October is Mental Illness Awareness Week
Becoming a teenager and young adult can be hard. Puberty is a time that hormones cause
emotional fluctuations and you begin and continue to discover who you are and what paths you
want to take. Your body and mind is changing and growing.
Everyone has bad moods, but depression is different! Occasional bad moods or acting out is to
be expected, depression can destroy the very essence of a teenager’s personality, causing an
overwhelming sense of sadness, despair, or anger.
Signs and symptoms of depression in teens
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Sadness or hopelessness
Irritability, anger, or hostility
Tearfulness or frequent crying
Withdrawal from friends and family
Loss of interest in activities
Changes in eating and sleeping habits
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Restlessness and agitation
Feelings of worthlessness and guilt
Lack of enthusiasm and motivation
Fatigue or lack of energy
Difficulty concentrating
Thoughts of death or suicide
Talk to a teacher, counselor, nurse or trusted adult.
National Hotline: 1-800-273-TALK
October is National Health Education Week
October is International Infection Prevention Week
October 19 is Pediatric Bone and Joint Day
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Get a lot of physical activity, especially jumping and running.
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Feed your bones the calcium and vitamin D they need to stay strong. That means getting
your share of milk and other calcium-rich foods and drinks, such as broccoli and calciumfortified orange juice.
Kids' bones are more likely to bend than break completely because they're softer. Fracture types
that are more common in kids include:
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buckle or torus fracture: one side of the bone bends, raising a little buckle,
without breaking the other side
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greenstick fracture: a partial fracture in which one side of the bone is broken and
the other side bends (this fracture resembles what would happen if you tried to
break a green stick)
Mature bones are more likely to break completely. A stronger force will also result in a complete
fracture of younger bones. A complete fracture may be a:
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closed fracture: a fracture that doesn't break the skin
open (or compound) fracture: a fracture in which the ends of the broken bone
break through the skin (these have an increased risk of infection)
non-displaced fracture: a fracture in which the pieces on either side of the break
line up
displaced fracture: a fracture in which the pieces on either side of the break are
out of line (which might require surgery to make sure the bones are properly
aligned before casting)
Other common fracture terms include:
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hairline fracture: a thin break in the bone
single fracture: the bone is broken in one place
segmental: the bone is broken in two or more places in the same bone
comminuted fracture: the bone is broken into more than two pieces or crushed
If you think you or someone else has broken a bone, the most important things to do are to:
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stay calm
make sure the person who is hurt is as comfortable as possible
tell an adult
if there are no adults around, call 911 or the emergency number in your area
Treating a Broken Bone
To treat the broken bone, the doctor needs to know which kind of fracture it is. That's where Xrays come in — they give doctors a map of fractures so that they can set the bones back in their
normal position.
After your bone has been set, the next step is usually putting on a cast to keep the bone in place
for the 1 to 2 months it will take for the break to mend. Casts are made of bandages soaked in
plaster, which harden to a tough shell. Sometimes casts are made of fiberglass or plastic — and
some are even waterproof.
With breaks in larger bones or when a bone breaks in more than two pieces, the doctor may need
to put in a metal pin — or pins — to help set it. For this operation, you'll receive anesthesia so
you'll be asleep and not feel any pain. When your bone has healed, the doctor will remove the
pin or pins.
How Broken Bones Heal
Your bones are natural healers. At the location of the fracture, your bones will produce lots of
new cells and tiny blood vessels that rebuild the bone. These cells cover both ends of the broken
part of the bone and close up the break until it's as good as new.