Don’t let the sugar in those treats trick you and harm those precious pearly whites! Our dental experts have a few tips to help you sort through all that yummy candy on halloween night so that you reduce your risk of getting cavities.
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What could be more spine-chilling than Halloween? Neglecting National Dental Hygiene Month! According to the American Academy for Oral Systemic Health, there exists a connection between oral health and broader health issues like heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and more. In honor of National Dental Hygiene Month, here are four straightforward tips to safeguard your well-being.
Brushing your teeth is a fundamental aspect of good oral health. By scrubbing tooth surfaces daily, you can help prevent cavities. Stimulating your gums and removing plaque along the gum line can also help prevent gum disease.
Even the most thorough brushing leaves bacteria in the tight spaces between each tooth and under the gum line. To remove plaque, food particles, and bacteria from these areas, be sure to floss once a day.
Your teeth account for less than half of the surfaces in your mouth, so rinsing is important to remove biofilm and bacteria that brushing and flossing leave behind. Mouth rinse isn’t a substitute for either, but it can supplement your other dental hygiene efforts to reduce the chance of tooth decay and infection.
At-home oral care is vital for good overall dental hygiene, but you also need regular trips to the dentist. Professional cleanings, exams, and X-rays keep your teeth and gums healthy and help you catch problems when they’re still easy to treat.
While the idea of dental issues might seem scarier than any haunted house, the good news is that with simple yet consistent practices, we can protect our oral health. For more dental tips, schedule an appointment with your NOAH dental provider today.
“Adolescence can be a tough time – especially on your teen’s skin! Almost 8 out of 10 teenagers will have acne at some point,” says NOAH pediatrician Dr. Deborah Bauer. This is because the changing hormones cause an increase in oil production and can lead to clogged pores. This can happen all over your child’s body, not just their face. And while acne isn’t dangerous for their health, it can cause scars and decrease their self-esteem.
Here are a few pointers for home care of your teen’s skin:
Some kids even need prescription medication to help manage acne, and our NOAH Pediatricians are here to help with that too!
For more information about taking care of your skin, visit the American Academy of Dermatology.
The 2024-2025 school year is just around the corner and the back-to-school feeling is nice to have back. As kids everywhere begin to get ready for the year, here are ways to make sure the start of the school year is a healthy and safe one.
Well-child Appointments
Well-child checks or well-child visits are crucial for healthy development among children. Make sure your child has their well-child appointment before school starts!
Schedule a Sports Physical
If your child is playing any sport this fall or spring, it’s a good time to get them a physical before the season gets into full swing.
Make Sure Immunizations Are Up to Date
Schools require immunizations and they keep your child and their classmates protected from unnecessary, dangerous, and sometimes fatal diseases. Take a look at the CDC list of childhood vaccines.
Start a Good Sleep Routine
Kids need enough sleep to develop and do well in school and everything else. Most children need between 9-12 hours of sleep each night, so start a routine now and keep it up!
Be Physically Fit
Kids need at least one hour of exercise every day. Make sure they get enough activity whether it is walking, swimming, playing soccer or basketball, dancing, or something else.
Get School Supplies Ready
Start the school year with a sturdy backpack. Make sure your student has whatever supplies, like notebooks, folders, pens, and pencils, etc. to start the year successfully.
Talk About Bullying
Make sure your child knows about the seriousness of bullying. It can hurt people emotionally and mentally and can harm their learning. If your child is being bullied or sees another student bullied, make sure they know to tell a bully to “Stop!” and to talk to a trusted adult (teacher, counselor, nurse) at school.
Ready to start this school year and get your student in for their back-to-school medical appointments? NOAH pediatricians, counselors, nutritionists, and community resource specialists can help your student and family head into the year with everything you need for success. Make an appointment today!
With summer in full swing, it’s important to balance allowing your child to enjoy their time off and ensuring they don’t spend too much time on their phone. Managing screen time can be challenging with the allure of social media, games, and endless online content. By setting clear boundaries, offering engaging alternatives, and promoting various activities, you can help your child make the most of their summer while developing healthy phone habits. Here are some practical tips to guide you in managing your child’s phone time effectively.
By implementing these tips, you can help your child develop healthy phone habits and enjoy a well-rounded, active summer. For questions related to your child’s overall health, call 480-882-4545 and schedule an appointment with your child’s NOAH provider.
By Amit Jain, MD FAAP MBA | Pediatrician
Swimming is a great way to beat the summer heat here in Arizona and is a fun activity for children to pass the summer by. Drowning is the third most common cause of unintentional – injury related deaths. Among children aged 1-4, drowning stands as the leading cause of unintentional deaths, placing them at the greatest risk. As such, we here at NOAH wanted to share some important water safety tips!
At NOAH, we want to make sure that you have the proper tools, education and resources to protect you and your family while swimming. Most importantly, we hope you have a safe and fun-filled summer!
Growth and development are tracked in many ways throughout every stage of life. Just like weight, height, brain function, and dental health are regularly measured, it’s important to monitor eye health as well. Children don’t have a reference point for “good” or “bad” vision like adults do and rarely feel pain or discomfort from conditions affecting eyesight. That’s why regular vision screenings are so important for young children.
Vision screenings are simple tests performed by a pediatrician or other primary care provider during your child’s routine well-child exams. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, eye health should be checked on the following schedule:
Your NOAH provider will examine baby’s eyes to check for basic indicators of eye health including:
An ophthalmologist (a doctor who specializes in eye health) should do a comprehensive exam if the baby is:
A second check is usually part of a well-child exam between 6 and 12 months and a third screening by 36 months. During these exams your child’s pediatrician or primary care provider will:
Between the ages of 3 and 5, or as soon as they can read an eye chart, children should begin having routine visual acuity testing. This testing determines the sharpness or clarity of eyesight (ie. 20/20). This is also a good time to look for issues like misaligned eyes, lazy eye, refractive errors, or other focusing problems.
By age 5, children should be getting regular vision screenings during their yearly well-child exams. Your provider will conduct a visual acuity test and reevaluate for vision problems or symptoms of eye disease.
If anything from your child’s vision screening is considered abnormal, your provider may recommend further testing (a comprehensive eye exam) with an ophthalmologist. It’s important to diagnose issues as early as possible and begin treatment. Untreated vision problems can worsen over time and affect a child’s development and ability to learn to read and write.
To schedule a well-child exam along with recommended vision screenings, request an appointment online or call 480-882-4545.
The Defeat Diabetes Foundation (DDF) has named April Defeat Diabetes Month. Defeat Diabetes Month is a time to raise awareness about diabetes prevention, management, and treatment throughout our communities. At NOAH, we are here to help you through all aspects of defeating diabetes, from awareness to treatment.
There are multiple forms of diabetes, but the two most common forms are called type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Both forms can occur at any age, but a child is typically more likely to be diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. However, with childhood obesity rates on the rise, the number of children diagnosed with type 2 diabetes or who are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life is also increasing. According to the DDF, 1 in 3 US children is overweight or obese. 75% of these children will become overweight or obese adults, and 87.5% of adults diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the US are overweight or obese.
The DDF has created three different steps to help win the fight to defeat diabetes. The three steps include awareness, action, and prevention.
Diabetes is a chronic disease that is characterized by high levels of glucose (sugar) in the blood. Insulin is needed to help lower the levels of sugar and maintain normal blood sugar levels. Diabetes occurs when insulin is not produced in sufficient amounts or the cells of the body are unable to use the insulin properly. Over time, high blood sugar levels may lead to serious complications such as diseases of the eyes (retinopathy), kidneys (nephropathy), nerves (diabetic neuropathy), and blood vessels (that can eventually lead to poor circulation in the extremities). Diet and lifestyle changes can help decrease the risk of these complications.
Type 1 diabetes is a chronic disease that is almost exclusively based on genetics, and it cannot be prevented. With type 1, the pancreas produces very little or no insulin, leading to high blood sugars. Symptoms include increased urination, excessive thirst, increased appetite, and weight loss.
Type 2 diabetes is highly preventable and can be characterized by insulin resistance, decreased insulin production, or a combination of both. Some of the modifiable risk factors for type 2 diabetes include diet, physical activity, and weight management.
It’s important to talk with your child’s doctor to find the best treatment plan. Your child’s doctor will talk you through the importance of lifestyle, diet, and medication in order to keep your child’s blood sugar under control. Eating healthy and maintaining an active lifestyle can help manage BOTH type 1 and type 2 diabetes. As mentioned, Type 2 diabetes is highly preventable, so it is even more important to start creating healthy nutrition and lifestyle habits at a young age.
Children who are at risk or are diagnosed with diabetes can live a happy, healthy life through self-management and with an integrative team approach with various medical professionals. An integrated approach with your child’s doctor, a registered dietitian, and a behavioral health specialist can help develop a nutrition, physical activity, and medication plan that can help.
Here are some healthy nutrition tips from The American Academy of Pediatrics:
Feel free to reach out to one of your NOAH Health Centers with any questions you may have. NOAH offers a full range of primary and preventable health services for all ages!
To learn more about the DDF and the prevention and management of diabetes, visit their website at https://defeatdiabetes.org/
To read more about Type 1 Diabetes in children visit https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/chronic/Pages/Diabetes.aspx
To learn more about type 2 diabetes and tips for healthy living check out https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/chronic/Pages/Type-2-Diabetes-A-Manageable-Epidemic.aspx
By Dr. Patty Avila, Pediatrician
It is that time of year again! The busy time of year when everyone is preparing for the holidays is also when children are getting more colds and other respiratory illnesses. These are the most common type of illness that children will see their doctor for, and it is important to recognize when to worry or not. Most of these will be simple colds and resolve on their own, but there are some that can be serious.
The Common Cold; also called an Upper Respiratory Infection.
The common cold is caused by several different viruses and is the most common of all the respiratory illnesses. In the 1st 2 years most children will have about 3 to 5 colds per year. Older school age children and children in daycare can get sick even more often, because they are exposed to others. Fortunately, most of these are just colds and will go away on their own and not lead to anything worse.
Symptoms of the Common Cold:
Most children will be better after 7 to 10 days of illness, but some may take up to 10 to 14 days to get better.
When to worry with the common cold:
Most children will not need to see their doctor with a common cold or upper respiratory infection. Infants younger than 3 months should see their pediatrician because they are at higher risk of getting very sick.
See your doctor immediately if your child or infant is having:
Antibiotics do not treat the common cold since it is caused by a virus.
Supportive care includes:
The Flu; sometimes called Influenza.
The flu is also caused by respiratory viruses called influenza and can present very similar to the common cold. Children with the flu feel much worse and are sicker than with the common cold. The flu can have very serious complications including need for hospitalization and sometimes death.
Symptoms of the Flu:
Most children will get better after 2 weeks. Fevers from the flu can last up to 5 to 7 days.
See your doctor immediately if your child or infant is having:
Young children and infants as well as children with high-risk medical conditions should see their pediatrician as soon as possible. These high-risk medical conditions include:
Supportive care includes:
Outside of supportive care, there is an antiviral medication called Tamiflu which may be indicated and started if the flu is diagnosed within the first one to 2 days.
Bronchiolitis.
Bronchiolitis is another respiratory illness that can be commonly seen during the winter months. There are several viruses that can cause this illness but RSV, also known as Respiratory Syncytial Virus, is the most common. RSV is an infection that will affect almost all children at least once before they turn 2 years old. It usually starts as a cold and is followed by lower respiratory symptoms around 3 to 5 days of the illness. For some children the illness can be severe, especially younger infants, preemies, and those with heart or lung defects.
Symptoms of Bronchiolitis:
See your doctor immediately if your child or infant is having:
Supportive care includes:
For infants who are high risk there is an injection that is given monthly during the winter months called Synagis that can decrease the risk of severe RSV infection.
Croup.
Croup is a common respiratory illness during the Fall and Winter months and is usually seen in infants and young children – children younger than 5 year of age. It is caused by several different viruses including the flu virus and some cold viruses. The illness is characterized by swelling of the upper airways including the voice box (larynx) and the windpipe (trachea). Symptoms from Croup are usually worse at the beginning of the illness.
Symptoms of Croup:
The swelling of the airway can sometimes be severe and need immediate medical attention.
See your doctor immediately if your child or infant is having:
Steroids can decrease the swelling and can be given by mouth, injection, or in a breathing treatment. If given early can help decrease the need for hospitalization and improve breathing. There are breathing treatments with epinephrine that can be given as well in severe cases, but these will require careful observation in the Emergency Department or Hospital setting.
Use of cold moist air can help improve mild symptoms as well and can be used at home with a cool mist humidifier.
PREVENTION TIPS
At NOAH, we’re here for you. If you have any questions for your child’s pediatrician, give us a call at 480-882-4545. You can also send a message to your pediatrician via your child’s MyChart account.
“Nosebleeds are very common in children, especially during these winter months,” says Debbie Bauer, Pediatrician. The dry air from outside combined with the dry air from heaters inside can make the skin inside the nose more fragile and sensitive. This is one of the most common reasons children get nosebleeds. Some children also get nosebleeds from picking their nose, from sniffling too much from allergies/colds, or of course from being hit in the nose.
Learn what to do if your child has a nosebleed and when to get help from a doctor below. Also, check out our tips on how to prevent nosebleeds from coming back!
What should you do if your child has a nosebleed?
– First, don’t panic! Nosebleeds are rarely serious. Your child will have an easier time following your instructions if you remain calm.
– Have your child sit down and put their head slightly forward, NEVER have them tilt their head backwards.
– Put firm pressure on either side of their nose with your fingers and hold it there for 10 minutes.
– After 10 minutes, check to see if the bleeding stopped. If it hasn’t, hold firm pressure again for 10 more minutes.
– When bleeding has stopped, gently clean blood off their face with water but do not put anything in their nose or have them forcefully blow their nose.
When should you get help from a doctor?
– If your child has a nosebleed for more than 20 minutes without stopping.
– If your child looks very pale, weak or sweaty.
– If you see blood in your child’s urine or stool.
– If your child has strange, unexplained bruises.
– If frequent nosebleeds are concerning you.
How can you prevent nosebleeds?
– You can use a saline nasal spray to keep their nose from getting dry.
– You can use a humidifier in their room.
– You can apply a small amount of Vaseline inside their nose carefully with a Q-tip.
– If your child picks their nose, keep their fingernails trimmed short.
At NOAH, we’re here for you. If you have any questions for your child’s pediatrician, give us a call at 480-882-4545. You can also send a message to your pediatrician via your child’s MyChart account.
