Children are more vulnerable to illnesses compared to adults since the former’s immune system are still works in progress. Knowledge of the symptoms and signs can help show the right treatment.
Among the most important steps to take is a balanced diet for healthy youngsters for protection against diseases and infections. Diet fads come and go but fresh fruits and vegetables are trusty staples, including whole grains and lean proteins.
Here is a list of diseases that your children will need to face and handle well. If properly planned, together with careful followups, the kids are more than ready:
1.Gastroenteritis: Commonly known as the stomach bug, this problem causes vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Most viruses that are the main culprits relent in a matter of days or a week and get resolved through plenty of rest. Nevertheless, children need to have enough fluids to ward off dehydration. Many anxious parents sometimes try to give too much fluid, so here are some tips on how to ensure the child takes it well. Begin with just a tablespoon of an electrolyte solution in a corresponding ratio of water every 15 minutes; your family physician would know what amount is appropriate based on the child’s weight. In case your child is partial to Gatorade or juice, add more water down to around to dilute the high sugar. If the child is fine to eat, the most helpful would be the BRAT diet, or bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. Soon he or she would be able to retain these, and it means it is fine to resume regular meals. You might also consider giving Greek yogurt, which is rich in probiotics (promoting a healthier gut) and has less sugar compared to most snacks.
2. Common cold: On average, most kids will get a cold once every 2 or 3 months and end up skipping school. Symptoms are sore throat, mild fever, headache, and a runny nose, among others. While drinking plenty of water and bed rest will help a lot, it is possible to hasten the healing with supplements with Echinacea, added zinc and vitamin C.
3. Hand, foot and mouth disease: the source of this is enteroviruses. Symptoms come in the form of low-grade fever, accompanied by blisters in the mouth, on the extremities, and the buttocks. More bad news: it is contagious and requires pain management. Some studies have drawn a link between a lack of vitamin A and the worsening of the disease. So take action against HFMD and encourage your children to have more veggies and squashes.
4. Chickenpox: an infectious illness that produces red spots all over together with an itchy rash. Some 14 or 16 days after exposure to the virus, symptoms like a fever, cough and sore throat start to appear. Vitamins that may help alleviate the pox include vitamin A with beta carotene, Vitamin B12 and vitamins D, E.
5. Roseola: Roseola has some unusual characteristics. By age 2, it is no cause for concern anymore. Just the same, it is good to be aware that it could be contagious, and could infect adults too. Symptoms include high fever (and it remains contagious until one or two days after the fever subsides), coughing, congestion, and a rash that breaks out on the chest and spreads from there. Roseola would abate within a week, but if the child’s fever lasts beyond three days, you may need to have a pediatrician check your child. Any discomfort may be addressed with ibuprofen and the kid would need to stay home well until the rash disappears.
At times, no matter how parents try to protect their kids, these diseases seem unavoidable. Still, it helps to have knowledge on how to prevent these common childhood diseases from taking its toll on your kids. Most of these diseases can be prevented through vaccination and some will experience mild symptoms only. However, if more severe symptoms such as Dehydration, High fever, Breathing difficulty, Not eating, and weakness appear, it’s best to take the child to the doctor.