Teens and Mental Health
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Teens and Mental Health: The New American Academy of Pediatrics Report
Did you know, as many as one in every five teens experience depression at some point during adolescence? Unfortunately, these teens often go undiagnosed and untreated, sometimes because of a lack of access to mental health specialists.
Pediatricians and other primary care providers (doctors, Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, etc.) are often in the best position to identify and help struggling teens.
Recently the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published updated medical guidelines on adolescent depression. This is a two part guideline was published last month. This is the first update to the guidelines in 10 years, serving as a tool for physicians and offering recommendations for the patient and family members’ participation. This important document can be found at the following links:
- Guidelines for Adolescent Depression in Primary Care:(GLAD-PC): Part I. Practice Preparation, Identification, Assessment, andInitial Management
- Guidelines for Adolescent Depression in Primary Care:(GLAD-PC): Part II. Treatment and Ongoing Management
- Providing a treatment team that includes the patient, family and access to mental health expertise
- Offering education and screening tools to identify, assess and diagnose patients
- Counseling on depression and options for management of the disorder
- Developing a treatment plan with specific goals in functioning in the home, peer and school settings.
- Developing a safety plan, as needed, which includes restricting lethal means, such as firearms in the home, and providing emergency communication methods.
What is Neurofibromatosis?
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What is Neurofibromatosis?
What is Neurofibromatosis?
Neurofibromatosis is an incurable genetic disorder of the nervous system. It mainly affects the development of nerve cell tissues. Tumors known as neurofibromas develop on the nerves, and these can lead to other problems.
A complex, often devastating set of genetic disorders with possible complications throughout the body that may also hold the genetic mystery to a host of other human ailments. Affecting approximately 1 in 2,500 people or 2 million people worldwide, it appears equally in all races, ethnic groups and both sexes.
According to the Mayo Clinic, The tumors are generally non-cancerous or benign, but sometimes can turn into cancerous or malignant tumors. Symptoms are often mild. However, complications of neurofibromatosis can include hearing loss, learning impairment, heart and blood vessel (cardiovascular) problems, loss of vision, and severe pain.
How do you know you have Neurofibromatosis?
A common complication for a person with Neurofibromatosis is the growth of tumors on the nerves anywhere in and on the body. There are currently several separate, distinct disorders classified as neurofibromatosis. This includes neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2), and schwannomatosis. Others are also being identified.
What are the symptoms?
According to the national genome research institute, symptoms for neurofibromatosis include:
Type 1 Symptoms:
- Presence of light brown sports on the skin
- Appearance of two or more neurofibromas (pea-sized bumps/tumors) that can grow either on the nerve tissue, under the skin or on many nerve tissues
- Manifestation of freckles under the armpits or in the groin areas
- Appearance of tiny tan clumps of pigment in the iris of the eyes (Lisch nodules)
- Tumors along the optic nerve of the eye (optic glioma)
- Severe curvature of the spine (scoliosis)
- Enlargement or malformation of other bones in the skeletal system.
- Tumors along the eighth cranial nerve (schwannomas).
- Meningiomas and other brain tumors.
- Ringing noises inside the ear (tinnitus), hearing loss and/or deafness.
- Cataracts at a young age.
- Spinal tumors.
- Balance problems.
- Wasting of muscles (atrophy).
Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month
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Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month - With the sheer amount of sun exposure we get here in Colorado, it’s very important to make sure you are always wearing your sunscreen! And here is why.
Facts & Figures:
According to the Skin Cancer Foundation:
- More than 5.4 million cases of nonmelanoma skin cancer were treated in over 3.3 million people in the U.S. in 2012, the most recent year new statistics were available.
- More people are diagnosed with skin cancer each year in the U.S. than all other cancers combined.
- One in five Americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70
- Actinic keratosis is the most common pre cancer, affecting more than 58 million Americans.
- The annual cost of treating skin cancers in the U.S. is estimated at $8.1 billion: about $4.8 billion for nonmelanoma skin cancers and $3.3 billion for melanoma.
- Seek the shade, especially between 10 AM and 4 PM.
- Avoid getting a sunburn at all costs.
- Avoid tanning and UV tanning beds.
- Cover up with clothing, including a broad-brimmed hat and UV-blocking sunglasses.
- Use a broad spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher every day. For extended outdoor activity, use a water-resistant, broad spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher.
- Apply 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of sunscreen to your entire body 30 minutes before going outside. Reapply every two hours or immediately after swimming or excessive sweating.
- Keep newborns out of the sun. Sunscreens should be used on babies over the age of six months.
- Examine your skin head-to-toe every month.
- See your physician every year for a professional skin exam.
Huntington’s Disease
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Huntington's Disease. Those who suffer from Huntington’s Disease have a genetic mutation that triggers the gradual breakdown and death of nerve cells in the brain. The disease is a fatal genetic disorder that deteriorates a person’s physical and mental abilities and currently has no cure.
It is known as the quintessential family disease because every child of a parent with HD has a 50/50 chance of carrying the faulty gene. Today, there are approximately 30,000 symptomatic Americans and more than 200,000 at-risk of inheriting the disease.
Eventually, after roughly 20 to 30 years after the disease appears or is diagnosed, that cell breakdown results in the patient's death, sometimes due to sepsis, pneumonia, or some other complication related to the disease.
What are the physical symptoms of Huntington’s Disease?
According to the Huntington’s Disease Society of America, often symptoms are described as similar symptoms to ALS, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, sometimes simultaneously.
Symptoms usually appear between the ages of 30 to 50, and worsen over a 10 to 25 year period.
Everyone has the Huntington’s Disease gene, but only those that inherit the expansion of the gene will develop the disease and perhaps pass it on to each of their children. Every person who inherits the expanded gene will eventually develop the disease. Over time, Huntington’s Disease affects the individual’s ability to reason, walk and speak.
Symptoms Include:
- Personality changes, mood swings & depression
- Forgetfulness & impaired judgment
- Unsteady gait & involuntary movements (chorea)
- Slurred speech, difficulty in swallowing & significant weight loss
What does it mean to have high blood pressure? And what can I do about it?
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High Blood Pressure is often called a “silent killer”, due to generally having no symptoms. But what does it mean to have high blood pressure?
Blood pressure is when the following two items happen:
- When the heart pumps blood into the arteries and throughout the circulatory system
- The force of the arteries as they resist blood flow
- The higher number (also known as systolic pressure) represents the pressure exerted when the heart is beating.
- The lower number, or diastolic pressure, represents the pressure exerted when the heart is at rest between beats.
- Heredity
- Race
- African Americans are more likely to develop high blood pressure)
- Gender
- Men have a greater chance of developing high blood pressure than women until age 55. However, at over the age of 75, women are more likely to develop high blood pressure than men
- Sodium sensitivity (salt)
- Obesity and overweight
- Heavy alcohol consumption
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Diabetics or individuals with gout or kidney disease
- Heredity
- individuals whose parents had/have high blood pressure are more at risk
- Age
- the older people get, the more prone to high blood pressure
- Some medications
- always tell your doctor about every medication you are taking – some medications increase blood pressure, others may interfere with the effectiveness of antihypertensive drugs