Childhood illnesses are common as children have not been exposed to many infections. Therefore their immune system is weak. It can not protect them from catching infections. Moreover, children cannot fight with the bacteria and viruses as adults can do. Even diarrhoea can become life-threatening for children. Therefore if your child is not feeling well, take them to the healthcare provider early. If you want to get them checked, take them to the top child specialist in Karachi. In this article, we are going to discuss ten common childhood illnesses.
Sore throat is a contagious condition. Children of the school-going age are more prone to the sore throat because they sit and play with each other in a closed environment for a long time. It shows the symptoms of pain in the throat, difficulty in swallowing, fever, and nausea.
Ear pain is a common problem among children. It can occur due to conditions like otitis media, otitis externa, swimmer’s ear, sinusitis or pressure in the ear. Moreover, a cold and tooth pain that radiates upward can also be a cause of ear pain. If it is accompanied by fever, the doctor may give your child an antibiotic.
Urinary tract infections
Urinary tract infections are also common in children. They can happen due to improper wiping technique. Teach them the right wiping technique. Ask them to maintain hygiene and wipe from front to back to avoid the chances of urinary tract infections.
There can be many causes of skin infections in children. Since they play in mud and clay outside, ask them to have a shower after coming home from playtime. Moreover, some skin diseases are contagious like scabies. An infected child in the school can transmit it to healthy children. Therefore they must get a shower right after coming home from school. Wash their uniform daily with a detergent to keep your children clean and healthy.
Chickenpox is a viral infection that appears with a rash all over the body accompanied by fever. It is a contagious disease that can spread if anyone touches the blisters of the infected person, or gets in contact with the saliva of an infected person or the infected person coughs or sneezes near a healthy person. Do not send your children to the school if they are suffering from chickenpox because it is highly contagious and may infect other children as well.
Croup is a viral infection that affects the throat and vocal cords of the person. It swells up the airways, due to which the patient face difficulty in breathing. Croup is more common in children because their airways are small and get swollen with ease as compared to old people. It is also a contagious condition. However, try not to send your child to the school as it may spread to other children as well.
Cryptosporidiosis is a disease of the stomach, that shows up with nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea in children. The parasite that causes this condition lives in the faces. Therefore anything that comes in contact with the faces can become a source of transmission of infection. Contaminated water, food, surfaces can become a source of infection transmission.
Hand, foot and mouth diseases
Hand, foot and mouth disease occurs due to coxsackievirus. It usually affects children younger than ten years of age and spreads in summer mostly. It appears as sore throat, fever, painful blisters on the tongue, mouth, gums and all over the body.
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases. It appears as fever, rashes all over the body, runny eyes and nose. However, a measles vaccine can help in limiting the spread of it. Get your child vaccinated on time for measles.
Mumps is a contagious condition, but some people may not have any symptom. It appears as painful salivary gland, fever and headache. Do not send children to the school if they are suffering from measles.
Children need extra care to keep them protected. Make sure they bathe daily, wash their hands properly after using the toilet and after coming home from outside. Wash their toys often. Moreover, if they get infections often, take them to the best child specialist in Karachi.