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Pain Control
Pain Control Will my child be in pain after surgery? After surgery, there may be physical causes of pain, but the sensation of pain also depends on complex mental and emotional factors. Determining the level of pain that your child has can be very challenging. The surgical team may use a scale of 0 to 10 or illustrations of faces to help your child describe pain. The physicians caring for your child can determine what is usual discomfort for a certain operation and give the prescribed medication; howeve...
Pain Management and Children
Pain Management and Children What are the causes and effects of pain? Pain management is an important concern for a child with cancer. When a child has cancer, one of his/her greatest fears is pain. Every effort should be made to ease the pain during the treatment process. Pain is a sensation of discomfort, distress, or agony. Because pain is unique to each individual, a child's pain cannot be evaluated by anyone else. Pain may be acute or chronic. Acute pain is severe and lasts a relatively short time....
Pain Management
Pain Management Pain control after surgery: Pain is your body's way of telling you something is wrong. It is normal to expect a certain amount of pain following surgery; however, if pain does not subside with pain medication, there may be a more serious problem. Your physicians and nurses will ask about your pain because they want you to be comfortable. It is important that they be alerted if their efforts to control your pain are not effective. With today's new and improved pain medications, there is n...
Ice Packs vs. Warm Compresses For Pain
Ice Packs vs. Warm Compresses For Pain When to use heat and when to use cold: It can sometimes be confusing whether to use heat or cold when treating sore muscles or an injury, but keep these facts in mind: Heat: brings more blood to the area where it is applied. reduces joint stiffness and muscle spasm, which makes it useful when muscles are tight. helps to resolve inflammation. Types of warm packs/pads: warm towel Dampen a towel with warm (not scalding) water. Apply to the affected area to relieve mus...
Kids' Headaches: The Diagnosis Is Difficult
Kids' Headaches: The Diagnosis Is Difficult Headaches aren't only for adults. Kids get them, too. By the time children reach high school age, most have experienced at least one headache, according to the National Headache Foundation (NHF). There are two basic types of headaches: primary headaches, in which the headache is the only symptom and, when treated, will stop; and secondary headaches, which are caused by another condition and don’t usually go away until the condition is treated. Primary headache...
Helping Others Understand Your Migraine
Helping Others Understand Your Migraine When you have a migraine, you may get mixed reactions from family and friends. Some may be worried; others may get frustrated. You and your loved ones will benefit if they understand your condition and how best to help, advises the American Council for Headache Education (ACHE). Talk about the headaches and the problems they cause. The first step is to make sure you are getting appropriate treatment for your migraines. Medication is available to help ease the pain...
Migraines No Match for Monica Seles
Migraines No Match for Monica Seles Tennis legend Monica Seles has won 53 singles titles, nine Grand Slams and $15 million since she joined the pro tour in 1989. But her toughest opponent doesn't carry a racket. "In many ways, I think my biggest challenge over the years has actually been learning how to manage my migraine headaches," Ms. Seles says. "I started getting migraines as a teenager, back when I first joined the pro tour. Sometimes, right in the middle of a match, I'd develop a pounding, throbb...
Taking the Pain Out of Choosing Pain Killers
Taking the Pain Out of Choosing Pain Killers Making sense of all the pain relievers spilling off store shelves today is, well, enough to give you a headache. Here's a little secret to ease the confusion: Despite the growing choice of products -- the medicinal equivalent of a crowded cereal aisle -- the experts say there is very little new when it comes to over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers. It's the same pain-killing theme, different variation, says Mary Lea Gora Harper, Pharm.D., director of the Uni...
Use Caution With Pain Relievers
Use Caution With Pain Relievers Over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers are safe and effective when used as directed. It's when a person doesn't follow the label's advice that problems may occur. "They can cause serious problems if people take too much of them or use them for longer than their labels recommend, or if they are taken by people with certain medical conditions," says Ellen Shapiro, director of the division of public affairs for the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research at the Food and Drug ...
Hypnosis: Helps Treat Pain, Other Conditions
Hypnosis: Helps Treat Pain, Other Conditions Some health care providers, clinical psychologists, and dentists use hypnosis in their work. Done properly, hypnosis can be part of a comprehensive plan to overcome pain, behavioral problems, stress, and phobias in addition to helping people control weight or quit smoking. Although hypnosis has been endorsed by the American Psychological Association and the American Medical Association, myths still surround it, says Irving Kirsch, Ph.D., professor emeritus of...
Migraines: More Common in Women
Migraines: More Common in Women About 29.5 million Americans suffer from debilitating migraine headaches. And many more go undiagnosed. Women are affected three times more often than men. But with a bit of savvy, you and your doctor can devise a way to keep your condition under control. Identify the troublemakers Many scientists believe that a migraine attack is caused by abnormalities in certain brain cells. When these brain cells become active, surrounding blood vessels dilate and become inflamed, res...