foot and mouth If the hip is not yet dislocated, the doctor may recommend the use of a special pillow positioned to keep the thighs spread or may apply a body splint or cast. If the hip is already dislocated, surgery may be required. If both you and your doctor are alert, the problem can be noticed early. Early diagnosis is the key to easier treatment and optimal, permanent results. RELATED TOPIC: Sprains and dislocations 9П7 Quick Reference Dizziness SYMPTOMS • Spinning sensation • Loss of balance • Jerking movements of the eyes • Nausea • Vomiting HOME CARE • Have the child lie down to rest, with the feet higher than the head. • If rest does not relieve dizziness, see your doctor. • Have the child sit with the head lowered to the knees. Place your hand on the back of the child's head and have the child push up slightly against your hand. If the dizziness is not relieved, have the child lie down to rest, with the feet raised higher than the head. PRECAUTIONS • See your doctor if dizziness occurs often. • See your doctor if dizziness lasts more than one or two hours. • Before calling your doctor, be sure the child is describing a sense of rotating. • Children sometimes confuse dizziness with faintness. lightheadedness, nausea, or vision problems. Dizziness (vertigo) is the sensation that one is rotating or that one's surroundings are spinning around. It can be experienced normally by twirling rapidly in one spot until the room seems to be reeling. Dizziness makes it difficult for a person to keep balanced. If dizziness continues, it may cause nausea and vomiting. If possible, try to find out exactly what a child means when complaining of dizziness. Children often use the word "dizzy" to describe faintness, lightheadedness, nausea, and vision problems. Each of these problems can have many causes. True dizziness has few causes. The most common cause is Meniere's disease (infection of the semicircular canals of the inner ear). This condition usually is harmless and clears up without treatment! but it may last for weeks. Dizziness may also accompany middle ear infections, concussions, and fractures of the base of the skull. Dizziness occurs with tumors that involve the eighth cranial nerve or the cerebellum (a part of the brain). It may also occur in cases of meningitis and encephalitis. Simple dizziness may be helped by having the child sit down with her ad lowered to her knees. SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS If your child complains about feeling dizzy, ask him to describe the feeling as clearly as possible. Be sure the child is describing a spinning sensation and not some other sensation (faintness, lightheadedness nausea, or vision problems). Look at the child to see if there is a loss of balance. Also look for jerking motions of the eyes when they are turned to one side or the other (this is another sign of true dizziness). A long period of dizziness may cause nausea and vomiting. HOME CARE Have a dizzy child sit down with her head lowered to her knees. fever