If you’re surrounded by children—whether because you’re a parent or a daycare teacher—then you know the poor hygiene practices kids have, which is why they get sick all the time. You can’t help it, though. No matter how bad you keep an eye on them, they will always be touching things and placing random stuff into their mouths.
A kid’s immune system isn’t strong enough to fight off newly exposed bacteria and germs. So, it’s normal for children to come down with all sorts of minor diseases. Have a look at the top 5 common childhood illnesses below to give you a better idea of what’s normal and what you shouldn’t worry about.
1. Ear Infection
The auditory tubes in children are very small and horizontally positioned, making them more prone to ear infections. Whenever these tubs suffer blockage due to inflammation, it traps fluid inside the ear, allowing bacteria to breed and reproduce.
Ear infections can cause fevers and fussiness and make your child constantly pull their ears, searching for relief. Most ear infections disappear on their own, but others might require medical treatments, such as taking antibiotics.
2. The Flu
It’s so easy to catch the flu as a kid, especially during the winter, which is known to be the official “flu season.” Even though, in most cases, the flu can be controlled, it’s best to give your children the flu vaccine. If not careful or your child has a weaker immune system than usual, the flu can become more complicated to treat.
3. Chicken Pox
Chicken is the most common childhood illness there is, and the best part is that once you catch up, chances are you’ll never get it again! Chickenpox is relatively easy to treat, and in most cases, symptoms are mild.
But, chickenpox can also lead to several health complications if not careful, which is why it’s best to give your child the varicella vaccine. They can also get a booster shot a few years later for extra prevention.
4. Strep Throat
Strep throat is also another common childhood illness that causes a swollen and sore throat. It’s also a mild illness to treat but always needs medical attention. So, if you’re child starts to manifest symptoms, such as coughing, throat soreness, and swelling, you should take them to the doctor to get treatment.
5. Pink Eye
Kids have this need to touch and taste nearly everything in sight. And they’re not so aware of the whole “wash your hands” often, so they’re going to be bringing to their face all kinds of unwanted germs. Thanks to this, pink eye, or conjunctivitis, is also very common to see in children.
Pink eye is when your eye and eyelid suffer an inflammation due to a bacterial infection. Symptoms include irritation or itchiness of the eye, eye discharge, pink or red discoloration of the eye, and blurry vision.
Treatment will involve a prescribed ointment or eye drops from your doctor, and symptoms tend to fade away after a week. However, if symptoms last longer than this, you should revisit your medic here for another checkup.
Common Childhood Illnesses Explained
If your kid has any of these common childhood illnesses, you can put your mind to ease, as they’re all perfectly treatable and mild. But, even so, going to the doctor whenever your child starts presenting symptoms is the best choice.
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