Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Lately I've been feeling some numbness on my right hand, wrist, and arm. Sometimes, I can't use my hand completely the whole day when it feels really painful. So I had it checked by an ortho at the Asian hospital. He diagnosed it as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. The probable cause: long hours of using my laptop everyday. Oh, no! So, I'd have to lessen my Facebook addiction, and try not to use the laptop somedays. And I am also now starting on my Physical Therapy (PT) sessions to help ease the pain and hopefully fix the problem. So, for those of you who are unfamiliar with this condition, here are a few facts about the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

Photo source: http://www.richmondchiro.net/health-conditions/carpal-tunnel/

What it is:

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome occurs when the median nerve becomes pressed or squeezed at the wrist. The capal tunnel houses the median nerve, which controls sensations to the palm side of the thumb and fingers.

Symptoms:

- pain, weakness, or numbness in the hand and wrist, radiating up the arm

- frequent burning, tingling, or itching numbness in the palm of the hand and the fingers

- decreased grip strength

Causes:

- factors that increase pressure on the median nerve

- trauma/injury to the wrist

- rheumatoid arthritis

- repeated use of vibrating hand tools

- repetitive and forceful movements of the hand and wrist at work

- development of a cyst or tumor in the canal

- in some cases, no cause can be identified

Treatment:

- resting the affected hand and wrist

- avoiding strenous activities of the hand and wrist

- stretching exercises

- surgery if symptoms last for 6 months

info source: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/carpal_tunnel/detail_carpal_tunnel.htm

Swine Flu Alert: What travelers should do

This past week, swine flu has constantly been in the news. As a mom, I am doubly scared that this virus might reach our country. It is my prayer that it'll be contained soon and victims would soon recover. For those of you planning on taking a trip abroad, or for the balikbayans coming back to the country, here are some reminders from the World Health Organization (WHO) so as to prevent the virus from spreading across countries:

-- Wash hands frequently

-- Avoid contact with sick persons

-- Avoid contact with live animals in markets

-- Consult with doctor before traveling if ill

A more detailed advisory is given in this article:
http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSLS332542

Please take care, everyone. As a famous local brand says, "mahirap magkasakit", so "Ingat!"

What is Hepatitis A?

My daughter is scheduled for yet another vaccination tomorrow. This time, it's for Hepatitis A (or Hepa A for short).

Here are some notes I took from my research of this virus.

1. It causes liver disease.
2. It is carried in feces and may be transmitted by unwashed hands.
3. It is also transmitted by contaminated food and water.
4. Symptoms are fever, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine.
5. There is no treatment for this virus, but children often recover on their own within 2 months.
6. 3-5 out of 1,000 cases of Hepa A are fatal! =(

*Source: parentcenter

So, better be sure your children are protected from Hepa A, ok?

Stay healthy!

Stroke Indicator

I got this e-mail from a friend.
I thought it would be good to share it here so that more people will be aware of how to recognize a stroke, and hopefully, more people will be saved from it.

Blood Clots/Stroke - They Now Have a Fourth Indicator, theTongue.



I will continue to forward
this every time it comes around!


STROKE: Remember The 1st Three Letters.... S.T.R.


My nurse friend sent this and encouraged me to post it and spread the word. I agree.

If everyone can remember something this simple, we could save some folks. Seriously..

Please read:

STROKE IDENTIFICATION:

During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) ....she said she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes.

They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening

Ingrid's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00 pm Ingrid passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today. Some don't die.... they end up in a helpless,
hopeless condition instead.

It only takes a minute to read this...

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke... totally . He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting
the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE

Thank God for the sense to remember the "3" steps, STR . Read and Learn!

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke
.
Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

S * Ask the individual to SMILE.

T * Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently)
(i.e. It is sunny out today)

R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 999/911 immediately and describe the
symptoms to the dispatcher.

New Sign of a Stroke -------- Stick out Your Tongue

NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out his tongue.. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other , that is also an indication of a stroke.

A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this e-mail sends it to 10 people; you can bet that at least one life will be saved.

Teething Myths

It is NOT TRUE that teething causes fever, diarrhea, rashes, or vomiting.

I learned this recently from my child's pediatrician.

My daughter ran an on & off fever for 3 days. At first we thought it was because she was growing a new tooth, so we brushed it off and just gave her some paracetamol both for her fever and probably the pain she was experiencing with the new tooth coming out. But when her fever went to as high as 40 degrees celsius, off we rushed to her pediatrician for some advice. And we were surprised to learn that teething actually DOES NOT cause fever! Oh, no!!! Nor does it cause diarrhea, rashes, or vomiting. We learned that our child actually had some viral infection.

So, I hope you learn from my experience. Never brush off a symptom such as fever, especially when it goes beyond 38 degrees celsius. Consult your doctor immediately.

Facts about the MMR vaccine

Last Saturday, our daughter was injected with the MMR vaccine. I thought it might be helpful to share with you some facts that I researched on about this vaccine.

What is the MMR vaccine?

It protects your child against 3 viruses: measles, mumps, and rubella (German measles).

Measles: highly contagious; symptoms are rash, fever, runny nose, cough, and eye irritation; complications include ear infections, diarrhea, pneumonia, seizures, encephalitis, brain damage, and death.

Mumps: a viral infection that causes a fever, headache, and inflammation of the glands under the jaw; complications include meningitis, encephalitis, and (rarely) deafness.

Rubella or German measles: characterized by a pinkish red rash that starts on the face, a mild fever, and swollen lymph nodes (but one can also have rubella without any symptoms);

When should my child have the MMR vaccine?

There are 2 recommended doses: the first dose given between 12 and 15 months, and the second dose given between 4 and 6 years old (or anytime as long as it’s at least 28 days after the first).

Are there any side effects?

Common mild reactions are a low fever and a mild rash.

Rare cases of swelling in the glands of the child’s neck or cheeks.

MMRV vs. MMR:

MMRV is just the same as MMR, except that it includes protection against the varicella virus, which causes chicken pox.

Source: http://www.babycenter.com/0_the-mmr-vaccine_1567.bc

I found a helpful immunization chart from this site: http://www.expectantmothersguide.com/library/EUSimmunization.htm

Milk Quest

My baby is very choosy when it comes to her milk. She's been used to the NAN series of formula milk made by Nestle: NAN1 from birth to 6 months, NAN2 from 6 months to 10 months, & NAN3 for 10 months to 24 months-old babies.

Recently, though, NAN3 ran out of stock in the market. A call to the Nestle Consumer Hotline confirmed that Nestle has been re-packaging its NAN products and so explains the shortage that we are experiencing in the market. And so that started our quest for a replacement milk for our baby. Our pedia first recommended changing to PediaSure Plus (also to increase our baby's appetite). PediaSure Plus came in 2 flavors: vanilla & chocolate. We tried vanilla. It smelled so good...but our baby rejected it. :( We thought that maybe she didn't want milk with flavor. So we texted our ever-reliable pedia for another alternative. She replied, "try Enfagrow A+". But a trip to the local supermarket revealed that Enfagrow A+ also came in flavors. We saw Lactum 1+ with no flavor & asked our pedia if that was ok. She said, "alright, let's try that one". Then again, our baby didn't what to drink the Lactum milk we gave her. And so our quest continued.

Then we found Nestogen3, also from Nestle. This, we tried, and finally our baby accepted it. But we compared the nutrients labeled in both NAN3 and Nestogen3, and we found out that NAN3 has more nutrients in it. So although Nestogen is a cheaper alternative, as parents, we wanted our baby to get as much nutrients as possible in the early stages of her growth & development. Good thing NAN3 is now back in the market with its new packaging. Our baby is now happily sucking away! :)

Note: I am not in any way associated with Nestle or any other milk product. My baby has been accustomed to NAN3, and we're happy with this product. But I'm certain that there are other milk products that are also good for your baby. Do consult your pediatrician before trying any formula milk. And as doctors always say, "Breastfeeding is truly the best for babies".

Read more about the benefits of breastfeeding from this link: http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/bf/benefits.shtml