Assistive Technology Helping People with Cerebral Palsy

A variety of neurological disorders may be categorized under the umbrella of cerebral palsy which is characterized by affected body movement and impairment in muscle coordination which usually occurs during infancy or early puberty. A majority of infants born with the condition are not immediately diagnosed with the condition, although these conditions are generally caused by abnormalities in areas of the brain responsible for controlling muscle movements. Major symptoms of cerebral palsy usually manifest when a child reaches between the ages of two and three. Common symptoms include stiff muscles, exaggerated reflexes or spasticity, ataxia or lack of muscle coordination, especially when executing voluntary movements, unusual postures, and atypical muscle tone.

As of today, cerebral palsy remains incurable, although the main purpose of treatment programs for children with this condition is to help them cope with their disabilities. This in turn will allow them to give their lives a semblance of normalcy and allow them to live as normal as possible even with their condition. Treatment programs for CP is made up of speech therapy, physical and occupational therapy, and medications for controlling seizures, relaxing muscle spasms, and to reduce pain. Sometimes, a surgical procedure will also be performed in order to rectify anatomical abnormalities that come with the condition or in order to release tightened muscles.

On the other hand, assistive technology can also help children with cerebral palsy. With the help of assistive technology, children with cerebral palsy may become more physically competent and also give them enough independence in movement or in performing simple tasks. In line with Assistive Technology Act, assistive technology refers to any devices or product system that is used in order to increase or improve the disabled person's functional capabilities whether these devices are acquired commercially or have been modified and customized by the patient to fit his or her direct needs.

At present, computer equipment including the growing internet technology help in empowering the innovations in the field of assistive technology especially for persons with cerebral palsy. Computer equipment today come with ergonomic devices that can help people with musculoskeletal problems to be able to gain some independence and perform tasks on their own with less assistance from other people. Other assistive technology comes with state of the art scanning equipment, nerve operated pointing devices, voice recognition programs, and on–screen keyboards among many other things. These things along with other technologies with similar concept help people with physical impairments caused by cerebral palsy.

But unluckily for some, a majority of these highly important and meaningful devices come at a price. A particular assistive technology device especially one with state of the art computer programming will certainly be very expensive. But there are institutions, both public and private, that help fund other people who may get interested in using the said technology. If you have a child with cerebral palsy and you understand how assistive technology can help the condition of your child, you can ask for funding assistance from these institutions to help you obtain one that will be the exact technology your child may need.

Find Out Just What Is Leaky Gut Syndrome?

Unbelievably, most health care workers have not heard of this illness. As medical schools do not teach it, they have a hard time recognizing it as a real illness. Nevertheless, many health care professionals do realize Leaky Gut Syndrome is a serious condition and ascribe a full range of ostensibly unrelated symptoms to it.

A more correct designation for Leaky Gut Syndrome is Increased Intestinal Permeability. It occurs when the lining of the intestines becomes inflamed and irritated. The lining is there to restrain substances from going through it, but will cease operating correctly once it is compromised. Because of this, toxins such as fat, bacteria, fungi, undigested specks of food, parasites and waste are leaked from the intestines into the bloodstream. The body then begins delivering many undesirable results as the autoimmune system kicks in.

Because of your body's immune response, food sensitivity or allergies sometimes occur. Your antibodies will anticipate food showing up again after they have already attacked it. Once again consuming food that has been attacked by your antibodies easily allows that food to be recognized and assaulted again.

In addition, when your body is constantly giving off an autoimmune response, the immune system gets over worked and exhausts itself. The body's autoimmune system is actually seventy percent situated in the intestinal tract. This section of the autoimmune system is named G.A.L.T. or gut-associated-lymphatic-tissues. The intestinal mucus and digestive tract are where these tissues are found.

The body's autoimmune response can also be the cause of several of the symptoms of leaky gut syndrome. You could experience abdominal bloating, excess gas, and cramps. Once your immune system gets over worked from combating these allergens, you may experience:

exhaustion

sleep that doesn't refresh you

an inability to contend with stress

difficulty concentrating

poor digestion

An over worked autoimmune system could bring about loads of issues.

Leaky Gut Syndrome is evident in various ways in your system. Leaky Gut Syndrome sufferers report having continuing muscle and joint pain, rashes, vaginal or bladder infections, bed-wetting and overall poor immunity. A quantity of grievous conditions can also happen like pancreatitis, septicemia, dairy intolerance, acne, Fibromyalgia and sometimes even cancer.

Ignorance is NOT bliss.

Becoming conscious of your having Leaky Gut Syndrome will permit you to start the process of healing. The easiest line of attack to do this is to alter your diet. This can be done by eliminating a few unique food items from what you consume for a month - items regularly known to be the cause of stomach issues. Several of these foods include bananas, strawberries, some citrus fruits, dairy products, foods with yeast, caffeine, chocolate, and peanuts. It's a good idea to add foods like lettuce, carrots, grapes, figs, beets, apples, apricots and spinach. For the initial month, you could likewise include pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, brown and wild rice, sunflower seeds, and kale.

As it was your diet that made the issues with your stomach, it seems logical that your diet will be what works best to heal you.

When it comes to adhd medications for children there are certain things you need to know

When it comes to adhd medications for children it can be a bit of a tricky issue trying to decide which medicines to use if your child is diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.  Today there are a wide range of stimulant drugs that are used for treating ADHD and many newer ones are becoming more popular.  This is because these newer varieties can be administered only once a day and are effective for up to twelve hours.  These sustained release medications remove the need for a midday dosage and continue to be effective after the child is finished with school for the day which means that they are able to focus on homework as well.

As far as the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) is concerned around eighty percent of all children do respond to one of the stimulants.  This means that if one or two do not work or if the side-effects prove to be intolerable a third can then be tried.  Of course this simply leaves the parent or guardian with the question:  how do you know which of the adhd medications for children should be tried first?  Generally speaking no one medication is better than another.  Knowing what medications are actually available can help parents to decide on which one to try.

Usually stimulants are the first course of action with antidepressants following as a second choice.  Usually these are considered only when two or more of the stimulant varieties have not worked sufficiently as far as reducing the symptoms of ADHD are concerned.  All stimulant medications include various formulations of methylphenidate and amphetamine which are available in short, intermediate, and long acting varieties.  If your child has problems when it comes to swallowing tablets short acting stimulants can be crushed or chewed and these include Ritalin and Adderall.  With the exception of Adderall XR sustained release medication cannot be taken in that way but must be swallowed in whole form.