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Show Physical exams being advised Parents can almost hear the school bells ringing as September Septem-ber approaches. In the rush to assemble books, pencils and clothing, a physical exam for the youngsters should have top priority, according to the Utah Heart Association. An examination before school may detect some minor problem prob-lem which could be troublesome later. A child who goes to school in good health will do his or her best work. Keeping healthy is a challenge. A special hazard to which school age youngsters may be exposed is strep infection, which precedes rheumatic fever, fe-ver, and could lead to rheumatic rheuma-tic heart disease. A strep infection in-fection such as strep sore throat or scarlet fever is contageous, while rheumatic fever is not the Utah Heart Association points out. Prompt and thoroguh treatment treat-ment of strep infections usually can prevent rheumatic fever and thus it is important that a physician gets to see the child early enough to control the infection before it can set off the rheumatic process. Parents and teachers are urged to look for these danger signals: poor appetite, failure to gain weight, pallor and fatigue, fa-tigue, frequent colds and sore throats, unexplained nosebleeds, pains in arms, legs and joints, unusual restlessness or irritability, irrita-bility, behavior or personality changes,, and a fall-off in school work by a good stulent. Observe child Careful observation of the child is necessary for a few weeks after recovery from a strep infection ,the Utah Heart Association says, because there is a "Silent" phase in the development de-velopment of rheumatic fever, and one or more of the danger dan-ger signals may reappear to warn of trouble, A child who develops rheumatic rheu-matic fever does not necessarily necessar-ily suffer heart damage Once recovered he's usually placed on long-term medication which protects against repeated attacks. at-tacks. However, he is not ill and should be permitted to take part in the normal school program unless a physician places a limit on activities., Many children recover completely com-pletely from rheumatic fever with little or no heart damage. In those who are left with rheumatic heart disease, injury is usually the result of inflammation inflam-mation of either or both valves on the left side of the heart. In the healing process scar tissue develops which prevents the proper opening and closing of the valve, and interferes with the normal flow of blood through the heart. In some cases, injury to the heart does not become apparent appar-ent until adolescence or young adulthood. Therefore, the Utah Heart Association advises that children with a history of rheumatic rheu-matic fever be given regular physical examinations so that any developing heart disease can be detected. RCA Victor has come up with recorded language lessons that can be played on those automobile tape cartridge units. un-its. You can roll along the highway, in other words, and absorb French, German, Spanish Span-ish or Italian without taking your eyes off the road. |