'Most of the city is evacuating': Gridlock on Alberta highway after evacuation order in Fort McMurray
Four Fort McMurray neighbourhoods were ordered to evacuate on Tuesday as a wildfire gets closer to the city.
A new study has found children who suffer from headache disorders have been experiencing more frequent pain and worse anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The small study, published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Child Neurology, points to elevated stress — from disruptions to their daily lives, social distancing and anxiety around the disease — as well as decreased physical activity and increased screen time as causes.
Increased participation in virtual environments may have resulted in feelings of isolation and anxiety for kids, lead author Marc DiSabella, an osteopathic doctor and director of the Headache Program at Children's National Hospital in Washington, D.C., said in a press release.
"These findings are really impactful to me as a physician and a parent," DiSabella said.
"It is important we gain a better understanding about how stress and changes in routine affect children's well-being and mood."
The researchers had 107 pediatric patients who suffer from headaches complete a questionnaire from summer 2020 to winter 2021 in order to track any changes in their headaches and lifestyles.
Prior to the pandemic, 60 per cent of respondents reported having headaches fewer than 15 days in a month.
This fell to 50 per cent during the pandemic, with the number of patients reporting constant daily headaches rising to 36 per cent from 22 per cent pre-pandemic.
Forty-nine per cent of patients said their headaches got worse since the pandemic began and 54 per cent said the amount of physical activity they did also dropped because of COVID-19.
Patients and families often cite lack of physical exercise as a trigger for migraines, the study's authors say.
Sixty-one per cent of participants also reported using screens for more than six hours a day.
While the researchers say it isn't clear whether increased screen time worsens headaches or not, patients and families "routinely" point to it as a headache trigger.
DiSabella adds that patients with headache disorders have disproportionately high rates of mood complaints, with participants in the study reporting worse anxiety, mood and workload during the pandemic.
The researchers say the study's small sample size and observational design are limiting factors.
However, DiSabella recommends parents talk with their children about the impact the pandemic has had on their headaches and mood, as well as offer them help at home or with a trained professional in child psychology.
"Having a headache every day, all the time, with no break in sight, is really frustrating to children and their parents," DiSabella said.
"They just want to be a normal child yet have no control over when the pain increases, and they suddenly are unable to do simple activities like reading a book or seeing friends, which adds to the uncertainty of their future."
Four Fort McMurray neighbourhoods were ordered to evacuate on Tuesday as a wildfire gets closer to the city.
Saskatchewan RCMP have revealed that a historic sexual assault investigation has led to the discovery of alleged crimes against children dating back to 2005.
Less than a week after two public sculptures featuring a livestream between Dublin, Ireland, and New York City debuted, 'inappropriate behaviour' in real-time interactions between people in the two cities has prompted a temporary shutdown.
After a final frame that saw the visiting Vancouver Canucks claw their way back and tie the game late, a slap shot from the point by Oilers defenceman Evan Bouchard with 38 seconds left (until what seemed like certain overtime) iced the 3-2 victory for Edmonton to knot the series.
Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker railed against Pride month, working women, President Biden's leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and abortion during a commencement address at Benedictine College last weekend.
King Charles III has unveiled the first portrait of the monarch completed since he assumed the throne, a vivid image that depicts him in the bright red uniform of the Welsh Guards against a background of similar hues.
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
The province has released more information on its plan to break up Alberta Health Services and replace it with four sector-based health agencies.
The Biden administration has told key lawmakers it is sending a new package of more than US$1 billion in arms and ammunition to Israel, two congressional aides said Tuesday.
A team is ready to help an entangled North Atlantic right whale in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
A $200 reward is being offered by a North Vancouver family for the safe return of their beloved chicken, Snowflake.
Two daughters and a mother were reunited online 40 years later thanks to a DNA kit and a Zoom connection despite living on three separate continents and speaking different languages.
Mother's Day can be a difficult occasion for those who have lost or are estranged from their mom.
YES Theatre Young Company opened its acclaimed kids’ show, One Small Step, at Sudbury Theatre Centre on Saturday.
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.
The threat of zebra mussels has prompted the federal government to temporarily ban watercraft from a Manitoba lake popular with tourists.