Are you also one of those parents who get troubled dealing with their child who is feeling sick? Once, my brother had severe fever and all of a sudden, he started to have febrile seizures (seizures that occur in children due to fever).
My mother started crying and instead of being able to handle the situation, everyone around was in a state of panic.
So, I think being a parent you really need to know the basics of some of the common illnesses that children have.
You should at least be able to deal with a sick child so you don’t panic when your child is ill. Because you already know what common illness does my child have in the future.
Parenting is a huge responsibility. Parents have to take care of the emotional and mental health of their child and in this process parents sometimes have to become doctors, sometimes teachers and sometimes their child’s coach.
So it’s very important to know the basics of what kind of illness does the child might have. This knowledge would help parents know when do they need to take their children to doctor.
This would help them do the first aid treatment in any state of emergency. This would help them detect if their children is having any sort of health problem or irritability but is unable to describe and explain it.
Common childhood illnesses and symptoms
Children when born are vulnerable to various illnesses. As soon as a child is born, he is vaccinated to develop in him immunity against various diseases including chicken pox, diphtheria, hepatitis and measles, etc.
In children the illnesses of ears, nose and throat are very common. The illnesses of these parts of the body keep on occurring frequently especially during the early years of the life of a child.
Basic knowledge of the symptoms of what kind of illness does the child might have (Health Factors That Affect Child Development) can help parents get an idea of what problem and when should they take him to a doctor.
What are the 5 most common childhood illnesses?
- Common cold
- Influenza
- Ear infections
- Sinusitis
- Tonsillitis
1. Common cold
The common cold is a viral infection of your nose and throat (upper respiratory tract). It is one of the most common childhood illnesses. It is not really harmful and has no treatment.
So it gets better on its own within almost 10 days. Symptoms of common cold are relieved by taking rest and lots of fluids. Pain relievers like ibuprofen might be given.
Symptoms:
- Runny nose
- Sore throat
- Coughing
- Sneezing
- Watery eyes
- Muscle aches
- Headaches
- Fever
To make baby busy in the bed: Best Bedtime Books for Babies.
2. Influenza
Influenza or flu is another very commonly occurring contagious illness among children. It is also caused by a virus called influenza virus. This virus infects nose, throat and sometimes lungs.
Children should be getting vaccine for flu every flu season. Its symptoms are managed with rest, fluids and some medications.
Symptoms:
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Sore throat
- Cough
- Tiredness and fatigue
- Headaches
- Muscle aches
- Fever and chills
3. Ear infections
Ear infections in children are very common and are caused by either bacteria or virus. Antibiotics and eardrops are given to help relieve pain and fever.
Symptoms:
- Ear pain
- Difficulty in sleeping
- Fever
- Trouble hearing
- Irritability
- Tugging at ear
4. Sinusitis
Sinus infection refers to the buildup of fluid inside the sinuses (air-filled spaces located behind forehead, nasal bones, cheeks and eyes).
In most cases it is caused by viral infections. Rest, steam and staying hydrated can help cure sinusitis.
Symptoms:
- Facial pain or pressure
- Headaches
- Mucus dripping into throat
- Runny and stuffy nose
- Cough
- Bad breath
5. Tonsillitis
Tonsillitis is an inflammation of tonsils (two oval shaped pads of tissue at the back of throat). It is caused by a viral infection but might also be caused by a bacterial infection.
Pain and fever are treated by medications. Taking Rest, drinking warm fluids soothe the throat and keep it moist.
Symptoms:
- Sore throat
- Difficulty swallowing
- Bad breath
- Fever
- Swollen tonsils
List of chronic childhood illnesses
Chronic health conditions are those that last for more than 3 months and they worsen over the period of time. Children can also develop chronic illnesses.
They can be due to genetic or environmental causes and sometimes both.
Following is the list of some the common chronic illnesses in children:
- Obesity
- Asthma
- Cystic fibrosis
- Cerebral palsy
- Epilepsy
- Developmental disabilities
Rare childhood diseases
As the name suggests rare childhood diseases are those that aren’t commonly occurring in children and any of its incidence is considered rare. Following are some of the rare childhood diseases,
- Duchene muscle dystrophy
- Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
- Gaucher disease
- Neuroblastoma
- Pompe disease
FAQs (frequently asked questions)
Q. What is the most common pediatric illness?
ANS. Pediatric illnesses are the ones that affect children. Some of the most common pediatric illnesses include common cold, ear infections, influenza, sinusitis and tonsillitis. The symptoms of some of the common pediatric illnesses should be known by parents for dealing with their ill child.
Q. What are the signs and symptoms of common childhood illness?
ANS. Some of the common signs and symptoms of the illnesses that are common in childhood are:
- Fever
- Headache
- Runny nose
- Sore throat
The other symptoms vary according to what kind of illness does the child might have. For example, if a child has sinusitis, along with all the above mentioned symptoms he is also going to have facial pain and pressure and also bad breath.
Similarly, a child who has tonsillitis is going to have difficulty in swallowing and swollen tonsils along with the above mentioned symptoms.
Q. What are the 7 childhood diseases?
ANS. Some of the common childhood diseases are:
- Fever
- Common cold
- Sinusitis
- Influenza
- Tonsillitis
- Conjunctivitis
- Gastroenteritis
Q. What are Covid symptoms in kids?
ANS. Children with covid can show the following symptoms:
- Fever
- Common cold
- Pneumonia
- Sore throat
- Diarrhea
- Fatigue
Q. What are the six killer diseases of a child?
ANS. As the name tells, killer diseases are those that can take a child’s life if not treated well at time. Some of the killer diseases of child are:
- Measles
- Diphtheria
- Malaria
- Pneumonia
- Poliomyelitis
- Tuberculosis
Vaccines for many of these diseases are given to children in the early days of their lives so that these diseases can be prevented because we all know that “prevention is better than cure.
CONCLUSION:
To put it all in a nutshell, it can be said that parenting is a huge responsibility. It can sometimes demand one to become a child’s teacher, sometimes to become his coach and sometimes doctor.
So, having the basic knowledge of some of the common childhood diseases is very important for parents.
This will help them deal (without panic) with their child whenever he feels sick.
This basic knowledge ( what illness does my child have )will also help them to decide when to take their child to a doctor.
