Children’s Center - July 2013 Archives

JOIN THE TUESDAY TWITTER CHAT JULY 23,  1 - 2 pm ET Getting to Know your #baby the first three months. Bring your questions to @DrRichardBesser, ...

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: As the result of a sports injury, my 16-year-old daughter has chronic pain that has lasted for more than a year. It is really taking a toll on her. The pain makes it hard for her to go to school and to do the activities she enjoys. Medication doesn’t make much difference. What can we do? Is there a chance the pain will go away with time? ANSWER: Your daughter’s pain may fade over time. While she has pain, though, it is important for her to find ways to manage it. A cure may not be possible, but there are many strategies that can help her get back into life. Pain usually comes from illness, injury or surgery, and it goes away as our bodies heal. This type of pain is called acute pain. Chronic pain is different. It is generally defined as daily pain that lasts more than three months. Chronic pain may continue after an injury or illness has passed. It may come from a medical condition that is hard to treat. Sometimes chronic pain may not have any clear source.

Recent upgrades at YouTube have resulted in issues with some older versions of Internet Explorer. If you are only seeing a black box in the player, click here or open in a different browser. SAVING LIVES WITH GUS: Fireworks Safety http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UraLdB8VAQQ This video series is designed to educate, entertain and deliver life-saving tips with high-tech mannequins. Click here to learn more about the project and follow #SavingLivesWithGus Journalists: broadcast quality video is available in the downloads With the 4th of July holiday week at hand, experts at Mayo Clinic are offering up some injury prevention tips on some of the most common reasons that send people to the emergency department this time of year. Consume alcohol in moderation. Imbibing too much alcohol can lead to questionable decision-making, slowed reflexes and false confidence – traits that are dangerous in nearly any outdoor activity during the summer months. Never assume a camp or bonfire is completely out. On more than one occasion, fire-happy campers have been known to dump gasoline or other extremely flammable liquids on fires that look like they are out or smoldering and ended up with third-degree burns. Children and adults make trips to the emergency room every summer after stepping into fire pits they thought were cool. Always wear a helmet when biking, motorcycling, horseback riding or on an ATV. This is like wearing a seat belt in a car – an absolute must. Riders of all kinds can sustain serious injuries in an accident, but survival chances grow exponentially when a helmet is worn. Use extra-sharp eyes when operating a motor vehicle on the water.  Watch out for other boaters, water-skiers and swimmers. Every year, patients are brought to the Emergency Department after getting tangled up in a boat propeller. And always wear a life jacket. Avoid fireworks. Even sparklers – thought to be relatively safe – can lead to blindness and serious burns. Other larger fireworks can leave users without fingers and even limbs. Hearing loss is common among fireworks users as well. Children must be closely supervised at all times around any kind of fireworks. Click here for news release http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7ASZgOBlG0 Journalists: Sound bites with Dr. Jenkins are available in the downloads Mayo Clinic trauma specialist Dr. Donald Jenkins says, as you might expect, staying safe comes down to planning ahead and using common sense.