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

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Showing 409 - 432 of 439

Ask the Doctor: Thyroid Testing

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

Question: Recently, my daughter’s annual thyroid blood work came back as follows: TSH 9.74 (normal: 0.3-5.0), T3 27.8 (normal: 25.0-35.0), Free T4 1.7 (normal: 1.0-4.3), and T4 6.2 (normal:

Knee Pain from Patellofemoral Syndrome

Author: Julia Howell, MD - Family Medicine Resident, Advocate Lutheran General Hospital

People with Down syndrome can often have laxity, or looseness, of the ligaments that support joints. The knee is no exception. The patella, or knee cap, attaches to the muscles of the upper and lower

Low White Blood Cell Count

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

What is the significance of a low white blood cell count (neutropenia)? We commonly find that our adult patients with Down syndrome have a mildly reduced white blood cell count. What does it mean? Wha

Depo-Provera

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

We received a question about the use of Depo-Provera. Depo-Provera is an injection of progesterone that is used to: Prevent pregnancy Reduce periods and/or symptoms from periods The injection is given

Sleep Apnea

Author: Paula Cho - Fourth Year Medical Student

In order to understand what sleep apnea is, it is important to know what normal sleep is. Normal, uninterrupted sleep consists of a cyclic pattern alternating between rapid eye movement (REM) sleep an

Elevated Globulin

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

Globulins are antibodies (found and measured in the blood) that are elevated in inflammatory conditions, infections, and some cancers. We often find the globulin level to be elevated in people with Do

Definition of Health

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

Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. (World Health Organization) At the Adult Down Syndrome Center, we strive to ad

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

Shingles Vaccine

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

Shingles is a painful skin rash caused by the virus Varicella Zoster (a member of the herpes family). In a person who has had chicken pox (also caused by Varicella Zoster), the virus lies dormant in n

Food Choices in Group Settings, Workshops, and at Community Events

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

One of the areas our patients find challenging to making healthy choices is in the availability of food options in group settings, workshops, and community events. The limited choices in vending machi

MCH and MCV

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

We received a question about MCH and MCV. The question concerned an individual with Down syndrome who had a high MCH and MCV. MCH is mean corpuscular hemoglobin (the average amount of hemoglobin in th

Selective Mutism

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

What is selective mutism? A condition in which a person with normal verbal skills does not speak in particular settings. Are there typical settings where a person won’t talk? Often

Self-Esteem

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

Self-awareness. Self-appreciation. Self-esteem. These can be difficult pursuits for people without Down syndrome and sometimes for people with Down syndrome. Some of our most challenging patients have

Celiac Disease and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

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

Can celiac disease cause obsessive compulsive disorder? This question was recently asked by a family member of a person with Down syndrome.  I have reviewed several articles and other informa

Fatigue

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

I recently had a couple inquiries about people with Down syndrome in their 50s or 60s who developed increased fatigue and falling asleep easily (these were new symptoms). Questions asked included: Is

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

Nursing Home Placement

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

Placement of individuals with Down syndrome in nursing homes has been a challenging issue for a number of years. In Illinois, many individuals with intellectual disabilities were sent to live in nursi

The Groove

Author: Dennis McGuire, PhD, LCSW - Director of Psychosocial Services, Adult Down Syndrome Center

One of the most interesting and consistent findings from the Adult Down Syndrome Center is the discovery that people with DS need sameness, repetition, and order in their lives. We call this tendency

Celiac Testing in Adolescents and Adults with Down Syndrome

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

The starting place for making the diagnosis of celiac disease is the history and physical exam. The symptoms of celiac disease can vary widely (see resource on the description of celiac disease). The

Celiac Treatment

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

How is celiac disease treated? The treatment for celiac disease is diet. It requires strict adherence to eliminating gluten in the diet. How do I get started? The recommended first step is a consultat

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).

Spondylolisthesis and Cervical Subluxation

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

We received a question regarding spondylolisthesis. Spondylolisthesis is a slippage of one vertebrae over another. Most commonly this refers to slippage in the lumbar (lower) part of the back. Slippag

Hypertension and Hypotension

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

Hypertension (high blood pressure) is a major health problem – except not for people with Down syndrome. There has recently been much discussion about reducing the salt consumption of the Un

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 &ndas

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