Making people more aware of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) contributes to the creation of friendly, accessible workplaces and schools. Additionally, it assures that doctors can
treat ADHD effectively, lessens the effects of the disorder, and can inspire individuals who exhibit signs of ADHD to seek a diagnosis.
In this guide, we’ll break down the importance of being aware of ADHD, what exactly ADHD is, and how IM&PC can help.
Increasing understanding about ADHD enhances the quality of life for those who have it and those who care for them. Everyone probably knows someone with ADHD because it is such a prevalent condition.
Despite being one of the most widespread developmental illnesses, ADHD is also one of the most poorly understood. Myths regarding ADHD can be harmful to those who have it. Treatment may be hindered by the notion that ADHD is not a true condition that requires care. Parents who decide to seek therapy for an ADHD child may feel guilty about doing so due to the perception that kids use needless drugs.
ADHD can induce different symptoms in addition to the difficulty focusing and hyperactive conduct that is commonly associated with it. People who experience these symptoms might not understand how ADHD affects them. A few less well-known signs of ADHD include disrupting others, a propensity to focus excessively on particular subjects, excessive talking, and fidgeting.
It is also crucial to remember that having ADHD can have a number of benefits despite the difficulties it may cause.
Many parts of life might be impacted by ADHD symptoms. Increasing understanding might improve compassion for those who experience symptoms of ADHD. It could also improve the chances that someone with ADHD would receive a diagnosis and treatment. This has the potential to greatly enhance both their lives and the lives of the people around them.
People who suspect they have ADHD are typically advised to see a doctor, according to ADHD recommendations. The amount of medical professionals' understanding of ADHD might differ, though. This is why the work being done by IM&PC is so crucial.
What is ADHD and ADD?
Disorganization, loss of attention, and forgetfulness are among the symptoms of inattentive-type ADHD, which is commonly referred to by the now-outdated label ADD. People with inattentive ADHD do not exhibit hyperactivity or impulsivity.
Too frequently, inattentive ADHD in adults is misdiagnosed as a mood condition or anxiety, or it is rejected in youngsters as spacey, indifferent conduct. This type of ADHD causes people to
frequently lose their attention, be forgetful, and have difficulties with listening. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-V (DSM-V) states that in order to qualify for a diagnosis, six of the following symptoms must be present and have a significant negative influence on one's performance at work or school:
The first step in averting a lifetime of guilt and low self-confidence is to recognize inattentive ADHD.
If your child is struggling in school or is showing signs of ADHD or ADD, it may be time to have them evaluated by the talented and caring physicians at Internal Medicine and Pediatric Clinic.
For New Albany residents, IM&PC can help you get your child the diagnosis they need to ensure that they have a high quality of life and a bright future. Get in touch with our team today to schedule a consultation.
Childhood diabetes is a condition that affects kids, typically between the ages of 6 and 18. It's caused by the body not being able to produce enough insulin. When someone has diabetes, their blood sugar levels can become too high, and this can cause health problems immediately or later in life. .
In the United States, the number of children diagnosed with diabetes has been rising for years. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in three hundred kids is living with Diabetes Mellitus (DM), which was once known as Juvenile Diabetes.
If your child has been diagnosed with diabetes, you may be feeling overwhelmed and unsure of where to turn for help. At IMPC, we offer consultations and medication services tailored to meet the needs of children with diabetes.
.
When the blood sugar level is high, the body tries to eliminate the excess sugar by passing it into the urine. This can cause your child to drink more fluids and pass more urine than usual. If you notice your child drinking more fluids and going to the bathroom more often, it could be a sign to talk to your doctor.
This occurs because the child’s body cannot use the sugar in their blood for energy. As a result, the child will start losing weight even if they eat enough food.
Fatigue signals that the body isn't processing sugar correctly.
Blurred vision can be caused by high blood sugar levels, which is a common symptom of diabetes. Fluid can build up in the eye's lens when blood sugar levels are high, leading to blurry vision.
This is often one of the first signs that a child may have diabetes. The condition develops when the body can't produce enough insulin to break down sugar in the blood, which can cause nerve damage.
When blood sugar levels are high for an extended period, it can damage the body's organs, including the brain. Loss of consciousness can sometimes be life-threatening. Therefore it is vital to seek medical help immediately.
A healthy diet and weight are important for preventing Childhood Diabetes. Excess weight is a known risk factor for Type 2 diabetes, accounting for 90% of all diabetes cases in children.
Maintaining a healthy weight through diet and exercise can help prevent type 2 diabetes and its complications. A healthy diet should include plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and limited amounts of saturated and unhealthy fats. Regular physical activity is also important for maintaining a healthy weight.
A diagnosis of diabetes during childhood can be frightening and overwhelming. There is good news, though: diabetes can be treated, and with careful management, most children with diabetes grow up to lead healthy lives.
The Internal Medicine & Pediatric Clinic (IMPC) offers a range of treatments for childhood diabetes. Our specialists will work with you to develop a treatment plan tailored to your child's needs. IMPC offers the latest treatments for pediatric diabetes, including insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitoring systems. We also offer education and support for families dealing with childhood diabetes.
The closer the new school year gets, the longer your to-do list grows. The last thing you want is another task to add to that list but scheduling a well visit for each of your children is worth the effort. Preventative care may help you avoid some of those inconvenient and unexpected sick visits later in the year.
It may even help you identify and treat problems that would otherwise lead to serious illness or daily life struggles for your child. While you’re shopping for new shoes, updating your child’s wardrobe, and waiting on that school supply list, spend a few minutes here learning about the importance of well visits.
What is a Well Visit?
Well visits are scheduled medical appointments that allow your pediatrician to monitor the health and development of your child from year to year. These appointments are focused on overall health and wellness rather than an immediate concern. They give your pediatrician a chance to evaluate your child for potential health problems.
Some medical problems aren’t obvious to an untrained eye and are difficult to diagnose. They may have subtle symptoms that aren’t noticeable until a trained eye evaluates your child and compares measurements and test data over time. When your child has routine well visits, you’re more likely to catch those health conditions earlier.
Even for a perfectly healthy child, well visits bring great comfort. You will know how your child has grown and developed since the previous year and will have a chance to ask questions and learn from a trained doctor.
Well visits are similar to physicals, but not quite the same. A well visit is like a comprehensive checkpoint to evaluate physical as well as mental and emotional health. The goal is to measure, record, and track your child’s growth and development as they grow.
Physicals are more quick spot checks for physical health. They’re often connected with sports and are usually not as thorough as a well child visit.
Your pediatrician may customize your well visit to the known needs of your child, but there are some routine checks that you can expect at every visit.
If your pediatrician notices any reason for concern during the well child visit, they may further examine your child to identify potential risks. That may trigger diagnostic testing the same day or scheduled for the future.
Children without known health conditions should have at least one child visit per year. Children under the age of five often have two per year, which allows a doctor to check their development during some of the most critical years of their young lives. Once a year is adequate for older children with no medical concerns.
Every child is different and should have a unique care plan in place. Talk to your pediatrician about the best well visit schedule for each of your children. That schedule may change as they get older, especially if there are new health concerns.
If your child hasn’t been in for a well visit in the last year, now is the perfect time to schedule that appointment. Allow a pediatrician you trust to evaluate your child and check their physical and
mental development. If there are any developmental concerns, you can start the testing process and go into the new year armed with knowledge and a plan.
You can also ask for recommendations to keep your child healthy with less risk of contracting colds and flus throughout the oncoming school year. Well visits are the perfect time to discuss the immune system, learning styles, and other general concerns. Kids of all ages can head back to school feeling their best this year.
Call us to schedule visits for each of your little ones, and don’t forget the teenagers. They need their well visits as well.
Kids and outdoor fun go together in the summer, they are extra excited with all of the fun activities happening!
It is important to keep our children safe during these summer months! Please be aware of the following precautions.
Fireworks may be a summer celebration tradition, but it’s a dangerous one. In 2020, emergency departments across America treated over 15,000 people for injuries related to fireworks use.
About 2500 of those were children under the age of 15. Sparklers accounted for around 900.
Keep your kids safe from burn injuries by:
The most commonly diagnosed cancer in America is skin cancer. Although skin cancer in children is rare, the sun protection habits they learn now can help protect them for a lifetime. Serious sunburn now can affect their risk of developing cancer later. You don’t need to keep your kids indoors to protect them from the sun’s rays. Instead:
Ticks are tiny arachnid parasites that feed on their hosts. Although it’s rare, their bite may transmit Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF). Ticks are active between May and October and can hitch a ride into your home on kids, pets, and clothing. After your children or pets have been outside:
Even the most careful planning can’t prevent every illness or injury. If your child has a sunburn, tick bite, injury from fireworks – or other illnesses or injuries from their summer fun – Internal Medicine & Pediatric Clinic Urgent Care is here for you.
Our caring staff can expertly treat coughs, nausea, sore throat, fever, bumps and scrapes, and other illnesses or minor accidents. And you never need an appointment.
Urgent Care hours:
Mon – Fri: 7:00 am – 6:00 pm. Sat: 8:30 am = 3:00 pm.
Closed Sunday.
There are many benefits to spending time outside. Exposure to natural light can help improve mood and energy levels, while physical activity in nature can lead to increased fitness and overall well-being. Additionally, time spent in nature can help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression.
There are some downsides to spending time in the sun. Heat exhaustion can occur when the body becomes overheated and cannot cool itself down. Dehydration happens when the body does not have enough fluids, and sunburn is caused by exposure to ultraviolet rays.
Another downside of spending too much time in the sun is exposure to UV rays. Too much
exposure to UV rays can increase the risk of skin cancer. UV radiation from the sun is one of the main causes of skin cancer and is one of the most common types of cancer in the United States, with over a hundred thousand cases a year.
If you or someone you know is feeling ill or overheated from the sun, visit IM & PC’s urgent care.
When outside, there are multiple ways to protect yourself from the sun.
Sunscreen
Before going out, apply sunscreen that protects against UVA and UVB rays with an SPF of 15 or higher. Sunscreen performs best in conjunction with other methods. Make sure to cover all
exposed skin with a thick layer.
It may be difficult to find the right shade while on the go, but staying in the shade beneath an
awning, tree, or other shelters will reduce sun damage and skin cancer risk. Even when you're in the shade, applying sunscreen or wearing protective clothing is your best defense against skin damage.
Wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and skirts to avoid UV damage. If wearing this clothing isn't an option, consider putting on a T-shirt or a beach cover-up. A wet T-shirt has less UV protection than a dry one, and darker colors offer more protection than lighter ones. Tightly woven fabrics like sateen, denim, cotton, and flannel give the best protection.
Wear a hat with a brim that fully covers your face, ears, and the back of your neck for the most protection. Avoid wearing straw hats with holes that allow sunlight to enter. A darker hat may offer more UV protection. If you wear a baseball cap, make sure your ears and the back of your neck are covered, apply sunscreen, or seek shade.
Sunglasses prevent UV rays from damaging your eyes and reduce the risk of cataracts. They also protect the delicate tissue around your eyes from the sun. Sunglasses that block both UVA and
UVB rays offer the best protection. Wearing wrap-around sunglasses is highly recommended because they block UV radiation from coming in from the sides.
Summertime is a great time to enjoy the outdoors and get some exercise. By following these simple tips, you can enjoy a safe and fun summer in the sun.
If you feel ill or overheated from the sun, visit I M & PC’s urgent care.
Located in New Albany, Mississippi, we have consistently been named one of the Southeast’s top-performing pediatric care and internal medicine practices. Some of our services include
chronic disease treatment, immunizations, adoption, and DOT physicals, sick visits, and adult and pediatric wellness visits.
Consistently recognized for excellence in pediatrics, IM&PC (Internal Medicine & Pediatric Clinic) strives to make our patients feel comfortable and safe while we work diligently to put them on the right path to wellness.
Learn more about IM&PC, including what services we offer and why we’re a great choice for pediatric care for your children.
Providing world-class healthcare to children of all ages, from birth through the teen years,
IM&PC offers advanced pediatric care services through our comprehensive program. By offering a wide range of services in a top facility, we make it convenient for families in the region to
receive quality medical care for their children.
These are some of the many services we provide:
On-Site Lab Work & X-Rays
One reason families choose us for pediatric care is the fact that we are a well-equipped facility with the ability to do lab work and run X-rays in-house.
Our imaging and lab services include X-rays, when needed, to check for things like broken bones or certain respiratory conditions, or to take a better look at internal organs. Lab tests are helpful in diagnosing and treating everything from childhood diabetes to infections.
By offering these important services in-house, we can typically move forward with treatment plans faster while taking care of your child’s healthcare needs all in one place. This eliminates the need to travel to multiple locations and creates a better experience for your child, who will be in familiar surroundings, being treated by caring staff.
The medical team at IM&PC offers a full spectrum of pediatric services and customizes visits according to each child’s needs.
Routine Well-Child Exams
From babies to teens, we schedule well-child visits to make sure your child is thriving and to take the right course of action should any conditions surface that need attention. We also provide the childhood immunizations needed to protect youngsters against common illnesses. Like you, we want to make sure your children are growing and thriving in good health.
Sick Visits & Injury Care
Our compassionate doctors, nurses, and technicians have a wealth of experience treating children of all ages. Whether your baby has a fever, your kindergartner is showing symptoms of asthma or an ear infection, or your teen was injured in a sports match, we have the experience and
resources to treat the problem effectively, as well as manage chronic conditions.
ADD / ADHD Evaluations
Every child is different, and some children benefit from setting their developmental milestones early in life. Whether it’s attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD), developmental delays, disruptive behavior, or other concerns, we can conduct evaluations and equip your child with what they need to thrive at home, at school, and elsewhere.
Management of Asthma, Diabetes, & Other Chronic Conditions
Conditions like asthma and diabetes can be managed to minimize symptoms and maximize
wellness. Our medical teams specialize in chronic conditions and come up with age-appropriate treatment and management plans that help children lead active, happy lives.
As a pediatric clinic that’s recognized as a top-performing practice in North Mississippi, IM&PC stands out as a great choice for health care for children for many reasons, including the
following:
Whether your child is sick and needs medical attention or is well and is due for a check-up, call IM&PC today to make an appointment. Our mission is to provide Christ-centered,
compassionate, and comprehensive medical care for children of all ages, including infants and adolescents.
Turn to IM&PC for award-winning service and a holistic approach to treatment and recovery. If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s development, contact us today.
Why Should I Schedule A Pediatric Wellness Exam For My Child
As a parent, especially a parent with young children, there are few things more important to you than the health of your children. In fact, your children’s health may be the most important thing for you. You want them to be healthy, safe, and well on their way to living a long and wonderful life.
That can all start with a pediatric wellness exam.
To ensure that your child’s health is as good as it can be, you need to develop a strong relationship between you, your child, and your pediatrician.
Pediatric care is important for several reasons, not the least of which is your children’s health. By starting your children early visiting doctors, they will develop a trusting relationship with pediatric doctors and that will extend into their adulthood and continued health with annual checkups. Building trust with pediatric doctors will ensure your child does not avoid the doctor when they are an adult.
The first pediatric care visit for your child should come about one week after they are born. This first visit will consist of a general health exam and any screening tests that were not done at the hospital. The pediatric doctor will ask how the baby is feeding, the doctor will also measure and weigh your baby. The doctor may also look for any signs of jaundice.
From this point, you should schedule visits with pediatric doctors for your child at two, four, six, nine and 12 months of age. From one-year-old onwards, you can go in at 18 months, and then every two years from that point until your child reaches their teen years.
A typical pediatric wellness exam is going to include checking blood pressure, vision, hearing, listening to lungs, feeling the abdomen, and looking for any signs of tuberculosis, lead exposure and anemia. Visits later in the child’s life will look for signs of depression and anxiety so those conditions can be managed properly.
There are many benefits to a pediatric wellness exam, or a well-child visit, for your child.
One benefit is that through pediatric care, you will be able to track your child’s development and growth over the course of several visits. You will be able to talk to the pediatric doctors about how your child is coming along physically, cognitively, emotionally and socially. Pediatricians can also provide a guide for parents to monitor their child’s development.
Another benefit of pediatric care is that you can speak with the pediatrician not only about your children’s health, but also prevention. You can review strategies to ensure that your child is free from injury, and you can keep your child up to date when it comes to vaccines. You can also address important issues such as sleeping habits, nutrition, and overall physical activity.
A third benefit is the diagnosis of conditions that may not be readily apparent initially. These include the aforementioned depression and anxiety but can also include diagnosing ADHD and learning disorders.
Regular visits with your pediatrician will also include the child doctor monitoring the speech patterns of your child. This will allow the doctor to determine if there is any sort of developmental delay or if there is a disability present. Typically, you will want your child to be screened for developmental delays by the time they are nine months old, and then at the age of two and the age of three.
Before you go for a wellness visit to get pediatric care for your child, make notes on things you have noticed about your child’s health and their development. At the same time, make sure that you have a list of questions to ask the pediatric doctor. Put the most important questions first and plan for another visit if you have quite a few questions. You should also gather as much information as you can to give to your pediatric doctor. Share information you have received from the school, including your child’s individualized Education Program, or any child care they receive so that you can help the child doctor learn as much as possible about your son or daughter.
After the visit is over, keep a to-do list of tips that your doctor provided you with to ensure your child’s continued health.
Our children’s health is incredibly important to us. As a parent, you want your child to be healthy and happy. To that end, pediatric care is your first step to ensure that your child is going to live a long and happy life. From nearly the moment they are born until they can go to the doctor themselves, a visit with pediatric doctors will keep your child healthy and watch for anything that may be an issue in the future.
For that reason, wellness checks with a pediatric doctor are incredibly important and they will help your child develop a trusting relationship with doctors that will last into their adulthood.
What is Hypertension?
Hypertension, otherwise known as high blood pressure, is a common condition that can affect men and women. If there is frequent force against your heart’s artery walls at a high level, this can result in hypertension or even more severe conditions.
The good news is: hypertension and high blood pressure is treatable, especially if caught early on. Checking your blood pressure on a regular basis is a great way to lower your risk of hypertension.
What are the symptoms?
While many people experience symptoms with hypertension and high blood pressure, others don’t notice any symptoms or changes in their body. That’s why seeing your doctor for regular check-ups is the best way to avoid any long-term irregularities in your blood pressure.
If you’ve been experiencing headaches, nosebleeds, shortness of breath, or dizziness, it’s important that you seek prompt medical attention. Hypertension symptoms typically present when the blood pressure has reached a severely high or fatal stage.
Who is at risk for hypertension?
Some of the risk factors for high blood pressure cannot be changed but it’s important to be aware of them. For example, hypertension can run in your family, so if your parents or other immediate family members have high blood pressure, there’s a chance that you might be prone to it as well.
Other hereditary and physical risk factors include:
Age: Unfortunately, getting older can put you at risk for hypertension. The older you get, the more prone you are to high blood pressure readings. When one ages, their blood vessels lose some of their elasticity, which can result in increased blood pressure. There are some instances where children can also develop hypertension. You’re never too young or too old for a blood pressure check at the doctor's office!
Race: In the United States, hypertension affects more African Americans than any other racial background.
Gender: Up until the age of 64, men are more prone to developing hypertension than their female counterparts. But at 65 and older, women are more likely to develop hypertension.
Kidney issues: If you’ve been diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, you may also be at risk of developing hypertension.
Can you prevent hypertension?
Even though it can run throughout your family tree and there are several physical factors that put you at risk, there are a few things you can do to reduce your chances of developing hypertension.
Exercise: Regularly participating in physical activity is a great way to keep your heart healthy. Whether it’s a walk around the neighborhood, a weekend hike through the forest, aquasize class at the nearby pool, or a sweaty session at the gym. Staying active will reduce your chances of developing high blood pressure.
A healthy diet: Eating foods that are too high in fat and sodium can put you at risk of hypertension. Making healthy choices when it comes to eating is a simple and effective way to reduce your blood pressure. If you’re following a diet that’s high in sodium, this will cause your blood pressure to increase due to water retention. Adding more foods with potassium into your diet (like bananas!) is an easy way to keep your heart healthy. So next time you’re ordering pizza, be sure to add some vegetables and order a salad on the side.
It’s also important to avoid smoking cigarettes and consuming too much alcohol. Even though drinking a bottle of wine every weekend may feel like the right thing to do, it’s not what your heart needs. Swap wine for water and you’ll be feeling hydrated and healthy.
Maintaining a healthy weight: Carrying around excess weight is not only hard on your joints, it’s also very hard on your heart. If you’re overweight, your body requires more blood to deliver nutrients and oxygen to your issues. This means that your body will increase the amount of blood moving through your vessels, which will then increase the amount of pressure against your artery walls.
Try to stay stress-free: Stress can negatively impact so many of your body’s essential functions like your mental health, fertility, hair, skin, and nail growth, and even your blood pressure. Too much stress can cause your blood pressure to spike while also encouraging some unhealthy habits as many people lean on junk food and alcohol when they are feeling anxious or overwhelmed. When you’re feeling stressed out, it’s best to improve your mood through exercise, spending time with friends or family, and by getting lots of sleep.
How is hypertension treated?
Before a doctor prescribes medication, they will usually recommend making some lifestyle changes first to see if that has a difference on your blood pressure readings. But if maintaining a healthy weight, eating better, managing stress levels, and exercising regularly isn’t making a difference, they may prescribe medication. However, it’s incredibly important to continue on with these healthy habits while you take the medication.
A blood pressure reading is part of nearly every health examination. This essential diagnostic tool is a primary indicator of what’s going on inside your body and how hard your heart has to work to pump nutrient-rich blood throughout your body.
But have you ever thought about why this one test is so important and why you should know high blood pressure becomes dangerous? Our skilled providers at Internal Medicine & Pediatric Clinic, located in New Albany, Mississippi, monitor your blood pressure and teach you the signs to recognize when your blood pressure is dangerously high. Knowing your numbers can literally save your life.
You probably know that blood pressure is recorded using two numbers. These numbers represent the force or pressure of the circulating blood within your arteries.
The heart creates a majority of the pressure as it pumps blood throughout your body’s circulatory system. If you have healthy blood pressure, your heart doesn’t have to work as hard.
But if you have high blood pressure — a top number (systolic pressure) of 130 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) or higher or a bottom number (diastolic pressure) of 80 mm Hg or higher — the force of blood on the walls can result in serious or life-threatening medical conditions like damage to blood vessels as well as a heart attack, heart disease, or stroke.
According to the American Heart Association, nearly half of all Americans or about 103 million United States adults have high blood pressure. And many of these people don’t even know they have high blood pressure. No wonder it’s often called the silent killer.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. High blood pressure tends to run in families. If a family member has high blood pressure, be vigilant about knowing your numbers. Make sure our team knows about your medical history, and make a point of getting regular checkups and blood pressure readings.
The following are some signs that your blood pressure might be dangerously high.
Headaches and dizziness are possible signs that your blood pressure is too high. Another common collection of symptoms include shortness of breath, confusion, or blurred vision.
These signs can easily be mistaken for many other conditions, which makes knowing your blood pressure numbers that much more important.
The signs of having dangerously high pressure can also mirror the symptoms of a heart attack. That includes chest pain, nausea, and vomiting.
Over time uncontrolled high blood pressure can cause coronary arteries to narrow. In the United States, heart disease stands as the top cause of death for men and women of all racial and ethnic groups.
Despite these somber statistics, you have the power to discover and treat high blood pressure simply by monitoring your blood pressure with our team at Internal Medicine & Pediatric Clinic.
Our providers can guide through making lifestyle modifications, like eating a healthy low salt diet and exercising regularly. That not only enhances your heart health but also your overall wellness.
If you have been experiencing any of these signs of high blood pressure or think you are at risk for developing it, contact Internal Medicine & Pediatric Clinic. Request an appointment online, or call the office today.
