In many high schools across the country there’s a growing concern about kids dropping out of sports.  Some say it’s because pressure to win is just too much.  Others say kids are simply burning out.  A psychologist at Mayo Clinic has some tips on how to keep kids enjoying and thriving in sports.

This story is all too common on the soccer field and basketball court. A high school athlete jumps to get the ball, lands and blows out a knee. And most of that time those athletes are girls. Girls are four to six times more likely to suffer a certain kind of knee injury than boys. And that’s why sports medicine specialists at Mayo Clinic developed a camp aimed at preventing knee injuries for young female athletes.

Stomach pain, nausea, heartburn, trouble swallowing : Common symptoms that prompt many people to head to the doctor’s office. But it’s not always easy for doctors to find out what’s causing them. That’s especially true if the culprit is a certain type of food allergy which can contribute to particular medical conditions. There just hasn’t been a reliable and accurate way to test them until now.

Imagine being afraid to pick up your child because any pressure on her skin could cause blisters and pain. That’s a reality for the little girl you’re about to meet. She has a genetic condition called epidermolytic hyperkeratosis. Her skin looks scaly and tough, but it is so sensitive even clothing hurts.

The statistics are alarming. Two-thirds of the adults in the U.S. are overweight and one-half of that group is considered obese. Every year those numbers get bigger. But it’s not just adults who are tipping the scales, kids are gaining weight, too. One-third of all school-age children are overweight and when bad habits start early, they’re hard to break. A nursing group from Mayo Clinic wants to change that. They’re working with public schools, nursing students and parents to help kids get and stay healthier.

We hear a lot about obesity these days.  And rightfully so.  It’s a growing problem, with big health consequences.  But did you know that you could have a normal body weight and still be obese?  Click the link below to hear Dr. Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, a Mayo Clinic cardiologist, discuss normal weight obesity.

Normal Weight Obesity

Hypoplastic left heart syndrome is the fourth most common congenital heart defect.  The pumping chamber on the left side of the heart doesn’t develop.  Without treatment, it can be fatal within a few days of birth.  Click the link below to hear Dr. Harold Burkhart, a surgeon at Mayo Clinic, discusses the condition and how it’s treated.

Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome

You might have heard the term “brain food” used to describe food that’s good for you. Doctors at Mayo Clinic say there really is a diet that benefits the brain. But this diet is not for everybody. It’s for kids who have epilepsy, and it’s based on extremely high fats and very few carbs.  Dr. Elaine Wirrell, a Mayo Clinic Neurolgoist, discusses how the ketogenic diet is helping some kids with epilepsy become seizure free.

Ketogenic Diet Podcast

Fifty years ago, many children born with congenital heart defects did not make it to adulthood. The medical expertise just wasn’t available. Today things are different, and many of these children live long, full lives. But the man you’re about to meet beat the odds. He was born with a complicated heart defect almost 50 years ago. Three surgeries as a kid kept him going, but years later his heart failed. His only hope was a risky heart transplant until he went to Mayo Clinic.

An extremely high fat content and low amount of carbs would seem contrary to most diets you hear about.  Well that’s because the ketogenic diet isn’t about losing weight.  Rather it’s a diet  that’s helping  some kids with epilepsy become seizure free.