Child Hits Head, Feels Fine but Vomits Overnight: Get to ER
Did your child hit their head during play yesterday, felt fine all day but in the middle of the night vomited?
Are you still wondering if an ER visit is necessary?
“With a head injury, the thing that pediatricians worry about the most is bleeding in or around the brain,” says Dr. Tiff Jumaily, MD, a board certified pediatrician with Integrative Pediatrics and Medicine.
“Bleeding in the brain is an emergency that needs urgent medical attention.
“However, it is rare. So, we try not to send every bump on the head to the ER.
“If there were bleeding in the brain, it could cause increased pressure in the head — which might manifest as an extremely painful headache, vomiting (especially when lying down) or seizures.”
I was inspired to write this post after reading about a woman whose young son bonked his head at the playground. He got right back up and felt fine all day (seemingly, anyways).
He seemed fine in the evening too, but then awakened in the middle of the night and vomited.
His parents decided to wait till “morning” to take him to the emergency room. Needless to say, a scan revealed bleeding in his brain. He fully recovered. He was lucky.
But this lucky story doesn’t mean you can wait till “morning” if your child upchucks in the middle of the night — even if they felt or seemed fine all throughout the preceding day and evening.
If a bang to the head (hit by a hard ball; hits head on a hard object on the way down from a fall; or slams head to hard ground during sport or play) occurred in the day prior to overnight, and then there’s vomiting for no apparent reason late into the night …
Get to the ER Now
Do not “wait till morning,” even though in the case I read about, there was a happy ending.
Shutterstock, Rocketclips, Inc.
“If a child hits their head and then vomits within the next 12 hours, I would recommend the child is examined in the emergency department right away,” says Dr. Jumaily.
“The dangers of a bleed in the head are too great to risk ignoring.”
Vomiting as a result from head trauma can be delayed while blood and fluid slowly and stealthily build up in the brain.
But once an overt symptom occurs, the deterioration can be rapid – and deadly.
The presence or absence of a visible injury is NO indicator of seriousness or prognosis.
Well of course, if there’s a gaping deep gash that reveals brain matter and bone fragments, common sense says this is immediately life threatening.
But a “little bump” does not mean there can’t be a serious head injury.
And NO bump, bruise, cut or redness certainly cannot be taken to mean “it’s nothing.”
Symptoms are a tell-all sign that something sinister can be brewing unseen under the skull: bleeding in the brain.
Don’t wait till morning to take your child to the ER if there’s upchucking or even just a little spitting up. The sunrise will not wait for you.
If the next 12 hours coincides with when the child will be asleep – even if that means overnight – you should periodically check on him to make sure that there’s been no vomiting.
As a matter of fact, it’d be a smart move to have the child sleep in your room so that if she vomits, there’ll be a greater chance of you immediately awakening to it rather than sleeping through it.
Though vomiting can indicate bleeding in the brain, this isn’t always the case. But are you going to leave this to chance?
Your child just vomited. He or she got hit in the head hours earlier.
There is no way that you, sitting there at home, can see into their brain. But a CT scan can.
Now you may be concerned over a CT scan’s radiation.
However, an ER doctor will weigh the risk benefit ratio of ordering a CT scan for your child’s head.
Progressive bleeding in the brain causes progressive neurological symptoms that an ER doctor will be looking for.
UpToDate.com says about 10 percent of kids vomit at least once after a head injury, and that “Children who vomit after a head injury do not necessarily have a serious brain injury.”
Vomiting warrants a trip to the ER to rule out a brain hemorrhage.
Which action is more regrettable for the rest of your life:
• Took my child to the ER right after they vomited but the CT scan was clean and he was sent home soon after.
• Delayed taking my child to the ER because I wanted to wait till morning, but by then he couldn’t be wakened. I rushed him to the ER but by then he’d stopped breathing.
They got him resuscitated but then said he was brain dead. A brain scan showed an acute subdural hematoma.
Fear of CT Scan Radiation
UpToDate.com points out that “In studies, some children with vomiting, headache, or a brief loss of consciousness (without other symptoms) have a traumatic brain injury while others do not.”
The emergency room physician may simply place your child under observation rather than rushing to order a CT scan.
UpToDate points out that in these situations, one reasonable approach is to observe the child closely for four to six hours following the injury. This usually takes place in an ER setting.
If there are no further symptoms, the young patient will not usually need a CT scan.
Kids who are doing well more than 12 hours after a bang to the head have a very low risk of a brain injury that would require surgical intervention — although there always is a very small chance.
It’s all about being safe rather than sorry. If your child vomits overnight, following getting hit in the head the previous day, don’t panic, but do take him or her to the emergency room and let the physician make a determination.
Dr. Jumaily is a board certified pediatrician and fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. She has a thriving pediatric practice in Los Angeles, where she integrates allopathic medicine with integrative and holistic options to treat the whole child and help them thrive.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
.
Top image: Freepik.com, asier_relampagoestudio
Source: uptodate.com/contents/head-injury-in-children-and-adolescents-beyond-the-basics
If Ensure Is So Bad, Why Do So Many Doctors Recommend It?
Just what does “No. 1 Recommended by Doctors” mean in those Ensure ads?
Is it really true that doctors and nurses sincerely believe that Ensure is good for their patients?
“Ensure is definitely not conducive to good health,” begins Stacy Mitchell Doyle, MD, resident physician of FoodTherapyMD and long-time advocate of plant-based nutritional protocols.
Dr. Doyle continues, “The ingredients of concentrated milk byproducts, artificial sugars and synthetic vitamins create inflammation and decreased immune function. Yet it carries the label ‘Number 1 Doctor Recommended.’”
You’ll find Ensure in hospitals all over the U.S. Of course, hospitals also carry other “unhealthy” foods such as potato chips, ice cream, cake, pizza, cookies and hotdogs.
But Ensure was given to me as a treat with my dinner, without me asking, when I was hospitalized overnight. I doubt the hospital gives cake or brownies as unsolicited treats.
Why Some Doctors and Nurses Recommend Ensure
I lived this experience firsthand and can tell you precisely why Ensure is the first thing that comes to mind for many doctors and nurses when it comes to nourishing the body.
Let me put it this way. Try to imagine how utterly difficult it would be to get your clinically depressed elderly mother to chew on salmon and swallow it.
When my mother was disabled by depression (later found out to be primarily caused by untreated low thyroid), I was putting forkfuls of salmon to her mouth and urging her to open.
It was a battle to get her to eat her favorite foods like scrambled eggs and yogurt.
But for some odd reason, it was easy to get her to drink Ensure through a straw.
I’m sure scenes like this play out thousands of times a day all over – whatever an underweight elderly person will eat, give it to them, because sometimes, the issue is just getting enough calories into them rather than phytonutrients.
Whatever it takes to get an elderly, ill, underweight person to take in calories, YOU DO IT – even if it’s Ensure!
It was no surprise that whenever I mentioned my mother’s eating issues with various nurses, they’d predictably ask if I had tried Ensure.
When doctors and nurses recommend Ensure, you absolutely must take into consideration the CONTEXT of these recommendations.
Weak from Undereating, Need Calories STAT!
If you ask a doctor or nurse what beverage they recommend “for my elderly sick mother/father/spouse who refuses to eat and is losing a lot of weight and is beginning to look like skin and bones,” you’d better believe you’ll hear “Give them Ensure.”
Now ask a doctor or nurse the following question (and note the drastic change in context):
“What is the healthiest beverage a person can drink?”
You can bet the farm none will answer “Ensure” or any drink similar to it like Boost.
Hospitals will buy the cheapest “nutrition drink” for their patients. If Ensure is cheaper by huge volume than is its main competitors (Boost and Equate), then Ensure will win the bid. Do not take out of context the “Recommended No. 1 by Doctors.”
Yeah, Ensure is No. 1 when compared to Boost or the Equate version of this sugary beverage.
And remember, what’s easier for a post-op 103 pound, non-compliant 85-year-old who refuses to eat to get down in one sitting?
• 300 calories of chicken and potatoes?
• 300 calories of oatmeal and fruit?
• 300 calories of Ensure through a straw?
Brilliant Marketing for Ensure
Why is Ensure No. 1 recommended by doctors? It’s all about the money, says Dr. Doyle.
“Abbott Pharmaceuticals, the makers of Ensure, is a multibillion dollar international company,” continues Dr. Doyle.
“And they spend tens of millions of dollars marketing to physicians, as well as taking them to dinners, sporting events and conferences.
“And more millions are spent on direct to consumer advertising and commercials, so that regular people ask their doctors to prescribe it to them. So having the approval of doctors doesn’t always mean it’s healthy.
“Ensure is not real food. If you are looking for better health, you will find it in the produce section, not in a bottle of liquid candy.”
When’s the last time you saw a TV commercial for pomegranate juice? Medical professionals are subjected to marketing just like anybody else.
Reams of studies have been done on the health benefits of pomegranate juice and green tea, yet doctors and nurses continue to recommend Ensure.
BUT REMEMBER THE CONTEXT of that recommendation!
This also includes for younger people with a health condition that makes solid food intolerable.
It’s much easier for medical professionals to recommend something ready-made in a small bottle than hand out recipes to fruit smoothies.
If you have a decent appetite and want to eat healthy, skip the No. 1 doctor recommended Ensure and drink what has been scientifically proven to be beneficial to the body such as a homemade berry smoothie with some leafy greens mixed in.
FoodTherapyMD™ is the brainchild of Dr. Mitchell Doyle and recognizes that phytonutrients, the substances that make plant food so amazing, can be tailored to fight specific disease states.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
Can Diabetes Cause Pins & Needles in Hands Soon after Running?
If you’re diabetic and you run for exercise, you may have noticed that during or soon after running your hands feel like pins and needles are going through them.
And in fact, people who are not diabetic, as well, from time to time will feel a “pins and needles” sensation in their hands during or soon after their running. (more…)
Cause of Fatigue for Days After Exercise in Diabetics
It may not be just the exercise that leaves a diabetic fatigued for days after.
So when a person with diabetes is still suffering from fatigue even days after exercise, there’s a particular situation going on. (more…)
Swollen Hands & Fingers in a Diabetic After Running: Causes
You can stop worrying if you’ve been experiencing swollen hands and fingers after running even if you have diabetes.
That’s because diabetes does not cause your hands or fingers to swell up as a result of running. (more…)
HIIT for Diabetics: Duration, Frequency, Effect on Sugars
Having diabetes is no reason to shy away from high intensity interval training (HIIT), and in fact, this form of anaerobic exercise can be a superb way to help control blood sugar. (more…)
Update on the Copper Study that Halted ALS in Mice
UPDATE on the breakthrough copper study that halted ALS progression in mice.
The copper-ATSM research is moving along since early 2016. (more…)
Help Prevent Grandma from Falling & Breaking Hip: Tai Chi
Tai Chi once again comes up on top as a way for elderly people to prevent falling and fracturing a hip or sustaining some other serious injury.
One out of every three Americans over age 65 will suffer a fall with injuries in the next 12 months.
The outcome may be a broken wrist, a fractured skull or a shattered hip bone.
Grandma and Grandpa may be unsteady on their feet, but they can still take Tai Chi classes and regain some stability. (more…)
Can Cannabis Stop BFS Muscle Twitching?
Those with benign fasciculation syndrome or bothersome twitching muscles are wanting to know if cannabis can reduce or outright stop these benign twitching episodes. (more…)
Do You Feel too Fat for the Squat Rack? Solutions
Is something holding you back from squatting in the squat rack because you feel too fat?
By the time you’re done reading this article, you will no longer feel too fat to use the squat rack, and instead will feel much deserving of this piece of equipment.
When I was a personal trainer at a big crowded health club, I had the opportunity to teach the back squat to many very large women, including those who seemed a bit intimidated by this exercise.
The fact that you recognize the importance of free-barbell squats means that you are that much closer to achieving your fitness and fat loss goals.
So ask yourself what’s keeping you from getting into the squat rack?
• Fear that others will watch your big body and thunder thighs
• Fear that others will point and snicker
• Fear that others will think, “Why bother? She’s wasting her time.”
• ?????
I’m going to tell you what goes through MY mind when I notice a very plus-size woman doing squats in the “cage” or rack.
The first thing I do is watch her form. This is something I do whenever I see ANYONE squatting.
Shutterstock/UfaBizPhoto
It’s just my automatic response, having been a trainer, and I’ve also written dozens of articles on this very popular exercise.
I watch her form as I would watch a buff man’s form. This has nothing to do with obesity.
The next thing that may catch my attention is how much weight she’s squatting. Or maybe that will come first; depends on the weight.
And then I just can’t help but look at her physique – not because she’s hefty but because she’s squatting.
Squatting tends to change the physique in certain ways (e.g., incredibly firm thighs), and I’m always interested in this.
So that’s my thought processes when I notice an obese woman – or skinny or buff woman – in the squat rack.
Chances are, anyone who’s watching you will be conducting at least one of these three thought processes.
A fourth possibility is a novice who wants to try the back squat and is watching you to collect information. This person certainly observes other squatters for the same reason.
Re-read these four reasons that people will watch someone in the squat rack. Ask yourself if any of these reasons falls under the category of “ridicule” or “making fun of.”
“She Doesn’t Belong in the Squat Rack”
Anyone with decent knowledge of fitness and exercise knows that EVERYONE belongs in the squat rack.
Nobody’s going to think that someone doesn’t belong in the cage simply because they’re a “fatty.”
One reason a person may feel uncomfortable with a barbell across their back is due to their body proportions.
• Are their femur (thigh) bones longer than their torso?
• Are their shin bones disproportionately short relative to their femurs?
Having these proportions makes squatting more difficult than if the ratios were reversed:
• Short thighs and long torso
• Long shins and short thighs
If you’re fat, this has NO bearing on your bone and torso lengths.
In fact, if your thigh bones are several inches shorter than your torso, you will very likely find squatting for the first time a lot easier than will a thin woman who has long thigh bones and a short trunk.
You will be able to more comfortably “sit back” in the squat and keep your spine fairly upright, while your skinny friend will have to lean far forward to prevent falling backwards – placing undue stress on her lower back.
If you have good squat proportions, you may actually be the envy of a thin observer.
I was once watching a husky woman in the squat rack – she was new to the exercise, as evidenced by the very light weight of the barbell.
But damn, she had marvelous proportions! I watched in envy because I don’t have the best “anthropometrics” for the back squat – even though I’m lean.
“A Waste of Time”
There’s no such thing as wasting time doing one of the most scientifically-backed exercises around.
If anything’s a waste of time, it’s crunches and the inner/outer thigh machines. The back squat has been heavily researched and proven to be a killer fat-burner, not to mention other benefits:
• Strengthens the core
• Strengthens hip and knee joints
• Strengthens the upper back, glute and leg muscles
• Improves neuromuscular coordination
• Firms the booty
• Has dramatic carryover to the tasks of daily living
NOBODY is going to snicker or watch you with disdain JUST BECAUSE you are plus size.
I’ve watched hefty women squatting who clearly were not novices, and they all had a firmness and tightness about their thighs that non-trained women the same size do NOT have.
They also tend not to have a big bulge encircling their waist. They’re overweight there, of course, but the fat and muscle has been re-compositioned such that there’s a smoother, firmer appearance – rather than blubbery or jiggly — despite being a large waist size.
If you’re a fat woman who’s been itching to get into the squat rack but have felt intimidated, you have NOTHING to lose (but fat and flab) and everything to gain! Just march right in there and DO IT.
Lorra Garrick is a former personal trainer certified through the American Council on Exercise. At Bally Total Fitness she trained women and men of all ages for fat loss, muscle building, fitness and improved health.
.