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For people with Down syndrome, family members, caregivers and professionals.

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Duration: 30 ms, Number of Results: 27

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Pneumonia in People with Down Syndrome

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

Key Points Lungs are vital organs in the movement of oxygen into the body and the removal of carbon dioxide. Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs. Pneumonia is more common in people with Down syndro

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Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

Author: Allison Schnitzler, MD and Brian Chicoine, MD - Family Medicine, Advocate Lutheran General Hospital

Key Points Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is also known as heartburn or reflux. GERD is common in people with Down syndrome (DS). There are a variety of things that can be done at home to redu

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Celiac Disease

Author: Robert Campbell, DO and Brian Chicoine, MD - Family Medicine, Advocate Lutheran General Hospital

Key Points Celiac disease is caused by a sensitivity to gluten. It is more common in people with Down syndrome. It can be diagnosed through an assessment including a history, physical, blood work, and

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Cerumen Impaction (Ear Wax Buildup)

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

Key Points Cerumen impaction is obstruction of the ear canal with ear wax. It is a problem that is more common in people with Down syndrome. There are treatments that can be done at home to prevent an

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Hearing Loss in Adults with Down Syndrome

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

Overview of hearing loss Hearing involves several steps as the sound passes from the ear to the brain. The ear is divided into three parts: the outer, middle, and inner ear. Hearing impairment, which

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Cholesteatomas

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

What are cholesteatomas? A  cholesteatoma is a collection of skin cells that become more fibrous and build up in the middle ear (where the small bones are that are part of our hearing mechani

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Tips for Going Up and Down Stairs Safely

Author: Katie Frank, PhD, OTR/L and Abby Rowley, LCSW - Adult Down Syndrome Center

Going up and down stairs can be challenging for some people with Down syndrome. Aging, differences in depth perception, unsteady gait, and other issues may contribute to difficulty with navigating sta

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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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Constipation in Down Syndrome

Author: Samantha Ghanayem-Bouikidis, MD and Brian Chicoine, MD - Family Medicine, Advocate Lutheran General Hospital

Video Watch a video clip about constipation  from our webinar At-Home Treatments for Common Health Conditions.   Constipation is a common problem in people with Down syndrom

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Therapeutic Use of Games

Author: Monica Prindiville, OTS and Katie Frank, PhD, OTR/L - Occupational Therapy Student and Occupational Therapist

While games are widely considered to be a meaningful and enjoyable activity, their therapeutic benefits can be easily overlooked. Games provide opportunities to work on a wide variety of skills we use

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Fun Activities to Improve Fine Motor Skills

Author: Monica Prindiville, OTS and Katie Frank, PhD, OTR/L - Occupational Therapy Student and Occupational Therapist

We use fine motor skills to complete any task that requires using the small muscles in our hands or wrists. This includes a wide variety of daily activities completed at home, work, and school: using

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Daily Tasks to Improve Fine Motor Skills

Author: Monica Prindiville, OTS and Katie Frank, PhD, OTR/L - Occupational Therapy Student and Occupational Therapist

We use fine motor skills for many tasks throughout the day - any task involving use of the small muscles in our hands and wrists. A few examples of activities we do every day that require fine motor s

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Irritable Bowel Syndrome

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

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a health issue in the intestines (bowels). It is not clear how common it is in people with Down syndrome (DS).  However, we suspect that IBS is more common i

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Swallowing Problems (Dysphagia)

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

Swallowing problems (dysphagia) are common in people with Down syndrome (DS). In our large cohort study that reviewed health data from people cared for within Advocate Health, swallowing problems were

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Use of Probiotics by People with Down Syndrome

Author: Adult Down Syndrome Center - Resource

What are probiotics? Probiotics are foods or supplements that contain live microorganisms (e.g., bacteria). Foods with labels that say "live and active cultures" contain probiotics.

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Liver Fibrosis

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

Fibrosis of the liver can be thought of as a "scar" in the liver that results from chronic liver injury. It is similar to scarring that may form on the skin or in the lung or other o

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What is Occupational Therapy?

Author: Katie Frank, PhD, OTR/L - Occupational Therapist, Adult Down Syndrome Center

Occupational therapy is a health profession concerned with how people function and perform meaningful activities in their respective roles. "Occupation" is any activity in which one

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Treating Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease with Surgery

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

We were asked about surgical options for treating gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). GERD occurs when stomach contents, including acid, go "backwards" from the stomach up into t

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Lactose Intolerance

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

People with Down syndrome can experience a variety of gastrointestinal issues. One of them is intolerance to foods containing lactose. Lactose is a sugar found in dairy products like milk and ice crea

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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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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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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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