Q: How much sleep should my child be getting each night?
A The answer to that question depends on age.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, newborns (0-3 months) should get 14-17 hours of sleep a day. Infants (4-11 months) need 12-15 hours of sleep, while toddlers (1-2 years) should sleep for 11-14 hours. Naps during the day count toward these totals.
Preschoolers (3-5 years) should snooze for 10-13 hours a day, while school-age children (6-13 years) and teenagers (14-17) need 9-11 hours and 8-10 hours, respectively, of shut-eye.
Finally, adults (18-64 years) need 7-9 hours of sleep, while older adults (those 65 and older) require 7-8 hours.
Under these guidelines, school-age children would need to turn in between 7 and 9 p.m. to be well-rested when the alarm goes off at 6 a.m.
Of course, there will be exceptions. We all know people who function just fine on less sleep than recommended. We also know people who need more. Q When should I definitely go to the emergency room? A Many conditions warrant a trip to the emergency room, but other times, it’s not so clear. It’s human nature to second-guess ourselves or “not want to be a bother.” But there are several warning signs of potentially serious illnesses that should never be ignored or put off until later.
Weakness in your arms, legs or face, especially on one side of your body, could be signs of a stroke. Remember the acronym FAST — face drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulty and time to call 911.
Chest pain is important to have checked out because it can be a sign of heart disease or a heart attack. A tight or heavy feeling in the chest that lasts for a few minutes or is reoccurring is also a sign to get help.
Tenderness and pain in the back of your lower leg can be a sign of a blood clot called deep vein thrombosis. It is more common after you’ve been sitting for a long time, such as on a plane ride, or have been bedbound because of an illness.
Blood in the urine, wheezing and suicidal thoughts should also never be ignored. Q What is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease? A Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, often called COPD, is a progressive lung disease that makes it difficult to breathe.
The two most common forms of the disease are emphysema and chronic bronchitis, and many people with COPD have a combination of the two conditions. Emphysema involves damage to the air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs. In chronic bronchitis, the lining of the airways is irritated and inflamed, causing it to thicken. Chronic bronchitis is also characterized by an overabundance of mucus in the airways.
Common symptoms of COPD include a persistent cough that produces a lot of mucus, shortness of breath, wheezing and tightness in the chest.
COPD is the third-leading cause of death in the United States. Smoking is the leading cause of COPD, and quitting smoking has been shown as the single most useful intervention to improve COPD. Other risk factors include long-term exposure to secondhand smoke, industrial dust and chemical fumes. A genetic condition can also cause COPD.
There is no cure for the disease, but a variety of treatments are available to slow the progression and for symptom relief.