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Urinary Retention

Author: Agni Vlahos, MD and Brian Chicoine, MD - Family Medicine

Key Points Urinary retention is the build-up of excessive urine in the bladder. It appears to be more common in people with Down syndrome. A common reason for urinary retention in people with Down syn

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Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

Key Points Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are infections of the urethra, bladder, ureters, and/or kidneys. People with Down syndrome have risk factors for getting a UTI due to issues related to not e

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Measles and Down Syndrome

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

Key Points Measles is a highly contagious infection. It can have very serious complications. There has been a recent increase in measles infections.  Little is known about measles infection s

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Hypertension and Hypotension

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

Key Points  The blood pressure of people with Down syndrome tends to be on the lower side. High blood pressure (hypertension) is much less common in people with Down syndrome. Blood pressures

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Acrocyanosis

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

What is acrocyanosis? Acrocyanosis is the bluish discoloration of the extremities (usually the hands and/or feet) due to decreased oxygen being delivered to those areas. The small blood vessels in the

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Diagnostic Overshadowing: "All Is Not Down Syndrome"

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

Many families have reported that, when they have told a health care provider about a symptom their loved one with Down syndrome is experiencing, the provider has, in effect, said, “It is jus

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When Veins Don't Work

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

What is the vascular system? Our vascular system includes blood vessels (including veins, arteries, and smaller blood vessels) as well as the heart. Arteries carry blood away from the heart towards th

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Kidney Function in People with Down Syndrome

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

We frequently see that the lab values of kidney function of people with Down syndrome (DS) we evaluate at our Center are mildly abnormal. The kidney function is slightly decreased compared to what is

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Vasovagal Syncope (Fainting)

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

What is vasovagal syncope?  Vasovagal syncope is what we commonly think of as fainting in response to emotional upset or pain. Chen-Scarabelli and Scarabelli (2004) define it as “a

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Use of Aspirin to Prevent Heart Attacks

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

We were sent a question about the use of aspirin to prevent heart attacks in people with Down syndrome. We have provided some information below. Please note that this information is for educational pu

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Influenza

Author: Shelly Verma, DO - Family Medicine Resident, Advocate Lutheran General Hospital

Influenza, or the flu, is caused by the influenza virus. Flu season starts in the fall and peaks between December to March. However, it can last as late as May. There are many different strains of the

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Upper Respiratory Infection - The Common Cold

Author: Jenna Okerblom, DO - Family Medicine Resident, Advocate Lutheran General Hospital

What is it? Most commonly caused by respiratory viruses. Signs and symptoms of the common cold include fever, cough, runny nose, congestion, sore throat, headache, and aches and pains all over. Usuall

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Down Syndrome, Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome, and Bicuspid Aortic Valve

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

We were sent a question about Down syndrome and Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome and Bicuspid Aortic Valve. WPW is a heart condition in which there is an extra electrical pathway in the heart. The

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Modeling, Imitation, and Mutual Participation

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

Observing someone demonstrate appropriate behavior, watching a parent or friend model healthy activity, or having a mentor to observe and imitate are all ways we learn a variety of healthy behaviors i

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People First

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

When we started the clinic, families spoke to us about what they needed as well as what they expected and what was most likely to help us connect with families and people with Down syndrome. One of th

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Memorial/Life Celebration

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

I spoke at a patient’s memorial/life celebration a few days ago and I would like to share some of my words. I would like to go back to 1954, the year Don was born. Life expectancy of a perso

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Down Syndrome and Heart Disease

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

If a 45-year-old man presents to the emergency room with chest pain, what is the big concern? Coronary ischemia (low blood flow to the heart muscle) and possibly myocardial infarction (heart attack).

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Expectations

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

As we mention in our resource on Two Syndromes , there seem to be four main reasons for the differences noted in the different generations of people with Down syndrome – expectations , life

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Goals

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

As we mention in our resource on Two Syndromes , there have been changes over time that have contributed to some of our families with younger children with Down syndrome not relating to the l

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Life Expectancy

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

As we mention in our resource Two Syndromes , there are four main areas that we see are affecting people with Down syndrome in a positive way. The effect has been so great in some situations

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Opportunities

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

Over the years, some families have approached us after presentations and reported they couldn’t relate to a story or a point we made. We have found that it was typically a family of a younge

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Two Syndromes

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

Occasionally, after a presentation, someone will come up to Dr. McGuire or me and tell us that they can’t relate to some point that we made. After hearing this a few times, a pattern became

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Please note: The information on this site is for educational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for a medical, psychiatric, mental health, or behavioral evaluation, diagnosis, or treatment plan by a qualified professional. We recommend you review the educational material with your health providers regarding the specifics of your health care needs.

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