF ,CDC which have weight and height for age and gender, are used to identify overweight and obesity in children and teenagers . WHO has declared Obesity as a disease process in 1998, requiring treatment.

Overweight & obesity in children & teenagers is associated with multiple health problems.

Physical health problems include early onset high blood pressure, pre diabetes high serum insulin levels , high lipids (total cholesterol and triglycerides) , acne , hair loss , irregular menses , PCOS ,fungal infections , joint problems and respiratory infections.

Pre diabetes is increased, especially if family history is present.

Emotional health problems may arise as many children & teenagers are subjected to vicious attacks of peer pressure and bullying due to their weight. They may face isolation due to a lack of friends in the real world. As a result, loneliness creeps in and they spend long hours on media with more “cyber friends” than real friends, and may indulge in compensatory overeating as a “feel good factor”. Eventually they develop body image issues

All this would finally leads to low self esteem, lack of self confidence, anxiety, depression, lack of focus, aggression and/or passive aggressive behavior.

This can present with scholastic backwardness in form of poor academic achievement. Metabolic consequences of obesity and psychological impact are higher in girls.

Causes of overweight & obesity are multi-factorial, commonest being lack of physical activity, over eating (large portion size), eating high caloric diet, long hours spent on media (TV, Internet, social media, gaming), hormonal problems, medical problems like thyroid abnormalities, anemia and other genetic problems, and family history of obesity .

Whatever is the cause of overweight & obesity, it is essential that child be diagnosed, investigated and treated accordingly.

Parents must watch for certain physical signs and symptoms:

Lethargy , fatigue , joint pains , breathlessness , lack of interest and focus , easy crying , sudden bouts of anger and temper , prolonged periods of locking themselves up in room , asking meals to be served in room instead of having meals with family , self abuse in terms of over eating , physical hurt to self , wearing very loose clothes , not responding to spoken words .

Evaluation of overweight or obese child/teenager include :

Medical evaluation and diagnostic tests including blood evaluation , ECG , lung function tests , Ambulatory BP if required ( in teenager )
Nutritional assessment of eating habits in form of frequency of eating out , intake of calories , frequency and portion size of energy rich foods, intake of fruits and vegetables, number of meals /day and skipped meals if any .
Identify media addiction
Exercise protocols to be customized per child/teenager as per their requirement
Counseling including cognitive behavior counseling , dietary & lifestyle modification counseling , which will include child/teenager as well as parents ( entire family )

Parental Tips :

Spend adequate time with your child /teen . Be present for your child.
Communicate with your child
Meal times should be happy time with all family members.
Meals should not be eaten in front of TV or in bedroom.
Breakfast must be the most important meal of the day .
Small 5-6 meals / day should be taken which consists of 3 main meals and 2-3 small snacks which are balanced with right proportion of carbohydrates, proteins, fat and adequate amount of water .
Starchy food with high glycemic index should be reduced, increase intake of high fibred diet.
Force feeding should not be done. It is ok to leave some food on plate
Holiday times should be used for cleaning house or community activity which allows the child to have some form of activity instead of waking up late and sitting in front of TV
Child should accompany parents at times for food shopping and learn to read food labels before buying processed food
Dieting in children and adolescents is not healthy as this is the growth phase
Healthy eating behavioral practice should be encouraged for the whole family

Prevention forms the key and can be achieved by

Increase activity ,
Reduce time on TV, media .
Family activities like meal planning and physical activity together goes a long way to motivate children.
Parents should set an example and avoid junk food themselves.
Food should not be used as a motivator to motivate child to perform well on any activity
Parents should keep watch, as it does not take time for overweight children and teens to become obese .
Weight maintenance over a period of time (maybe 2 years) without weight gain, in the right zone for age will lead to balancing of weight for height and allow the body to grow without micronutrient deficiency.

Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine Unit of Fayth Clinic ensures that Overweight & Obesity in Children and teenagers are treated under the National Guidelines laid down by the Indian Academy of Pediatrics which leads to healthy weight loss and prevents the complications of obesity. This enables the child /teenager to adopt healthy lifestyle changes leading to healthy eating practices, coping skills, develop healthy body image and to deal with peer pressure in the most effective way.

Other Services include: vaccinations, Pediatric & adolescent OPD, treatment of PCOS, Acne, thyroid, short stature, poor academic performance, counseling etc

Today’s lifestyle: Boon or Bane for our children?

01/08/17

The last few decades have brought about a significant change in the way we live. The childhood pleasures of sweaty summers and playgrounds have transformed into computer games and online combats. The result, one in every five children in the age 6 to 19 years are reported to be on the wrong side of BMI, either overweight or obese.
Our observations as part of the Medigym initiative at Fayth Clinic has thrown light on the extent of obesity related issues in our children and teens today, and the picture is quite alarming. Obesity is not just weighing down on their overall health but on the quality of their social life as well.
The reasons behind the growing numbers….
The development that we have witnessed in the recent times and the associated advancements that it has brought about in our lifestyles are not all bad. However, the changing food habits, our affinity for all things instant and the waning importance of physical activity has robbed off the quality of childhood and adolescent health today, making them susceptible to a number of diseases.

Some of the main culprits of obesity include aerated drinks and junk food that have become a constant in our everyday life. What is more, the colorful advertisements of today are potent enough to pique the interest of adults, let alone kids towards these products. Another popular trend contributing abundantly to obesity include skipping breakfast and having heavy dinners that most of us practise out of convenience in today’s hectic life.
Another important aspect contributing to obesity is the family genetics. A history of overweight people in the family is not to be taken lightly. Obese children are at a greater risk of growing up to be obese adults developing a host of medical diseases like early onset high blood pressure, diabetes, insulin resistance, joint problems, PCOS, respiratory problems, decreased immunity, skin rashes and many more. These may start from teen years and extend well in adulthood, if not taken care and dealt with on an emergency basis. The typical Indian Concept of healthy child ( Khata-Peeta bacha ) has now been replaced by a healthy child in the right weight for age and height as per the national Indian Academy of Pediatrics norm.

A well-thought diet and exercise protocol put in place as part of daily life could be highly helpful in these cases.

What obesity does to our kids….
Most of the common NCDs (Non-Communicable Diseases) present in children today are a product of unhealthy lifestyle. Some of the common obesity related morbidities include the following.

Diabetes Mellitus – children and adolescents with obesity are more susceptible to be affected by Type 2 diabetes, a potentially dangerous condition in the long run.
Obstructive sleep apnoea – the number of kids affected by sleep apnoea is quite surprising with about 22 percent of our adolescent population known to be affected by different varieties of it.
Cardiovascular diseases – children and teens affected by obesity are known to have an increased probability for acquiring cardiovascular condition
Fatty liver disease -nonalcoholic fatty liver diseases are known to have an incidence of about 33% among obese children.
Depression is another condition that has seen an increase in the rate of incidence among children. While they may or may not be directly linked to obesity, being overweight or obese does have serious implications on the emotional well being of our kids. The social isolation, teasing and peer pressure develops a poor self-image, affecting the emotional growth of the child.Our children are not just the most precious of our possessions, they are our valuable successors to take forward the legacy and development of our nation. They have a lot to accomplish and we shouldn’t allow such factors as an abnormal BMI pull them back. Every Healthy Child leads to Healthy Nation. So let’s practice a healthy lifestyle for a healthy and robust tomorrow.

For details,

Visit us:http:www.faythclinic.com

Mail us:paulagoel2014@gmail.com

Lifestyle Diseases Screening

17/03/17

In today’s world, laden with pollution, competition and changing diet patterns, the incidence of certain diseases is increasing. Termed as lifestyle diseases, they threaten the very existence and healthy well-being of generations to come. Lifestyle diseases screening acquires importance in this circumstance. An early diagnosis can help in successful recovery or to bring the diseases under control.

Lifestyle diseases develop as a result of the lifestyle that we follow today. Though modernization in the total outlook of man has brought about a lot of good and better quality of life, they have also tagged along a horde diseases. These lifestyle diseases have percolated the society so much that there is no household where any one of these is not present.

Our lifestyle has brought down the age when lifestyle diseases screening should be considered necessary. Where, earlier people got sick at the age of 60 years, it has been narrowed down to 40 these days. The studies by World Health Organisation (WHO) has produced alarming results, showing an increase of about 25 % in cardiovascular deaths within the age group of 25 – 70 years since the last decade.

Lifestyle diseases screening is necessary to detect irregularities like diabetes, blood pressure, hypertension, thyroid hormone, cholesterol or lipid profile and so on. This is because these irregularities develop into life threatening lifestyle diseases, such as cardio vascular diseases and cancers, with time. Cancers can also be called a life style disease because of their links to our eating habits and environment factors.

Obesity is another life style condition that needs attention. A major reason for infertility and a number of other diseases, the number of obese people is increasing globally. Female reproductive diseases like POCD, endometriosis and so on are caused by obesity to some extent. Metabolic Syndrome is another product of obesity that is common in society, nowadays.

Lifestyle diseases screening can be carried out simply by a blood test analysis for above mentioned irregularities. Constant surveillance is the only method to stay healthy these days.

Based in Mumbai, India, Fayth Clinic is a multi-specialty clinic specialised in offering health check-ups and treatments for adolescent and paediatric cardiology and obesity.

Visit us : faythclinic.com
Mail us : paulagoel2014@gmail.com