Children, especially toddlers, can get up to 12 colds per year (1 per month on average!).
Most colds are caused by rhinoviruses - there are more than 100 types.
Smoke and dry air lowers your child's immune system.
Symptoms:
- tickle in the throat
- runny or stuffy nose
- sneezing in the beginning
- sore throat
- cough
- headache
- mild fever
- fatigue
- loss of appetite
- muscle ahces
- nose secretion which may be watery, thick green or yellow
Duration:
One to two weeks
Treatment:
- nose drops
- cool mist humidifier
- drink plenty of fluids
- have a rest
- secretolytic therapy (Mucosolvan, Melrosum, Hedelix)
- anti pyretic therapy (Calpol, Brufen)
Please note: This therapy only suppresses the fever and relieves the pain. It is a symptomatic but not a healing treatment. Your chid is still sick!
When to call the doctor: If symptoms get worse not better after 3 days, fever of 37.8 - 38.5 that lasts for more than 2 days or a high fever od 38.5 and above that lasts for more than one day, coughing a lot of mucus, shortness of breath, unusual lethargy/tiredness or an inability to keepfood or liquid down.
It is caused by an infection with Group A streptococcus bacteria.
Not all children with a strep infection develop the rash or scarlet fever.
Symptoms:
- sore, reddened throat
- high fever
- swollen glands in neck
- early in the infection, the tongue may have a whitish or yellow coating and later the tongue will get a strawberry appearance
- body aches
- nausea
- vomiting
Not all symptoms always occur. A rash usually appears first on the neck and face, then on the chest and back and then the rest of the body. The bacteria spread through nasal and throat fluids by sneezing and coughing.
Incubation Period:
1 - 8 days
Treatment:
Symptomatic treatment (painkillers etc...) and an antibiotic treatment with penicillin for 10 days. After 1 - 2 weeks, the soles of the feet and palms may start peeling.
A viral infection that affects most children up to the age of 10 years, especially those with a prior history of ezcema, neurodermitis and allergic disorders. It can also affect adults with an altered immune system and may appear on the genitals.
Symptoms:
Pink, pearl shaped spots 1 - 5mm. It can appear on the face, eye lids, neck, chest, tummy, armpits and legs.
Contagious:
Molluscum is not highly contagious but it is infectious and can be spread among small children as they play together and sometimes by more indirect contact such as touching infected toys, clothing and going swimming.
Diagnosis:
Examining the characteristic spots and skin scrapings from the infected area to view under a microscope.
Prevention:
Wash hands after touching the molluscum. Avoid touching, rubbing or scratching the infected area. Apply antiseptic and a dressing to the affected areas, especially if local infection occurs.
Treatment:
Usually no treatment is given as the disease can clear up in 6 - 18 months. For children whose immune syetms aren't fully developed, it may take up to 5 years to clear up. If it just affects a small area of the body, molluscum can be treated by any of the following;
- Scraping or curettage
- Surgical removal
- Cryotherapie freezing
- Laser therapy
