Shaking Head Syndrome

I am not sure if Shaking Head Syndrome an actual condition but my son has recently developed a tic where he keeps shaking his head.

During half term Kieron was complaining that his head hurt, this is not unusual because he has complained on other occasions that he has a headache, having mentioned it to the doctor in the past he did not seem worried and said it was normal for children to get headaches from time to time. Over half term however he seemed to have a headache everyday and on one occasion slept through the afternoon and vomited as he woke up. This was particularly worrying as he had no other symptoms other than a headache. He also started shaking his head from side to side every few minutes, as well as being really annoying I thought this was probably making matters worse and I repeatedly told him to stop as I didn't know what else to do about it. He said he was doing it because his head was hurting and he couldn't help it...it just happened.

We went back to the doctor who checked him over and spoke to him about where it hurt in his head, he said it sounded as if he was suffering from a mixture of tension headaches and migraines but was reluctant to give him migraine medication as he is only 10yrs old. He also said that when he got back into a routine at school he shouldn't get them so much but did not seem too bothered about him shaking his head.

Thankfully his headaches have seemed to appear less frequent now he is back at school but the head shaking has continued. Apparently (according to Google research) developing tics at this age is not uncommon but having worked in a primary school for nearly ten years I have never heard or seen this before. He has mentioned that kids in his class have started asking him about it and are even copying him but I am sure they will soon get bored of that.

I know every individual health case is different but I was wondering if anybody else's children have developed an unusual habit and how long it is expected to last?

Hotpod yoga with TENA

Last month I was invited to take part in a session of Hotpod Yoga by the lovely people of Myriad PR and Lights by TENA. The response I usually get when talking about it is 'Hot what yoga??' Well if you have never heard of it (which I hadn't) then it is basically a normal Vinyasa Yoga class that takes place in a pod heated to 37 degrees... sounds hot but on a cold miserable day it was actually very cosy!

The reason myself and a group of other bloggers were asked to attend the session was to highlight the problem of light bladder weakness and the importance of strengthening the pelvic floor. After having four children I know all to well about the side effects pregnancy can have on your body, although I must admit bladder weakness is not something I have had a problem with (so far) It may have something to do with the fact that every time I hear the words 'pelvic floor exercise' I automatically start doing them! (yes I am doing them right now)

Yoga is a great way to strengthen the pelvic floor as well as all those other muscles that we are unable to see, and I felt thoroughly worked out after completing what I thought would be a short beginner class...It was bloody hard work and my muscles were still aching two days later!
A full on workout is not practical to do everyday, particularly for busy mums, which is why Lights by TENA have developed an app featuring the following...

• Professional tutorial
• Easy to follow exercises
• Progress tracking to monitor muscle tone improvement
• Daily reminders to fit in with your routine

After our workout we were given some lovely healthy snacks from Social Pantry while we listened to some interesting facts about bladder weakness. Did you know...

Bladder weakness can be caused by the smallest of things including: coughing, sneezing or exercising

Up to 69% of pregnant women and new mums will experience light bladder weakness making it surprisingly common!

Experiencing light bladder weakness is the biggest concern for over a quarter of pregnant women in the UK

1 in 5 women would rather go a week with out make up than speak out about their bladder weakness problem and over half label it as a taboo subject!

 

There is a whole range of Lights by TENA specifically suited to light bladder weakness, unlike sanitary towels they are designed for the faster flow and have odour control.

For information on the full range, details about the App and even to add your own ooops moment experiences visit the Lights by TENA website

*Disclaimer - I was given a free session of hotpod yoga, lovely snacks and some lights by Tena samples but I have to complete those pelvic floor exercises myself, now come on...squeeeeze!

Sleep paralysis and me

I have been meaning to do a post on sleep paralysis for a while as I have noticed a few links and pictures of other peoples experience of it and they seem quite different to mine, also I have had a couple of episodes this year and thought I would share what it is like for me.

If you have never heard of it, Sleep paralysis is a phenomenon where people temporarily experience an inability to move either when they are falling asleep or just waking up. Sometimes along with the paralysis is also the thought or sight of terrifying images such as an intruder in the room, this is believed to be the result of a hyper vigilant state created in the midbrain and what makes it more scary is that the person is unable to react to it, due to the inability to move.

There are two types of sleep paralysis:  isolated sleep paralysis (ISP) and recurrent isolated sleep paralysis (RISP).

ISP episodes are shorter (a few seconds to a few minutes) and less frequent. It could only happen once in a persons lifetime. RISP happens quite frequently throughout the persons life and an episode can last much longer, anything up to a few hours which I can't imagine because just a few seconds is terrifying enough!

Here are some images that describe some individuals perception of sleep paralysis...

One of these images goes right back to 1700's and are enough to give you night terrors just looking at them!

For me sleep paralysis started as far back as I can remember, although I had no idea what it was until I researched it as an adult. I remember when I was very young I thought it was just one of those things that happens, like hiccups, or getting dizzy when you stand up too quick, I thought it happened to everyone!

When mentioning in passing to people the effects of sleep paralysis I would either get funny looks or laughter as a response, I think some people even thought I was making it up which is when I realised it wasn't a normal thing that happens during sleep and there must be something wrong with me.

In my experience sleep paralysis happens when I've been woken up in the night or early morning and I am trying to get back to sleep, I often feel really tired with heavy eyes and really close to nodding off when I can feel it happening, it sort of creeps up on me and to try and avoid it I hang an arm or leg out of the bed and start swinging it to stop my body getting 'locked in' as I refer to it. Only I am too tired to keep swinging and my arm will go slower and slower until it stops and then I can't move!

I never wait to actually find out how long an episode of paralysis lasts as I get really worried, the only way I can describe it is I 'jump' out of it. I take all my energy which often takes a few deep breathes and I jerk my body suddenly then I have to move around, a bit like fidgeting to try and shake it off. Most of the time it happens only once in the night but I have had it happen more than once and I have just ended up getting out of bed.

I know that when sleep paralysis is occurring I cannot speak or shout out but more recently I have also noticed that my breathing feels laboured, like I have to concentrate on breathing rather than it just happening normally and afterwards its almost like I'm gasping for air like I've been under water, this is probably what is the most scary part. You know when you hear news stories of people that die in their sleep for no apparent reason I always think, what if they had paralysis and stopped breathing but nobody knew? Although from what I have seen online most health sites don't see it as anything serious and I think you are only prescribed medication if it is something that happens on a regular basis. Sometimes for me it can happen every few months other times it doesn't happen for years. I have never noticed a pattern of it happening after any particular life events or after eating certain foods, it seems like it's quite random.

So I'm sure you are wondering what this has to do with demons and other scary creatures holding you down? Well thankfully I cant say I have experienced that side of paralysis but I have had two experiences of something strange being in the room with me. 

On one occasion as a teenager I was sleeping on the top bunk and woke up really early, while trying to go back to sleep I could here a buzzing. My head wasn't too far away from the lampshade and I was convinced there was a bee flying around. I desperately wanted to move or swat the bee away from my head but I couldn't, I couldn't even open my eyes to see the thing and the buzzing was getting louder and louder. All of a sudden I jumped out of it opened my eyes and the room was silent, there was no bee in the room and the window was closed, it was all just in my imagination.

Recently I had an episode and I couldn't see or hear but I 'felt' the cat come into my room and walk along the bottom of my bed but when I opened my eyes the cat wasn't there.

I am interested to here other peoples experiences of sleep paralysis, particularly if you have seen or heard anything strange while it is happening and also how you cope during and after this time?

*I used wikipedia to research the scientific information in this post and pictures are courtesy of google.

Positive Pic of the Week #1

My Positive pic of the week is of the the kit I received from St John Ambulance after doing a first aid course with them earlier this week.

I'm sure its obvious that the reason I think its positive is because I was trained to help save lives but I also learnt so much more than that. From childhood illnesses, burns, fractures, cuts and crushing, right through to recovery positioning and CPR.

I think what actually stuck with me the most was when the trainer said that it takes 3 years to train as a paediatric nurse and we had only 2 days to learn the basics so we shouldn't feel pressured to get everything right all of the time. After all, doing our best with what we know to help aid in an accident or emergency is always better than turning a blind eye and walking by.

I personally think first aid courses should be available to all new parents! I'm sure it would have saved me a lot of worry and hospital visits over the years if I had had the knowledge I have now to deal with certain situations my children have found themselves in.

If you have a pic of something positive that has happened in your week then feel free to join in and share the positivity. To see the rules and grab the badge Click here