6 COMMON HEALTH PROBLEMS IN CHILDREN

Children are fragile because they are still growing, and their immune system is still developing. Hence, parents need to be extra careful about their health. 

Pre-teens require special attention as they are prone to several common health issues. Though these health problems are common among children, taking responsibility and following proper guidelines can always ensure that these illnesses can be kept at bay in many cases. 

1. Sore Throat and Cough

It is quite a common problem in children, especially when the season changes. The symptoms can be a pain in the throat, heavy voice, cough, and discomfort. Usually, the problem resolves in 7 - 10 days if proper precautions are taken.

But there can be many times when the symptoms may not resolve which can be due to a throat infection, and hence has to be checked by a medical expert. The medical expert reviews the virus through a swab test and prescribes antibiotics to clear off the infection. It is recommended to complete the antibiotic course offered by the doctor. Interrupting the course of medication can affect the immune system in the future. 

2. Common Cold

The common cold is another health issue that is seen quite frequently in kids. There can be 3 – 4 or even more sessions of the common cold in a year. Runny nose, cough, and at times fever are some of the symptoms of the common cold that may stay up to 10 days. 

It is essential to take the kid to a doctor for a proper diagnosis. Typically, the doctor may offer medicines to treat cold and fever. But if the doctor notices that the condition is something worse than just an ordinary common cold, a prescription of antibiotics can be made that has to be taken entirely as per the guidelines offered. 

3. Bronchiolitis

Bronchiolitis is a respiratory infection that happens mainly in infants and can sometimes occur in older children. Often, this is confused with flu or the common cold, but only a medical expert can diagnose the right condition. 

There are also many times when the child may not experience cough and cold symptoms but may find difficulty in breathing and get agitated while eating or sleeping. You may hear a wheezing sound when the child is sleeping.
 
The doctors also check for such wheezing sounds from the chest of the child. Some people may confuse this problem with asthma, but it has to be understood that the two are different and have to be treated differently. 

As bronchiolitis is a viral infection, it has to be treated with the help of antibiotics. Again, different kids have to be treated in various ways; for instance, children who are born premature or have other problems, such as dehydration. Hence, the doctor will ask you many questions, and you need to be honest about the kid's history so that the kid can get the right treatment. 

4. Infection

A child can be prone to some infections such as in the ears, skin, or even in the urinary tract. 

The child can experience ear pain due to some reasons such as the growth of the teeth that may exert pressure on the jaws, cold that may have affected the organ, or similar others. But it is not necessary that the pain is due to some such situation and hence offering the kid painkillers every time can be a wrong idea. It is important to meet up with the doctor to check whether the pain is due to some of the reasons stated or it is an infection that may have taken place. 

Another most common infection that takes place is in the urinary tract. This happens due to a bacterial attack in the urinary bladder that can lead to symptoms such as pain in the stomach, burning sensation in the tract, and so on. You should check up with the doctor to get treatment for this so that this does not happen again. 

When kids play outdoors, they mix up with other kids and may also get infected with soil and dust that can cause skin infection. If this problem is not checked up with an expert, this can lead to extended problems ahead. A child can be prone to several infections such as in the ears, skin, or even in the urinary tract. 

The child can experience ear pain for several reasons, such as the growth of the teeth that may exert pressure on the jaws, cold that may have affected the organ, or similar others. But the pain doesn't need to be due to some such situation, and hence offering the kid painkillers every time can be a wrong idea. It is crucial to meet a doctor to determine the cause of the problem. 

Another most common infection that takes place is in the urinary tract. It happens due to a bacterial attack in the urinary bladder that can lead to symptoms such as pain in the stomach, burning sensation in the tract, and so on. You should check up with the doctor to get treatment for this so that this does not happen again. 

When kids play outdoors, they mix up with other kids and may also get infected with soil and dust that can cause skin infection. If this problem is not checked up with an expert, this can lead to widespread issues ahead. 

5. Conjunctivitis

Conjunctivitis, or also known as pink eye, is a contagious infection in the eye that may happen most commonly in kids. The symptoms are inflammation, redness, yellowish discharge from the eyes, itching, and crusty eyelashes. It is essential to check with a doctor to get treatment for the same or also to check whether it is conjunctivitis or something else. 

6. Pinworm or Threadworm

The presence of threadworm or pinworm in the intestine of the kid is also quite common. Anal itching, trouble in eating, and worms in the underwear are some of the common symptoms that need to be addressed at the earliest. 

Apart from these diseases mentioned above, there are also many such as hand, foot, and mouth disease, asthma, etc. that may affect many children. But the disorders listed above are those names that happen to all the children most commonly.