There’s nothing worse than having a sick child. As a parent you wonder what they have, how you should treat it and should you take them to the doctor? It is important to educate yourself about the symptoms of common illnesses. Here are some, but not all, common childhood illnesses.
Ear Infections
More than 80 percent of children have at least one episode of otitis media by the time they are 3 years of age. Children often develop ear infections after the onset of a cold. Here are some common symptoms:
Irritability
Difficulty sleeping or staying asleep
Tugging or pulling at one or both ears
Fever
Fluid draining from ear(s)
Loss of balance
Hearing difficulties
Ear pain
Nausea and vomiting
Diarrhea
Decreased appetite
Congestion
Allergies
Food and airborne allergies can cause many problems for young children.
The following are the most common symptoms of airborne allergies otherwise known as allergic rhinitis:
Sneezing
Congestion
Runny nose
Itchy nose, throat, eyes, and ears
Nosebleeds
Clear drainage from the nose
Food Allergies
Allergic symptoms may begin within minutes to an hour after ingesting the food. Here are some symptoms of food allergies:
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Cramps
Hives
Swelling
Eczema
Itching or swelling of the lips, tongue, or mouth
Itching or tightness in the throat
Difficulty breathing
Wheezing
Lowered blood pressure
Croup
The croup is caused by a virus and usually effects children from the ages of 3 months to 5 years. As the disease progresses down the respiratory tract, the symptoms also change and may include:
A runny nose, congestion, and slight cough
A cough develops into a “seal’s bark”
Laryngitis
Fever
Strider, this is a high-pitched sound that is usually noted as the child breathes in (inspiration), although it can also be heard as the child breathes out (expiration).
Influenza
Influenza is called a respiratory disease, but the whole body seems to suffer when a child has it. Children usually become suddenly ill with any or all of the following symptoms:
Fever, which may be as high as 103 F to 105 F
Aches and pains
Not feeling well “all over”
Headache
Cough that is nonproductive
Sore throat
Stuffy nose or clear nose
Worsening cough
Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Fatigue
Roseola
Many viruses cause roseola. The most common cause is the human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6). It occurs mostly in children under the age of 3. It may take between five to 15 days for a child to develop symptoms of roseola after being exposed to the disease. A child is probably most contagious during the period of high fever, before the rash occurs. The following are the most common symptoms of roseola:
High fever that starts abruptly
Fever (may last three to four days)
Irritability
Swelling of the eyes
Rash (As the fever decreases, a pink rash, with either flat or raised lesions, starts to appear on the trunk and then spreads to the face, arms, and legs.)
Contact Dermatitis
Contact dermatitis is a physiological reaction that occurs after skin comes in contact with certain substances such as soap, saliva, detergents, lotions or perfumes. Symptoms may include:
Mild redness and swelling of the skin
Blistering of the skin
Itching
Scaling and temporary thickening of skin
Pharyngitis and Tonsillitis
The symptoms of pharyngitis and tonsillitis depend greatly on the cause of the infection and the person affected. Strep throat, a common childhood illness falls under this category. Symptoms may include:
Sore throat
Fever (either low-grade or high)
Headache
Decrease in appetite
Not feeling well
Nausea
Vomiting
Stomach aches
Painful swallowing
Visual redness or drainage in the throat
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