There are a few illnesses that most children get at least once before they grow up. Here are some of the main things that as a parent, you should know about.
- Influenza
The symptoms can be a runny nose, sore throat, high temperature, cough, aches and exhaustion. You can use child-friendly painkillers to help them feel better. But if it doesn’t get any better after about a week, you should take your child to a doctor and see what they say. They might be able to prescribe something to help. There is a vaccination for this and it is available for children over the age of two, I believe. I personally haven’t seen it as necessary for my children to have that vaccine though.
- Ear Infections
There are two main types of ear infection: bacterial and viral. The symptoms are pretty much the same though. The main symptoms of ear infections are an earache, loss of or reduced hearing, fever and ringing in the ear. Ear infections are most common before the age of six, and they usually occur after the child suffers a cold. Sometimes, fluid can be discharged from the ear. If you notice this alongside other symptoms, you should take your child to a doctor. They might prescribe antibiotics to help clear up the problem.
- Eczema
Eczema in babies and young children is very common. It will usually be grown out of later, so it’s nothing to worry about. The symptoms are itchy, sore skin. There’s no direct cure for eczema; you just have to treat as best you can and sooth the skin. The first thing you should do is see a doctor and get the creams that can help get rid of the problem quicker. You also need to stop your child scratching their skin because this will simply make the eczema worse. You can do this by buying scratch sleeves if your child is young. This makes scratching the skin impossible for babies and toddlers.
- Chickenpox
The severity of chickenpox varies from child to child. And although it can be very difficult for the child, it is better to get it at some point. That’s because once you’ve had it, you don’t get it again, and it can be a lot more severe if you get it as an adult. The symptoms to look out for are fever, red rash and headaches. This will later develop into itchy, sore blisters filled with fluid. For some children, there will only be a few spots, and others will be covered in them. To treat it, keep them away from other children and relieve the itching with soothing lotions.
- Tonsillitis
Tonsillitis is simply an infection of the tonsils. Most cases are viral, and the symptoms are a sore throat and red, swollen tonsils. This can also be accompanied by coughing and pain when you swallow. This is a problem that is more common in slightly older children, but it can happen at any time between the ages of 5 and 15. It’s also important to know that it can be spread from person to person. Painkillers and through sprays might be prescribed by a doctor. And if the problem keeps coming back, your doctor might recommend having them removed.
Have you experienced any of these with your little ones?
Rebecca x
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