This document provides information on various health impairments including asthma, diabetes, burns, epilepsy, hemophilia, heart disease, leukemia, rheumatic fever, nephritis, and lead poisoning. It describes the symptoms, causes, and treatments for each condition. For burns specifically, it outlines the characteristics and treatments for first, second, and third degree burns as well as burn prevention strategies and long term outlook.

1. Health Impairments

2. ASTHMA
DIABETES
BURNS
EPILEPSY
HEMOPHILIA

3. Asthma
- A chronic lung disease characterized by episodic
bouts of wheezing, coughing, and
difficulty in breathing due to the
inflammation of the airways in the lungs
In the United States, asthma
affects an estimated 26
million people — many of
whom may not be aware that
they have it, especially if
their symptoms aren’t
severe.

5. Causes
o exposure to an allergen (such as ragweed,
pollen, animal dander or dust mites)
o irritants in the air (such as smoke,
chemical fumes or strong odors)
o extreme weather conditions
o exercise or an illness —
particularly a respiratory illness or the flu — can
also make you more susceptible.
Asthma symptoms may be triggered by

6. o A physical display of strong
emotion that affects normal breathing patterns —
such as shouting, crying or laughing — can also act as
an asthma trigger.
Panic can prevent a person
with asthma from relaxing
and following instructions,
which is essential during an
asthma attack. Scientists
have found that rapid
breathing associated with
strong emotions can cause
bronchial tubes to
constrict, possibly
provoking or worsening an
attack.

7. Symptoms
Most children with asthma have symptoms before they
turn 5. In very young children, it may be hard for parents,
and even doctors, to recognize that the symptoms are due
to asthma (American College of Allergy, Asthma %
Immunology).

8. Coughing Wheezing/whistling
when breathing
Trouble/fast
breathing
Frequent colds
Common symptoms include:
http://acaai.org/asthma/symptoms

9. Diabetes
- A disorder of metabolism that
affects the way the body absorbs and breaks
down sugars and starches in food.
- Children with diabetes have insufficient insulin,
a hormone normally produced by the pancreas
necessary for proper metabolism and digestion of
food

10. Early symptoms include:
thirst
headaches

11. Weight loss
Frequent urination
Cuts that
are slow to
heal

12. Epilepsy
- A convulsive disorder commonly
known as seizure, a disturbance of
movement, sensation, behaviour and/or
consciousness caused by abnormal electrical
activity in the brain.
The specific causes of epilepsy are
NOT clearly known.

13. Aura
- A short warning sensation before seizure
- Takes different forms in different people:
distinctive feelings, sights, sounds, tastes, and
even smells
- Useful valve enabling the child to leave the class
or group before the seizure occurs

14. Several types of Seizures
o Generalized tonic-clonic siezure/ grand mal
- most conspicuous and serious type

15. Characteristics:
 Child has little or no warning that a seizure is about to
occur
 Muscles become stiff
 Child loses consciousness
 Falls to the floor
 Body shakes violently as the muscles alternately
contract and relax

16.  Saliva may be forced out of the mouth
 Legs and arms may jerk
 Bladder and bowels may be emptied
 Contractions diminish after 2-5 minutes – the child
either goes to sleep or regains consciousness in a
confused or drowsy state
This type of seizure may occur as often as several
times a day or as seldom as once a year and more
likely to occur during the day than at night.

17. o Absence seizure/ petit mal
- far less severe than the generalized tonic-clonic seizure
but may occur more frequently, as often as 100 times
per day

18. Characteristics:
 Brief loss of consciousness
 Child may stare blankly
 Flutter or blink his/her eyes
 Grow pale
 Drop whatever he/she is holding
 Mistake him/her daydreaming or not listening

19. o Partial seizure

21. Simple partial seizure
 Sudden jerking motions with no loss of consciousness
 Occur weekly, monthly, or only once or twice a year
Complex partial seizure
 Child may smack his/her lips
 Walk around aimlessly
 Shout
 May appear conscious but is not actually aware of the
behavior

22. Interventions by teachers:
a. Keep calm
b. Ease the child to the floor and clear the area around him/her
c. Put something flat and soft under the head
d. Do not try to revive the child and interfere with the
movements
e. Turn the body gently to the side to keep the airways clear
and allow saliva to drain away

23. f. When the jerking movements stop, let the child rest until
he/she regains consciousness
g. Breathing may be shallow during the seizure, and may even
stop briefly
Epilepsy School Alert, The Epilepsy Foundation of America, 1987

24. Hemophilia
- A rare hereditary disorder in which the
blood does not clot as quickly as it should

26.  The most serious consequences are usually internal,
rather than external bleeding contrary to popular opinion.
 Internal bleeding can cause swelling, pain, and
permanent damage to joints, tissues,
and internal organs may necessitate
hospitalization for blood transfusion.

27. Burns
- A damage to your body's tissues caused by
heat, chemicals, electricity,
sunlight or radiation. Scalds from
hot liquids and steam, building fires and
flammable liquids and gases are the most
common causes of burns.
https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/burns.html
Another kind is an inhalation
injury, caused by breathing
smoke.

28. First – degree burns
Second – degree burns
Third – degree burns
Three types of burns

29. Burn Levels
http://www.healthline.com/health/burns#Burn
Levels2

30. First-degree burns cause
minimal skin damage. They
are also called
“superficial
burns” because they
affect the outermost layer of
skin.
o Redness
o minor inflammation (swelling)
o Pain
o dry, peeling skin (occurs as the burn
heals)
First-Degree Burns
Signs of a first-degree burn include:

31. First-degree burns usually heal within
three to six days. Still, you
should see your doctor if the burn
affects a large area of skin (more than
three inches), and if it’s on your face or a
major joint.
Since this burn affects the top layer of
skin, the signs and symptoms disappear
once the skin cells shed.

32. Treatments
o soak the wound in cool water for five minutes or
longer
o take acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain relief
o apply aloe vera gel or cream to soothe the skin
o use an antibiotic ointment and loose gauze to protect
the affected area

33. Healing time may be quicker if you treat the
burn sooner.
o make sure you don’t use ice, as this may make the
damage worse. Never apply cotton balls to a burn
because the small fibers can stick to the injury and
increase the risk of infection.
o avoid home remedies like butter and eggs as these are
not proven to be effective.

34. Second-Degree Burns
- more serious because the damage
extends beyond the top layer of skin
- this type of extensive damage
causes the skin to blister and
become extremely red and sore.
Some blisters pop open, giving the
burn a wet appearance.
Some second-degree burns take longer than three
weeks to heal, but most heal within two to three
weeks. The worse the blisters are, the longer the
burn will take to heal.

35. In some severe cases, skin
grafting is required to fix the
subsequent damage. Skin grafting
borrows healthy skin from another
area of the body and replaces it at the
site of the burned skin.

36. o running the skin under cool water for 15 minutes
or longer
o taking over-the-counter pain medication
(acetaminophen or ibuprofen)
o applying antibiotic cream to blisters
o However, seek emergency medical treatment if
burns affect a widespread area of the:
face
hands
buttocks
groin
feet
Treatments

37. Third-Degree Burns
Third-degree burns are the
worst burns. They
cause the most damage,
extending through every
layer of skin. The damage can
even reach the bloodstream,
major organs, and bones,
which can lead to death.

38. With this type of burn, the damage is so extensive
that you may not feel pain because your nerves
are damaged. Depending on the cause, third-
degree burns cause the skin to look:
waxy and white
charred
dark brown
raised and leathery

39. Never attempt to self-treat a third-degree
burn.
While you’re waiting for medical
treatment, raise the injury above your
heart. Don’t get undressed, but make sure
no clothing is stuck to the burn. There is
no set healing timeline for third-degree
burns.

40. Complications
o Infections, blood loss, and shock.
Sepsis, or a
bloodstream
infection, can
occur in the most
severe cases. This
can lead to shock
or even death.

41. o Tetanus is another possible complication with
burns of all levels
Like sepsis, tetanus is a bacterial infection. It
affects the nervous system, eventually leading to
problems with muscle contractions.

42. o Severe burns also carry the risk of
hypothermia and hypovolemia
Hypothermia is characterized by
dangerously low body temperatures.
While this may seem like an unexpected
complication of a burn, the condition is
actually prompted by excessive loss of
body heat from an injury.
Hypovolemia, or low blood volume,
occurs when your body loses too much
blood from a burn.

43. Hypothermia
Hypovolemia

44. o Scars are a
complication of all burns.
Severe burns may cause keloids, which are
discolored areas of scar tissue on the skin.
While keloids aren’t harmful in themselves, they
can be bothersome. The appearance of scar
tissue can worsen with sun exposure, so be
sure to wear adequate sunscreen on any
exposed areas.

45. Degree Burns Characteristics
first-degree red, non-blistered skin
second-degree blisters and some thickening
of the skin
third-degree widespread thickness with a
white, leathery appearance
fourth-degree extends beyond the skin into
tendons and bones.

46. Preventing All Levels of Burns

47. The best way to fight burns is to prevent them from
happening altogether. Certain jobs put you at a greater risk
for burns, but the fact is that most of them happen at
home. Infants and young children are the
most vulnerable to burns.
o Keep children out of the kitchen while
cooking.
o Turn pot handles towards the back of
the stove.
o Turn pot handles towards the back of
the stove.

48. o Test smoke detectors once a month.
o Replace smoke detectors every 10 years.
o Keep water heater temperature under 120 degrees
Fahrenheit.
o Measure bath water temperature before use.
o Lock up matches and lighters.
o Install electrical outlet covers.

49. o Check and discard electrical cords with exposed wires.
o Keep chemicals out of reach, and wear gloves during
chemical use.
o Wear sunscreen every day, and avoid peak sunlight.
o Ensure all smoking products are stubbed out completely.
o Clean out dryer lint traps regularly.
o It’s also important to have a fire escape plan and to practice
it with your family once a month. In the event of a fire, make
sure to crawl underneath smoke. This will minimize the risk
of passing out and becoming trapped in a fire.

50. Outlook for Burns
When properly and quickly treated, the outlook for first
and second-degree burns is good. These burns are also less
prone to scarring. The key is to minimize further damage
and infection. Extensive damage from severe second-
degree and third-degree burns can lead to problems in
deep skin tissues, bones, and organs.

51. Patients may require:
Surgery
physical therapy
Rehabilitation
lifelong assisted care
While it’s important to gain adequate physical
treatment from burns, don’t forget to find help for
your emotional needs. There are support groups
available for burn victims, as well as certified
counselors.

52. Other health impairments

53. Heart disease
- A range of conditions that affect the heart.
- Diseases under the heart disease umbrella include
blood vessel diseases, such as coronary artery disease;
heart rhythm problems (arrhythmias); and heart
defects you're born with (congenital heart defects),
among others.
http://www.mayoclinic.org/

54. Leukemia
- Cancer of the body's blood-forming tissues, including
the bone marrow and the lymphatic system.
- An inflammatory disease that can develop as a
complication of inadequately treated strep
throat or scarlet fever.
Rheumatic fever
http://www.mayoclinic.org/

55. - Inflammation of the kidney, which causes impaired
kidney function (http://www.medicinenet.com/).
Nephritis
- Occurs when lead builds up in the body, often over
a period of months or years.
Lead poisoning
- Children under the age of 6 are especially
vulnerable to lead poisoning, which can severely
affect mental and physical development
(http://www.mayoclinic.org/).