Protecting Your Children from Cyber Bullying: A Parent's New Mission

The news stories never change.  A bright young person takes their own life after suffering from cyber bullying.  These kids are ranging from middle school on up into high school and even college.  What is there to do?  As social media becomes the trade of the future, parents and teachers need to be aware and assist the children as they mature into responsible adults.

One of the keys to protecting children is to improve communication.  A child will tell a trusted adult what is happening in their life.  If parents are aware of any cyber bullying, the school administrators need to be informed.

Secondly, advising children through the maturing years on their self worth and building confidence goes a long way.  Cyber bullying targets children who seem weak, and sometimes feel like they have no self worth.  Let children know not to let anyone take away their self worth.

Thirdly, getting away from social media for awhile can be seen as therapeutic.  With everything on Facebook or MySpace nowadays, people find their “number of friends” to equal their importance.  Taking a break away from what is torturing you can do wonders.

If your child is involved in Facebook, parents need to be on the site as well and monitor what is going on.  Being involved in all activities is the number one powerful message children understand in the relationship and it won’t be broken.  Read all text messages and talk to your kids constantly.

Helping your children through play acting is helpful.  Teaching children to be assertive is key.  If someone is bullying them, teach them to say, “I don’t appreciate that, and if you keep doing it, I will call the police and report you to the police department.”  If kids keep internalizing the emotional and psychological abuse in cyber bullying, then it will explode in the worst way.

Question "How do I know I am in an abusive relationship?"

Abuse comes in many forms and is not always physical.  Sometimes, simple emotional abuse can cause feelings of insecurity or fear.  Not having access to finances, or the car, or the ability to be free in your home is a form of controlling behaviors.  Sexual abuse includes forced sexual activity or rape which can have devastating effects on your psyche.  Verbal abuse can include repeated name calling or threats. 

An abusive relationship is a crime, and you should not feel that it is your fault.  Self blame for abuse is detrimental for not just your psychological health, but also for your physical health.  It is quite common -- about 1/4 women and 1/9 men are abused in their relationships.  Please talk with anyone that you trust, friends, preachers, nurses, or doctors, and keep all your important papers close by in case you need to leave in a hurry.  Have a plan for a place to go and call the police at any time you feel you are in danger.

Question: What is the difference between moles and melanoma?

Moles can come in all different ways.  Some are brown, tan or even flesh covered.  Most are usually less than the size of a pencil eraser.  An ordinary mole can be present at birth and remain the same size, and color for many years. 

Melanomas are often larger than moles.  While common moles are less than 1/4^th an inch, a melanoma can be larger.  Common moles usually are the same color throughout, while melanomas have several colors or an irregular pattern.

Normal moles are usually round or oval with no border irregularity.  Melanomas do not have even borders and may be notched.  Melanomas are asymmetrical which means one half is different than the other half. 

Melanomas usually occur in people who have a higher number of moles, both irregular and larger.  If a family member has melanoma, there is higher risk for others in the family as well.

Lifestyle choices also contribute to potential melanoma development.  Frequent sun exposure, multiple sunburns at an early age, having fair skin, easily freckling, or having red or blonde hair can be a predisposition for risk of melanoma.

Be aware of any mole that changes, or a sore that doesn't heal.  Look closely at the borders of all moles and see if any of the pigment is spreading from the border into surrounding skin.  Be aware of any changes in sensation which may include itching, tenderness, or pain at a mole site.  Look for changes in the surface of a mole, if it oozes or bleeds.  Also look out for a mole that stands out differently than the other moles on your body. 

If anything looks or feels different come by the office and get a biopsy.  Pathology reports in about 7-10 days. 

Thanks for the questions.  Keep them coming. 

Chronic Neck Pain Recommendations

Everyone has heard the story - someone in family has history of injury to the neck, whether whiplash in an auto accident, or leading an active lifestyle in sports.  They do fine for awhile on Tylenol and they have no more pain in their neck.  Then after a few years, they have increasing pain and numbness either in their arms or hands.

Neurological symptoms with neck pain require imaging studies, The American College of Radiology reports.  Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is useful in diagnosing disk herniations, where the disk between the vertebrae bulges into either the spinal canal or into the nerves that come off the spinal cord.  MRI is useful in finding tumors, ligament damage, and fractures.

The ACR recommends a 5 view x-ray series of the cervical spine in anyone with chronic neck pain of any age, with or without history of trauma, with history of cancer, or with history of neck surgery in the past.

The ACR reports that if the 5 view x-ray is normal, and there are not neurological findings, no further imaging is required.

Of course, if there is any metal in the body, such as pacemaker, or bladder stimulator, MRI is not recommended.  Some people have severe claustrophobia, and therefore MRI is not recommended.

If you have chronic neck pain, make an appointment to see your doctor to get adequate evaluations.  Thanks for questions and keep them coming!  runsinthewynd@gmail.com

Health Alert: E. Coli Infection and what to look for

The recent outbreak that claimed the lives of 9 people, and caused Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (symptoms associated with kidney failure) in over 400 people in Germany has apparently spread to the US.  On May 31, 3 Americans who recently traveled from Hamburg have been reported with Shiga Toxin E. Coli infestation.

E. Coli normally resides in our colon.  The problem is when some strains of E. Coli develop the Shiga toxin.  This toxin has a virulent ability to create havoc on the immune system. 

Some symptoms can include severe stomach cramps and diarrhea (often bloody) with vomiting.  If there is a fever, it is low grade.  Most of the time it is self limiting and lasts only 5-7 days, however some unfortunately develop Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) about a week after the diarrhea starts.

HUS is a syndrome of 3 classic symptoms: anemia (low blood levels), renal damage, and thrombocytopenia (low platelets).  The anemia is caused by the spleen chomping on the blood cells causing abnormal shapes what we call “schistocytes and helmet cells.”

If you know of anyone who develops these symptoms, go to nearest ER, and get stool studies.  Antibiotics are not recommended until full diagnostic studies can be done.  Sometimes antibiotics and increase risk of developing the HUS.  Labs will report positive stool cultures to the state health departments.

More information can be obtained from the CDC.  Any questions for article please submit to runsinthewynd@gmail.com

Question: Can physical therapy treat knee pain?

Being a proponent of physical therapy, I believe it can help reduce symptoms, improve mobility and function and strength of most if not all joint pains. 

The key is strengthening the muscular groups both above and below the joint.  For the knee, a physical therapist will exercise those muscle groups.  Usually therapy will last 3 times a week for up to 6 weeks. 

The American Physical Therapy Association has many suggestions and guidelines for many different types of injuries on their website for the public at www.moveforwardpt.com 

Physical therapists can aid you in improving symptoms of pain with use of ultrasound technology as well.  They are always helpful and only want you to have a complete recovery.  Of course, in the process of your therapy, you may feel otherwise.  Their job is to exercise you, and get those muscles improved.  If you stop moving, you lose muscle mass, and therefore function.  In fact, laying in bed all day has considerable impact on muscle mass.  Like they always say, “use it or lose it.” 

My favorite knee pain exercise involves actually the hip and waist muscle groups.  Knee extension puts increased pressure on the joint, so my favorite is to keep the knee straight while standing, and just raise your leg up 90 degrees or parallel to the floor.  Doing 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps strengthens the quadriceps, or the muscles in your thigh. 

You can do this exercise for many knee problems and even hip problems like iliotibial band syndrome.  Whatever the painful condition, please consider adding physical therapy to improve your symptoms.  Contact your doctor for any issues you may have.

Thanks for the emails.  Be safe and healthy!  Questions can go to runsinthewynd@gmail.com

Skin Care 101

I know there are so many products on the shelves for skin care.  It is frustrating to see that each product is unique.  You can hydrate, soothe, relax, de-stress, or de-age your skin.  They have different smells, different flavors, different solutions, ointments, creams.  

But to make it easier to deal with I have some simple solutions to the most basic of skin issues.  The first is hydration.  Some people have skin that is fragile, dry and dehydrated.  You can tell someone is slightly dehydrated by the skin “turgor.”  Skin turgor is a sign we use based on how elastic the skin is.  If you can pinch your skin and it stays in that pinched form for a long time, we say you have poor turgor.  Or if your skin stands on its own after moving it a certain way, it has poor turgor.  Normal skin should go back to normal after being pinched. 

Moisturizing your skin is the first step to strengthening it.  A nighttime moisturizer is usually all you need, but if you have skin that stands up by itself or has “poor turgor,” then you should probably use it twice a day. 

My favorite moisturizer is Aquaphor ointment.  It may seem thick at first, but if you warm it up, it goes a lot easier on the skin.  It doesn’t have those smell good aromas, and is not greasy like Vaseline.  It is perfect and makes a nice complexion to your skin.  This is a very good step to take for improving your skin.  More to come, in the meantime stay healthy!