The Costco Connection

for your

health JUNE 2014 ;e Costco Connection 45

HEALTHY PARENTING

VASCULITIS IS A family of rare and complex diseases that have in common inflammation of blood vessels of any size, anywhere in the body. When such inflammation occurs, it causes changes in the walls of the blood vessels—weakening and narrowing—that can progress to the point of blockage, with the tissues and organs supplied by affected blood vessels not getting enough blood. It can cause organ damage and failure, even leading to death, according to the Vasculitis Foundation.

Sometimes an autoimmune disorder, such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis or scleroderma, triggers vasculitis. Autoimmune disorders occur when the immune system makes antibodies (proteins) that attack and damage the body’s own tissues or cells. One might have an autoimmune disorder for years before developing vasculitis.

Vasculitis also may be linked to certain blood cancers, such as leukemia and lymphoma. It can affect people of all ages. Common systemic symptoms of vasculitis, affecting patients in a general or overall

; Fever

; Loss of appetite

; Weight loss

; Fatigue (tiredness)

; General aches and pains

; Nerve problems such as numbness
Specific organs and body systems can
be affected by vasculitis, including the skin,
large joints (neck, shoulders, hips), heart,
lungs, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract,
mouth, sinuses, ears, nose, throat, eyes,
extremities, brain and nervous system—
each presenting a wide range of symptoms.

Though some forms of vasculitis improve on their own, most require treatment. The length of treatment varies, with some people using medications for extended periods of time. Some cases may go into remission, but can come back, or flare, at any time. Sometimes vasculitis is chronic and never goes into remission. Long-term treatment with medicines often can manage the signs and symptoms of chronic vasculitis.

For more information about the many types of vasculitis, visit these resources:

; Vasculitis Foundation,

www.vasculitisfoundation.org

; National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, www.nhlbi.nih.gov (search “vasculitis”)—David Wight

Vasculitis
awareness

By Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson

MANY PARENTS SUFFER under the pressure they feel to be perfect parents. Parents are inundated with advice the minute they have children, and sometimes it can feel like the neighbors, family and friends are always sharing ideas for doing it better.

I’m a mom and a pediatrician, but I’m also an Internet enthusiast. I’m one of those doctors who really does believe the Internet can help you make great decisions to preserve or improve your health. That said, you have to be smart about where you go online and how to use the advice you find.

Here are some tips on being a savvy parent online.

Record your bread-crumb trail. When we’re online we often click and click and click away while surfing the Web and then have no idea where we’ve been or who instructed us. Write down links or sources you’ve used to make decisions about your child’s health and bring in your “bread-crumb trail” when seeing the doctor or nurse.

Use social networks. When you join a social network (e.g., Facebook or Twitter), follow physicians, psychologists and leading health reporters for up-to-date information online. They’ll lead you to others you can come to trust through what they share and who they “talk” to online.

Understand there is no online health
care (yet). Don’t ever let “Dr. Google” or
“Surgeon Bing” be the final word. In actual-
ity, most Americans don’t. Although Pew
Research Center data shows that one-third
of us (or more) go online to self-diagnose,
most people confirm the diagnosis in per-
son with a doctor or nurse. Don’t expect to
receive personalized physician health advice
online without an established relationship
and electronic medical records.
Until trusted and safe channels
to converse outside the exam
room are created, the best way
to determine final care decisions
for your child and your family
will likely be in person.

Don’t confuse experience for expertise. Experts are online, but they can sometimes be difficult to find. The best medical advice is backed by reputable hospitals, academic societies or physician groups. Don’t confuse the story one person or one family may tell online with the incredible data of thousands that scientific research represents. Expect online experts to provide links and sources for the data they use to back claims and the research they use to maintain their advice and rationale.

Don’t expect perfection. Remember, when it comes to parenting advice, perfection is an illusion. Our job as parents is to govern our decisions with love, do the best we can and, whenever possible, do these five things: Use car seats properly, get children their vaccines on time, go outside every day, fill half of your plate at every meal with fruit and veggies, and prioritize sleep by keeping consistent bedtimes and getting TVs out of the bedroom. C

Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson ( www.seattle mamadoc.com) is the author of Mama Doc Medicine (AAP, 2014); a practicing pediatrician at The Everett Clinic in Everett, Washington; and executive director of digital health at Seattle Children’s Hospital.