Causes of Other
Health Impairments
Other Health Impairments can be results of side-effects due
to chronic or acute health problems such as asthma, attention deficit disorder
or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, diabetes, epilepsy, a heart
condition, hemophilia, lead poisoning, leukemia, nephritis, rheumatic fever,
sickle cell, anemia and tourette syndrome, and that adversely affects a child’s
educational performance. The following bellow are explanations these causes.
Epilepsy
According to the
Epilepsy Foundation of America, epilepsy is a physical condition that occurs
when there is a sudden, brief change in how the brain works. When brain cells
are not working properly, a person’s consciousness, movement, or actions may be
altered for a short time. These physical changes are called epileptic seizures.
Epilepsy affects people in all nations and of all races.
Symptoms
include: “blackouts” or periods of confused memory; episodes of staring or
unexplained unresponsiveness; involuntary movement of arms and legs; fainting
spells with incontinence or followed by excessive fatigue; or odd sounds,
distorted perceptions, and feelings of fear that cannot be explained.
Hemophilia
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| A child with hemophilia problem |
 |
| A child being affected by lead poisoning |
Lead can build
up in the body over a period of months or years. Even a small amount of lead in
the body can cause serious problems—hence, the term lead poisoning. Being
exposed to lead-based paint or paint dust is the most common avenue to lead
poisoning. Children under the age of six are especially vulnerable, because
their mental and physical abilities are still developing. Signs of lead
poisoning are rather nonspecific, sometimes making diagnosis more difficult.
Symptoms include: irritability, loss of appetite, weight loss, sluggishness,
abdominal pain, vomiting, constipation, unusual paleness from anemia, and
learning difficulties.
Leukemia
Normally, the
bone marrow in our bodies produces white blood cells to defend against
infections. Leukemia develops when the marrow produces too many white blood cells
and what’s produced are abnormal. Leukemia is considered a cancer of the bone
marrow and blood. There are four types. According to the Leukemia &
Lymphoma Society, the most common type in children under 19 years of age is
Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL).
Symptoms of ALL
include: tiredness or no energy, shortness of breath during physical activity,
pale skin, mild fever or night sweats, slow healing of cuts and excess
bleeding, black-and-blue marks (bruises) for no clear reason, pinhead-size red
spots under the skin, aches in bones or joints (for example, knees, hips or
shoulders), and low white cell counts. A child showing any such symptoms should
visit a healthcare professional for examination, to identify the cause.
Nephritis
Nephritis means that one or both of a person's
kidneys are inflamed. The kidneys are very important organs in the body,
because they clean the blood by filtering out excess water, salt, and waste
products from the food we eat. Nephritis may be due to infection, but it’s more
commonly associated with autoimmune disorders that affect the major organs of
the body. Individuals with lupus, for example, are at much higher risk for
developing nephritis.
Rheumatic fever
Rheumatic fever
can develop as a complication of untreated or poorly treated strep throat or
scarlet fever. Symptoms include: fever; pain in one joint that moves to
another joint; red, hot, or swollen joints; small, painless nodules beneath the
skin; rapid, fluttering, or pounding heartbeats (palpitations); shortness of
breath; a painless rash with a ragged edge; jerky, uncontrollable body
movements, most often in the hands, feet, and face; and unusual behavior, such
as crying or inappropriate laughing.
It is very
important to treat rheumatic fever, because it can cause permanent damage to
the heart, especially the valves. Diagnosing the condition usually involves a
physical exam by the doctor, who will look for signs of tender or swollen joints,
the tell-tale rash, and abnormal heart rhythm.
Typically, the
doctor will also do a blood test for strep throat. Antibiotics are the usual
treatment for rheumatic fever, to eliminate the strep bacteria from the system.
It’s not unusual for a person to take low-dose antibiotics continually for
years (especially the first 3 -5 years after the first episode) to prevent
rheumatic fever from coming back.
Sickle cell anemia
| Children with sickle cell problems |
Anemia, in
general, is a condition where an individual’s blood has less than a normal number
of red blood cells or the red blood cells themselves don’t have enough
hemoglobin (which carries oxygen throughout the body). Sickle cell anemia is
one type of anemia where the hemoglobin is abnormal and the red blood cells
often become shaped like the letter C, making them sickle-shaped (like a
crescent). This shape makes it hard for the red blood cells to pass through
small blood vessels, causing pain and damaging organs. Symptoms include chronic
anemia and periodic episodes of pain (in the arms, legs, chest, and abdomen).
Tourette syndrome
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| A person characterized by tourette problems |
Tourette
syndrome is a disorder characterized by tics (involuntary, rapid, sudden
movements) and/ or vocal outbursts that occur repeatedly. The tics can range
from simple (e.g., rapid eye-blinking, facial grimacing, shoulder-shrugging) to
complex (involving several muscle groups, such as hopping, bending, or
twisting). Vocalizations can also range from simple (throat-clearing, sniffing,
grunting) to complex (involving words or phrases).
Tourette
syndrome is an inherited disorder that is first noticed in childhood, usually
between the ages of 7 and 10. The syndrome occurs in boys four times more than
in girls. It is estimated that 2% of the world population has Tourette
syndrome. This may be a conservative estimate, since many people with very mild
tics are unaware of them and never seek medical attention. However, effective
medications are available for those whose symptoms interfere with functioning.
Conclusion
Other Health
Impairments have side-line effects to an individual if not early identified,
early intervened and well prepared set of specialized programs. The child or
any person who suffers from this category of disability may adversely be
affected socially, economically and culturally. There is, therefore a need to
work together as the community to help each other on how benefit each other’s
interactions. The respective governments should set programs to include these
people with other health impairments, identifying this problem as early as
possible and set intensive intervening planned programs.
References
http://nichcy.org/wp-content/uploads/docs/fs15.pdf
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