Categories
Health

Managing Fever in Children: A Comprehensive Guide for Parents in Singapore

4 min read

Fever in children is a common yet stressful experience for parents, particularly in a densely populated and tropical environment like Singapore. Understanding how to manage fever effectively is essential for ensuring the well-being and comfort of your child.

This article provides a detailed guide for parents in Singapore on how to recognize, manage, and treat fever in children, tailored to the unique challenges of the local setting.

Understanding Fever in Children

Fever is the body’s natural response to infections and is characterized by an elevated body temperature. In children, fever is typically defined as a body temperature above 37.5°C when measured orally or above 38°C when measured rectally. While fever itself is not a disease, it is a symptom that indicates the body is fighting an infection.

Common Causes of Fever in Children in Singapore

Singapore’s tropical climate and high population density expose children to various infections that can lead to fever. Some common causes include:

  • Viral Infections: Common viral infections include the common cold, influenza, and hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD), which are particularly prevalent in Singapore’s humid environment.
  • Bacterial Infections: Streptococcal throat infections, urinary tract infections, and bacterial pneumonia are among the bacterial causes of fever.
  • Dengue Fever: Transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, dengue fever is a significant concern in Singapore and can cause high fever, severe headache, and joint pains.
  • Other Illnesses: Ear infections, roseola, and even teething can sometimes result in fever in young children.

Recognizing Fever in Children

Identifying fever in children involves measuring their body temperature accurately. Use a reliable digital thermometer for this purpose. Symptoms accompanying fever can include:

  • Warm or hot forehead
  • Sweating
  • Shivering or chills
  • General body aches
  • Irritability or fussiness
  • Signs of dehydration such as dry mouth and reduced urine output

Home Management of Fever in Children

1. Hydration

Keeping your child well-hydrated is critical. Offer plenty of fluids such as water, diluted fruit juices, and oral rehydration solutions. Hydration helps regulate body temperature and prevents dehydration.

2. Comfortable Environment

Maintain a cool, comfortable environment for your child. Dress them in lightweight clothing and use fans or air conditioning to keep the room cool. Avoid heavy blankets or clothing that can trap heat.

When Is Your Child's Fever a Health Risk?

3. Rest

Encourage your child to rest. Resting allows their body to focus on fighting the infection. Ensure they get plenty of sleep and avoid strenuous activities until they recover.

4. Fever-Reducing Medications

Administer fever-reducing medications such as paracetamol (acetaminophen) or ibuprofen, suitable for your child’s age and weight. Always follow the dosage instructions on the package or as advised by a healthcare professional. Avoid giving aspirin to children, as it can cause serious side effects.

5. Sponge Baths

If your child’s fever is particularly high and not responding well to medications, consider giving them a lukewarm sponge bath. This can help reduce their body temperature gradually.

When to Seek Medical Attention

While many fevers can be managed at home, it is crucial to know when to seek professional medical advice. Contact a healthcare provider if your child:

  • Has a fever above 40°C or a persistent fever lasting more than three days.
  • Exhibits severe symptoms such as difficulty breathing, excessive lethargy, irritability, or seizures.
  • Shows signs of dehydration, including dry mouth, sunken eyes, and reduced urine output.
  • Experiences persistent vomiting, severe headache, stiff neck, or an unexplained rash.

Preventive Measures

Preventing fever involves minimizing exposure to infections. Ensure your child is up to date with vaccinations, practice good hand hygiene, and encourage regular hand washing. During dengue outbreaks, use mosquito repellents and ensure there are no stagnant water sources around your home to prevent mosquito breeding.

Conclusion

Managing fever in children in Singapore requires a balanced approach of home care, understanding when to seek medical advice, and preventive measures. By staying informed and prepared, parents can effectively handle fever episodes, ensuring their children’s swift recovery and overall well-being.

Fever, while common, is often a sign that the body is working to heal itself, and with the right care, children can bounce back quickly from their illnesses. Through diligent care and timely medical consultation, parents can navigate the challenges of managing fever in children, providing them with the support and comfort they need to recover fully and maintain good health.

Categories
Health

The Responsibilities of a Chronic Pain Psychologist

Persistent pain is a cumbersome complication which makes individuals struggle with their health, going hand in hand with their psychological health and interfering with the quality of their life negatively.

The responsibilities of a chronic pain psychologist

The psychological component of chronic pain management requires the assessment of an individual’s pain in the first place. Evaluation will be determined through interactions, questionnaires and standard measures to check the dimensions like mood, coping strategies, pain beliefs and the effect of pain on daily function.

Chronic pain psychologists are often appointing mindful and acceptance-based interventions during their treatment scheme. They focus on one’s attitude of non-judgmental inclination to the existing  present moment with personal willingness to accept and understand the  part of pain in overall life. Thus, it can be accepted quickly, rather than fighting it or avoiding it permanently.

Chronic pain sleep disorders hamper many patients, and, in fact, insufficient sleep can cause mood aggravation and deterioration in the overall patient status. Sleep psychologists for chronic pain assert to their patients that they acknowledge the significance of sound sleep hygiene practices, which include keeping a consistent sleep schedule, customizing your sleeping environment, and unwinding before bedtime practices.

Far from surprising is the fact that chronic pain not only affects the individual but also has a tremendous effect on families and caregivers. Psychologists who specialize in chronic pain awareness embrace and encourage the patient to take part in the healing process. They might offer classes and workshops to inform and counsel the caregiver or family member on the behavior of the headache state and bring that person closer to the pain management journey.

Chronic pain is a very commonly known condition that often goes through dynamics and evolves from time to time. Therefore, the treatment plan needs to be updated and readjusted accordingly. A chronic pain psychologist frequently monitors the improvement and ongoing evaluations of the patient’s needs and adjusts the treatment plan if necessary. Long-term monitoring and adjustment of the care plan given enables the patient to benefit from the most efficient and most customized care designed to manage chronic pain effectively.

Summary

The job of a psychologist who deals with chronic pain has many aspects and is irreplaceable when managing the diverse issues associated with this condition. While they are largely responsible for the outcome of psychological interventions, offering emotional support, and collaborating with other fields, these professionals are, in fact, the ones who help patients acquire coping strategies, promote better overall health, and have a better quality of life regardless of the pain.

 

Categories
Health

Manage Depression And Lessen What It Triggers

3 min read

Depression is a constant loss of interest and feeling of sadness, which stops you from doing regular activities. You will lose interest and feel that you can’t focus on something that you want to be. The condition is deadly. Thus, deal with it when you notice some signs of depression.

Get a counsellor for depression to help you understand the condition of depression you have and the proper treatment. Different types of depression exist, with symptoms that range from minor to severe. Depression doesn’t result from a single situation, but from a mix of factors and events.

Does counseling work with depression?

Depression is not just a simple mood disorder, but it’s serious. The condition affects the following factors:

  • think
  • feel
  • interact with people
  • handle daily life

Depression causes feelings of sadness and loss of pleasure or interest in things you enjoy. The health condition can happen to anyone and it is affected by depression. The good news, depression is highly curable.

A report shows that 80-90% respond well to treatment. One reason that depression responds well to treatment is that improvements are found in the following:

  • medications
  • psychotherapy
  • counseling
  • combination of these

Anyone can feel better when they find the right psychotherapist who helps them understand and work through the causes of depression. The psychotherapist develops managing strategies for dealing with symptoms.

How does a counselor deal with depression?

The therapist helps learn ways of reacting to things and challenging preconceptions. You and the therapist come up with the goals. You can also get assignments, such as:

  • keep a journal
  • apply problem-solving techniques

The therapist will perform depression counseling.

Depression counseling

The severity and length of the episodes and symptoms of depression determine the type of therapy. If you have been depressed the symptoms are severe and length of time, working with a psychiatrist or psychologist is necessary since they deal more with problems from the past that are deeply rooted in the present feelings.

But, if symptoms of depression are more recent or not so severe, working with the therapist in a counseling relationship is helpful. During counseling, therapists use talk therapy to help understand and work through problems impacting life negatively. A depression counselor listens and provides feedback, it works with you to develop strategies to cope. They evaluate the progress and adjust sessions accordingly.

You should evaluate the progress and adjust sessions accordingly. You may be asked to do homework that extends the learning from counseling sessions. It is often in the form of feelings and tracking moods.

Categories
Health

The Role of Positive Energy Towards Transformation and Healing

3 min read

People living in these modern times are facing different circumstances that somehow affect them emotionally and even mentally. With the thoughts of uncertainty and even being lost along the way are what today’s generation is commonly experiencing. It has become a common story, wherein different beliefs or approaches are being practiced to overcome overthinking and achieve a peaceful life.

Healing and transformation are what people crave nowadays. Many individuals are looking for ways to find themselves, be at peace, and somehow restore themselves. Whoever is going through uncertainties in life, anchor to that promise that things will fall into their right places at the right time. Just continue moving forward and be patient with yourself.

Draw Towards Positive Energy

What is the role of creating positive energy amid circumstances?

It is indeed challenging to stay positive when challenges and unexpected circumstances happen along the way. But thinking of attracting positive energy will surely make you feel better. With its inspiring and uplifting energies that come from it, surely it will create a more harmonious situation. Here, there is no room for negative energy!

Embark towards choosing to embody positivity. With the belief in guiding forces, it will surely shape the thoughts and even emotions that we carry along the way. Find the light through understanding more about the angel attunement with Rachel Scoltock. Here, there is an online class that will help individuals find their inner light and shift their energy from negativity towards positivity.

A guided healing meditation is provided for you, which includes ways to use the Violet and Lavender flames through the help of the known Divine guardians – Archangel Zadkiel, Quan Yin, and Violet Flame Angels. Through this deep energetic cleansing, people will surely feel a personal energy that will have a great impact in every area of their lives.

Rachel Scoltock is here to guide you on how to apply the spiritual tool towards healing and transformation. Whether it is about relationships, finances, or health matters, all of these will be reached by a powerful guide. If anyone here feels drained and overwhelmed by their situation, do not worry because there is a great escape from the chaos. Connect with the class of Rachel and embark on guided meditation. This is a healing process, wherein you will learn how to work with the Violet Flames toward the manifestation of healing, total restorations, and transformation. Shift into a more positive path now!