Expert Tips for Childhood Tics

Childhood tics are quick, repetitive movements or sounds that your child feels like they have no control over. Tics often appear suddenly, most often in young boys. They are common, affecting up to 25% of children, although some kids appear to be unaware of them. Tics also seem to run in families along with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), suggesting a genetic link between these conditions.

Tics in children are divided into four categories:

Simple motor tics: These movements are the most common tics in kids. Examples include eye blinking, facial grimacing or jerking movements of the body.

Simple vocal tics: These simple sounds can include coughing, sniffing, throat clearing or grunting.

Complex motor tics: These complex movements (which can appear deliberate) include actions such as smelling objects, twirling, jumping, walking or mimicking the behaviour of others.

Complex vocal tics: These are generally words or phrases although might be said out of context or in a way that echoes what has just been said.

Tics in kids can change over time. For example a child who at first has a shoulder jerking tic might have an eye blinking tic instead a few weeks later. And while tics in children tend to occur many times each day, they can also come and go, disappearing for days or even weeks before returning.

While tics occur quite commonly in children, the percentage of kids who go on to have a chronic tic disorder is much lower. Diagnoses of Chronic Motor or Vocal Tic Disorder are made when children have had EITHER motor or vocal tics which have lasted for at least one year. Rarer still is Tourette's Disorder in which children have had BOTH motor and vocal tics (although not necessarily at the same time) for at least one year. Compared with common childhood tics, only about 4-5 in 10,000 children will go on to develop Tourette's Disorder.

How you can help with your child's tics:

While most kids with tics report that they have no control over them, occasionally children can suppress their tics for a few seconds or even minutes. Sometimes parents mistake this to mean that their child can stop their tics if they try hard enough. Unfortunately the attention, stress and frustration which sometimes accompanies this belief tends to make the tic worse.

Instead, it's more useful early on to draw as little attention as possible to a child's tic. Tics usually occur less often when the child is relaxed, absorbed in an interesting activity or asleep. In contrast, stress, illness, fatigue and boredom seem to increase tics for many children.

Other useful strategies include educating the child about tics, reassuring them that tics are common and often short-lived and teaching relaxation strategies to lower baseline levels of stress. Sharing information about a child's tics with their teachers and friends can also be useful.

For some children with persistent tics, a behavioural therapy technique known as 'Habit Reversal Therapy' has been shown to be helpful. This involves teaching the child to become aware of the sensations that arise when a tic is imminent. Once the child has learnt to identify these warning signs, they are taught to deliberately perform an alternative sound or action which appears more socially appropriate and which interrupts and reduces the tic. These techniques are usually taught by a Psychiatrist or Psychologist and are then practised at home.

When to seek help for tics in children:

While most tics in children will disappear as suddenly as they appeared, some will come back at times of stress. A small percentage of children with tics will go on to be diagnosed with a chronic tic disorder. Unfortunately there's no way of predicting which of these future outcomes will eventuate.

If any of the following are present, seek the advice of your Family Doctor or Child Health Specialist:

if your child is particularly self-conscious, anxious, distressed or having difficulty functioning as a result of their tics

if your child's tic has been present for longer than 12 months

if other symptoms are present. Childhood tics can also occur in the context of a genetic or neurological condition, as a side-effect of medication or following an infection.

if you're worried. After all, parents know their children best and if you're concerned, this is reason enough to seek expert advice.

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The Benefits of Poo - How Many Times a Day Do You Go?

Let's have a bit of fun today and talk about something so rarely spoken of... Poo!

When I ask my clients to talk to me about their daily habits on the toilet, most get embarrassed and wonder why I'm asking.

Simply put... If you are not going to the toilet frequently, you are not releasing toxins.

Let's just say... today, you woke up and had your morning bacon and eggs. Then you go to work, sitting behind the wheel of your car in traffic. An hour later you show up and the food has just sat in your tummy.

Then you have your morning coffee on the way into work because you need that hit of caffeine to get your day started. You get to work and take the lift up to your floor and then sit behind your desk typing away at the keyboard.

You get a bit hungry and decide to have a pastry that the office has brought in for the staff. Then sit back down again.

Off to lunch where you have a sandwich that likely has more bread than fillings and remember the sugary sauce you add to it so that it tastes better.

Then back to the desk.

For your afternoon tea, if you remember to move away from your desk to eat it, is a piece of fruit.

Are you getting the picture? Eat... sit. Eat... sit.

Now, where in the day was the toilet stops? I am amazed at how many people think it's OK to spend even one day without going poo! Never mind the lack of water in people's diets, and consequently a lack of urination.

So why is it important to frequent ourselves at the toilet?

To EXPEL SH#T! Excuse my language but that's what you are doing! You take in all this food and please remember that food is not something we should eat just because it tastes nice and we are emotional beings, so we must eat to suit our cravings.

Food is a source of energy. Once the body has gotten what it needs out of the food, then the rest needs to be eliminated. When you don't eliminate it, then you get a build up of toxins in your body and your colon.

The toxic build up can actually cause decay in your body. This decay can attract viruses and bacteria and all sorts of yucky bugs to the area. When the yucky bugs are there many of the good bacteria that keep our system clean, gets killed off.

Imagine an animal killed on the street with bugs flying around it and eating it from the smell of the decay. That's what your insides can start to look like! YUCK! No Thanks!

All of the build up and bugs can lead to disease and sickness. The first symptoms may be fogginess, forgetfulness, restlessness, fatigue, and lack of endurance and energy.

So, in order to keep your insides healthy, you MUST POO! Going to the toilet a couple times a day is a GREAT thing! Also remember that you must drink water to flush out your system as well. If you don't have enough water in your body, then the fluids that move your food through get sticky and it makes it more difficult again for your body to flush out the toxins.

How can you keep your insides clean?

To start with, eating a diet high in fibre is part of a healthy lifestyle. This doesn't mean go out and buy some high fibre shake to get your bowels moving. Eat things with roughness that will clean you as they move through! Eating fruit and veggies is nature's way of cleaning you.

Exercise!

Get up and move and things inside of you move! You know you should do it. The question is, "Are you?"

To fast or not to fast?

The thought of not eating for some people sounds like the craziest, stupidest thing you can do. I know it did to me when I first heard about it. The more that I have learned about fasting, the more I understand it's wonderful benefits, if it's right for you.

The most common fasts that I have seen are...

Water fast, where you don't eat anything and only drink water and...

Juice fast, where you don't eat solid foods, but can juice anything and also drink water.

They can be done for different durations depending on the results you are after.

If a fast seems like too much for you, then you can do a cleanse.

There are multiple ways to cleanse. All of them should eliminate anything processed. That also means no added sugars to anything. All the ones that I have seen eliminate dairy as well. This leaves you with eating yummy fruits, vegetables and proteins.

The reason for doing your cleanse, will determine how far you take it.

For either a cleanse or a fast, please speak to a healthcare professional before you start to make sure that it is safe for you. Look for naturopaths or dieticians who specialize in this area or who have worked with these in the past.

The benefits to fasting or cleansing are amazing!

You will regain vitality, have glowing skin, can help with eczema, headaches, pains in the body, and respiratory and circulatory conditions, kick starts weight loss, increases your metabolism, boosts your energy and so much more.

I will give you fair warning from personal experience... Although these are the benefits and they do come eventually... The first few days can be horrible. Your body is releasing all the toxins and dead smelly stuff filled with bugs into the system to get it out. By doing so, it's likely you will feel worse before you feel better. Trust me though, it's worth it, so stick with it!

Colonics and Enemas... What the heck are they?

Okay, so this gets into messy territory. I know many of you don't want to imagine something being stuck up your bum filling with you with water so that you can have it all flow back out again. But you just did!

It took me a long time to get the courage up to actually try this. Since doing it, I'm a huge fan!

The difference between the two is simple. With a colonic, there is a tube gently placed up your bum and water is moved through so that it gets all the way through your colon. As it is happening, your faeces is happily moving through another tube and out of you, so you will not see or smell it. This is administered by a qualified practitioner.

You can do an enema at home with a kit that you can buy online or at some chemists. It only gets to the lower part of the colon. You allow the water to go up and let it sit for a while, then you go to the toilet and let it all come out. My husband and I did this together for the first time... Let me tell you it was a bonding experience.

At first it's a bit uncomfortable, having the pressure of water inside of you, but the results are wonderful!

My tummy is flatter, I feel clean, have more energy, my skin gets a glow back, I am more focused and my overall sense of well-being is lifted. It truly only takes 30 minutes at home, if you do an enema, and is well worth it!


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Varicose Veins - What You Need to Know

What are varicose veins?

The circulatory system is made up of the heart, veins, and arteries. Arteries carry oxygen-rich blood from the heart to nourish your tissues, while veins have one-way valves which channel oxygen-depleted blood back toward the heart. If these valves are damaged, the blood pools in the leg veins and leads to feelings of fatigue, heaviness, aching, burning, itching, cramping, restlessness, swelling and even eczema and leg ulcers.

What causes varicose veins?

Heredity causes most varicose veins. If one of your parents has varicose veins, your risk of having them is about 70%. Other predisposing factors include obesity, leg injury, multiple pregnancies and standing occupations, such as nurses, teachers, and barbers.

Are varicose veins a threat to my health or are they just cosmetic?

Varicose veins indicate that the pressure in the veins of the legs is too high (a condition called venous hypertension). Longstanding venous hypertension can result in damage to the deep leg veins and to the overlying skin. Impairment to the deep veins can lead to blood clots and sometimes to sudden death from pulmonary embolism. Blood clots are especially frequent if you are confined on a long plane or car trip. Injury to the skin will result in stasis dermatitis, pigment changes, thickened skin and possibly, leg ulcers with scarring. In addition, venous hypertension can cause pain, fatigue and swelling of the legs. The presence of increasing numbers of spider veins may also suggest venous hypertension.

Can these veins develop in one leg and not the other? Most patients develop varicose veins in both legs. However, the severity of the varicosities will differ. Some may require treatment, while others may only require compression stocking therapy.

Are all varicose veins visible from the outside?

No. Varicose veins may be deep enough that they are not visible. A duplex ultrasound evaluation of your legs is the best way to detect all varicose veins. This is a painless, noninvasive test using sound waves to detect the size of veins and direction of blood flow.

What are the options for varicose vein treatment?

A new procedure called endovenous laser ablation, or EVLA, has been available to treat varicose veins for about seven years. EVLA involves a nonsurgical laser procedure in which the laser fiber is inserted into the damaged vein and it is switched on, permanently sealing the vein shut. The blood that normally flowed through that vein is redirected into normal veins which carry it back to the heart. EVLA is performed under local anesthesia while you are awake and is very comfortable. Most people return to work the next day. EVLA is a safe and effective procedure that is replacing the older technique of surgical vein stripping. Another way to treat varicose veins is called foam sclerotherapy. For this treatment, no anesthesia is required and a small butterfly needle is used to deliver an FDA-approved sclerosant chemical to the veins. They immediately shrink and are cleared by the body's metabolism over several weeks to months. This procedure is relatively painless and is very safe. Vein stripping surgery is not performed very often nowadays since these newer procedures are so safe and effective.

Do these treatments cure varicose veins? After all diseased veins are treated, most people have a remission of symptoms, leg swelling improves and the skin begins to heal, including leg ulcers. Many patients do not have problems again for years. Due to many factors including heredity, however, some people are predisposed to future problems. Since there is no way to prevent other veins from becoming damaged, varicose veins may be an ongoing challenge for some patients.

Will my varicose vein treatment be very painful?

The degree of pain that a patient experiences during vein treatments varies from patient to patient. The survey we conducted indicated that most patients thought the procedure to be pain-free, while a few reported experiencing a moderate degree of pain. The amount of pain is dependent on several variables, such as age, sex, weight, and pain tolerance level.

Are there any side effects of the treatments?

As with any invasive procedure, risks of vein treatments include allergic reaction to one of the medications, bleeding, postoperative pain, infection, blood clots or nerve injury. If any of these side effects occur, they are usually temporary if promptly treated.

How long after laser treatments will I be able to return to my normal routine?

Most patients return to their normal routine the next day, however, you should not resume aerobics, heavy exercise routines, running, sports or travel for at least a month after your laser treatment. It is very important to walk at least thirty minutes each day after the procedure to prevent blood clots from forming in the veins. Walking on a treadmill is fine. Extended plane or car travel should be postponed for a month after the procedure.



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