Detailed information on endometrial ablation, including the reasons and preparation for the procedure, how the procedure is performed, after care, an anatomical illustration of the female pelvic organs, an illustration of the menstrual cycle, and an illustration of an endometrial ablation procedure.
Nasal surgery may be done at your doctor’s office, a surgery center, or a hospital. You will be told how to prepare for surgery. Follow these directions carefully. And be sure you have your questions answered before the procedure.
Follow all of the instructions you are given. In addition:
Tell your doctor about any medicines you take. This includes over-the-counter medicines, herbs, and supplements. You may need to stop taking some or all of them before surgery.
Tell your doctor if you have a pacemaker.
Do not take medicines containing aspirin or ibuprofen during the 14 days before surgery.
Don’t drink or eat for 8 hours before surgery.
Don’t wear makeup, jewelry, or contact lenses to surgery.
Arrange for an adult family member or friend to drive you home after surgery.
Be aware that you may spend the night in the hospital. This is uncommon. Your doctor can discuss this possibility with you.
You will be given medicine to keep you from feeling pain during surgery. This is called anesthesia. The type you will have will be discussed with you before the procedure. You may have one of 3 types.
Local anesthesia. This numbs the nose and area around it. You may also be given medicine to relax you. But you will remain awake. Expect to hear noises and see movement during the surgery.
Monitored anesthesia care. This makes you drowsy or lightly asleep during surgery. You can still expect to hear some sounds.
General anesthesia. This puts you into a state like deep sleep during surgery. You will hear and remember nothing.
Blood pressure is the force of the blood pushing against the
artery walls. The force is made with each heartbeat as blood is pumped from the
heart into the blood vessels. This is called systolic blood pressure. Blood
pressure is also affected by the size of the artery walls and their elasticity. Each
time the heart beats (contracts and relaxes), pressure is created inside the
arteries. When the heart is relaxed, the arteries stay at a lower resting tone to
maintain some pressure in the artery. This is called diastolic blood pressure.
High blood pressure is when the force of the blood is too high
during heart contraction or relaxation within the arteries. The arteries may have an
increased resistance against the flow of blood. This causes your heart to pump
harder to circulate the blood.
These factors may cause high blood pressure:
More than half of all adult Americans have high blood pressure.
You are at risk for it if you:
High blood pressure often has no symptoms. But you can find out if
your blood pressure is higher than normal by checking it yourself or by having it
checked regularly by your healthcare provider.
Very high blood pressure can cause symptoms. These include
headache, changes in vision, or chest pain.
Blood pressure is measured with a blood pressure cuff and
stethoscope by a nurse or other healthcare provider. You can also take your own
blood pressure with an electronic blood pressure monitor. You can find one at most
pharmacies.
Two numbers are recorded when measuring blood pressure:
Both the systolic and diastolic pressures are recorded as mm Hg
(millimeters of mercury). This recording represents how high the mercury column in
the blood pressure cuff is raised by the pressure of the blood.
Blood pressure is rated as normal, elevated, or stage 1 or stage 2
high blood pressure:
Even higher blood pressure is called a hypertensive crisis. This
means the systolic blood pressure is 180 or higher, the diastolic blood pressure is
more than 120, or both. If you have this, you need a change in your medicine right
away or a stay in the hospital.
A single higher blood pressure measurement does not necessarily
mean you have a problem. Your healthcare provider will want to see several blood
pressure measurements over a number of days or weeks before diagnosing high blood
pressure and starting treatment. Ask your provider when you should call if your
blood pressure readings are not within the normal range.
Treatment for high blood pressure may involve:
These healthy steps can help you control your blood
pressure:
Sometimes you may need to take 1 or more daily medicines to
control high blood pressure. Take it exactly as directed.
If you have high blood pressure, have your blood pressure
checked routinely and see your healthcare provider to watch the condition.
High blood pressure raises your risk for:
You can help prevent high blood pressure with many of the same
healthy steps used to treat it. These are:
Tips to help you get the most from a visit to your healthcare
provider:
An adjustment disorder is an
unhealthy emotional or behavioral reaction to a stressful event or change in a person’s
life. The response happens within 3 months of the stressful event. Some events that may
lead to this problem in a child or teen are:
Adjustment disorders are a reaction to stress. There is not one direct cause. Children and teens differ in their personalities, past experiences, vulnerability, and coping skills. Where they are in their development and ability to deal with a stressor may also play a part in how they react. Stressors also vary in how long they last, how strong they are, and what effect they have.
Adjustment disorders happen at all ages and are quite common in children and teens. They happen equally in boys and girls. They happen in all cultures. But the stressors and signs may vary based on cultural influences.
Children and teens have different
symptoms of an adjustment disorder than adults do. Children tend to have more behavioral
symptoms, such as acting out. Adults have more depressive symptoms. Age differences also
affect how long symptoms last, how strong they are, and what effect they have.
In all adjustment disorders, the reaction to the stressor seems to be more than what is thought to be normal. Or the reaction greatly interferes with how the child functions day to day.
There are 6 subtypes of adjustment disorder. They are based on the type of major symptoms a child may feel. Each child’s symptoms may vary. These are the most common symptoms of each subtype:
Symptoms of an adjustment disorder
can look like other health problems or mental illnesses. Have your child see his or her
healthcare provider for a diagnosis.
A mental health expert such as a
psychiatrist often makes the diagnosis after an evaluation. He or she talks with you,
your partner, and your child. He or she will ask for a full history of your child’s
development, life events, emotions, behaviors, school performance, and the stressful
event.
Treatment will depend on your
child’s symptoms, age, and health. It will also depend on how severe the disorder is.
Treatment may include:
It’s not known how to prevent an adjustment disorder in a child. But spotting it early and getting expert help for your child can ease severe symptoms. Taking these steps can enhance a child’s normal growth and development. It can improve your child’s quality of life.
You can do these things to help your child:
Call your child’s healthcare provider if your child has:
Tips to help you get the most from a visit to your child’s healthcare provider:
Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder. It’s also called bulimia. A child with bulimia overeats or binges uncontrollably. This overeating may be followed by self-induced throwing up (purging).
A child who binges eats much larger amounts of food than would normally be eaten within a short period of time (often less than 2 hours). The binges happen at least twice a week for 3 months. They may happen as often as several times a day.
Bulimia has two types:
Researchers don’t know what causes bulimia. Some things that may lead to it are:
Most children with bulimia are girls in their teens. They tend to be from a high socioeconomic group. They may have other mental health problems, such as an anxiety or mood disorders.
Children with bulimia are more likely to come from families with a history of:
Each child may have different symptoms. But the most common symptoms of bulimia are:
The symptoms of bulimia nervosa may look like other health problems. Make your child sees his or her healthcare provider for a diagnosis.
Parents, teachers, and coaches may be able to spot a child with bulimia. But many children with it first keep their illness hidden. If you notice symptoms of bulimia in your child, you can help by seeking a diagnosis and treatment early. Early treatment can often prevent future problems.
A child psychiatrist or a mental health expert can diagnose bulimia. He or she will talk with you, your partner, and teachers about your child’s behavior. Your child may need psychological testing.
Treatment will depend on your child’s symptoms, age, and general health. It will also depend on how severe the condition is.
Treatment often involves a mix of the following:
Bulimia can lead to malnutrition. It can harm nearly every organ system in the body. That’s why early diagnosis and treatment is important. Some health problems it may cause are:
Health complications may happen during treatment. Because of this, both your child’s healthcare provider and a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) must be part of the care team. You as a parent play a vital role in treatment.
Experts don’t know how to prevent bulimia. But early detection and treatment can lessen symptoms. They can also help your child’s normal development. It can also improve his or her quality of life. Encouraging your child to have healthy eating habits and realistic attitudes toward weight and diet may also help.
Here are things you can do to help your child:
Call your child’s healthcare provider if your child has:
Tips to help you get the most from a visit to your child’s healthcare provider:
Open neural tube defects (ONTDs) are problems with the way the brain, spinal cord, or spine forms while a baby is growing in the mother’s uterus. These problems occur in about 1 in every 1,500 newborn babies each year.
The types of neural tube defects include:
During pregnancy, the brain and spine begin as a flat plate of cells. This plate rolls into a tube, called the neural tube. The tube is completely formed 28 to 32 days after conception. If all or part of the neural tube fails to close, this leaves an opening. The opening is called an open neural tube defect. The opening in the tube may be left exposed or covered with bone or skin.
Neural tube defects are caused by genes passed on from both parents and from environmental factors. Some of these factors include obesity, uncontrolled diabetes in the mother, and some prescription medicines. In most cases, a child with a neural tube defect has no family history of this problem. ONTDs happen 5 times more often in girls than boys.
Once a child with a neural tube
defect has been born in the family, the chance that this problem will happen in another
child rises to 1 in 25. The type of neural tube defect can differ the second time. For
example, a family’s first baby could be born with anencephaly. A second baby could have
spina bifida instead.
Other risk factors for neural tube defects include:
Symptoms depend on the type of ONTD. And they can occur a bit differently in each child.
Symptoms of spina bifida can include:
The baby may also have other problems such as:
Symptoms of anencephaly can include:
Symptoms of encephalocele can include:
The signs and symptoms of open neural tube defects can be like other health conditions. Make sure your child sees his or her healthcare provider for a diagnosis.
ONTDs can be diagnosed before birth with tests that include:
After birth, a healthcare provider makes a diagnosis with a physical exam.
If your baby has an ONTD, you may need to have a cesarean section to deliver your baby. This is often done to lower the risk for damage to the spinal cord that may occur during a vaginal delivery.
If your child has spina bifida or encephalocele, he or she may need surgery to:
A baby may also need:
Talk with your child’s healthcare
providers about the risks, benefits, and possible side effects of all treatments.
There is no cure or standard treatment for anencephaly. Treatment is supportive. This means efforts are made to keep the baby as comfortable as possible. Anencephaly most often leads to death in days or weeks. Grief counseling services are available to help parents cope with the loss of their child.
Babies with spina bifida are at high risk of developing a latex allergy. This is because they are exposed to latex during the many medical and surgical procedures they need. Your baby’s healthcare team will do their best to limit how much latex your baby is exposed to. Your baby’s healthcare providers can help you find out which products contain latex and also find products that are latex-free.
Up to 3 in 4 babies with anencephaly are stillborn. Anencephaly most often leads to death in days or weeks.
The neural tube closes 28 to 32 days after a baby is conceived. This is before many women know that they are pregnant. Normal development of the brain and spinal cord may be affected during these first 3 to 8 weeks of pregnancy by:
Folic acid is in prenatal vitamins. Getting this vitamin early in pregnancy is important to prevent an ONTD. Researchers have found that a woman who gets enough folic acid (vitamin B-9) can help lower the risk for neural tube defects. Folic acid is found in some leafy green vegetables, nuts, beans, citrus fruits, and fortified breakfast cereals. Experts recommend that all women of childbearing age take a daily multivitamin containing 400 to 800 micrograms of folic acid.
If you have had a child with a neural tube defect, your healthcare provider may recommend taking a larger amount of folic acid before your next pregnancy. Your provider may tell you to take this extra amount for 1 to 2 months before conception and then through the first trimester.
Your healthcare provider may also
advise genetic counseling. You can talk with a counselor about the risk of a neural tube
defect in a future pregnancy. Also talk with your provider about getting a prescription
for folic acid to lower the risk for another open neural tube defect.
Your child’s healthcare providers will work to prevent deformities or keep them to a minimum. They will also work to help your child make the most of his or her capabilities. Physical and occupational rehabilitation, plus extra support in school, can help a child function as well as possible.
If your baby is born with an ONTD, there are things you can do to take care of yourself and your baby:
A diagnosis of anencephaly can be overwhelming and upsetting. You will face difficult decisions about how to care for your baby. Because many babies born with anencephaly may not live beyond the first few days or weeks of life, you may have to cope with your baby never coming home from the hospital.
Call the healthcare provider if your child has:
Tips to help you get the most from a visit to your child’s healthcare provider:
