How to Treat Common Cold in Kids

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Are you wondering how to treat common cold in kids? If you think that you can easily use over-the-counter medicines for your kids then you are not in the right track.

Since common colds are caused due to virus, you will not be able to treat the problem with the help of antibiotics. Even if there is no complete cure for this problem you will be able to offer your child some help.

Tips for Relieving Congestion

If case your child suffers from congestion then you should make him or her drink lots of fluids in the form of water, tea, fruits juices, and soups. Fluids are effective in clearing the air-passage that gets stuck with mucus.

You can try chicken soup, which helps a lot in relieving coughs and clearing congestion. If the nasal congestion is very bad then you can buy saline nose drops from any drug store. These drops are good for loosening sticky nasal mucus.

Moisten the Room

Ensure that air in your child’s room is moist. You can use a humidifier in the room and it will help in relieving nasal passages. The humidifier should be kept away from the bed so that the bed sheets and mattress does not become moist.

You should study the instructions for taking care of the unit and clean it regularly. You should also change the water everyday in order to avoid mold growth.

Cures for Sore Throat

A sore throat can be very painful. Therefore, use certain home remedies to soothe the sore throat. If your child is old enough then make him or her suck a hard-boiled candy.

Gargling with warm salt water can also prove to be helpful. You can combine one teaspoon each of lemon juice, ginger juice, and honey. This concoction can relieve the uneasiness caused due to sore throats.

Ensure that your child gets sufficient rest when he or she is suffering from common cold, in order to recover faster.

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Vomiting


Vomiting is often a frightening and exhausting illness for young children. Vomiting in children is most often due to an abdominal infection. Very rarely it could be due to some other reasons. Most of the times though, vomiting can be managed at home only.

What to do?

* Avoid solid and heavy food.

* Even water is to be rationed, depending upon how much the kid is accepting.

* If the child also has associated diarrhoea which is often the case in tropical countries, use of Oral Rehydration Salt is highly recommended. These are especially made formulations which replace the electrolytes lost by the body during vomiting and diarrhea.

* Rest the stomach. Try to wait for a few hours, and then offer small sips of water, ice chips, or a cold, wet washcloth to suck.

* If sips of water are not tolerated then it is advised to consult your doctor.

* If sips of water are tolerated, then the amount of liquid intake should be increased. Coconut water, sweetened lime juice in water with ice (shikanji) can be given. Avoid using milk, milk products and carbonated drinks.

* Start giving foods gradually. Wait for the child to ask for food and you can give the child lentil gruel and plain rice with curd. Avoid spicy foods.

When to call a doctor?

The greatest risk of vomiting due to gastroenteritis is dehydration. Young children as compared to adults have little capacity to bear the loss of water and electrolytes from the body. Call your doctor if your child shows following signs of dehydration.

* The child has diarrhea and refuses fluids.
* is not urinating.
* cries without tears.
* has a dry mouth or seems confused.

You should also call the doctor if vomiting persists for more than two days, which increases the risk of dehydration.
The following symptoms may indicate a condition more serious than gastroenteritis and requires immediate medical attention.

* Projectile vomiting in an infant- forceful vomiting. In this the vomit is thrown at a distance.
* Vomiting accompanied by fever.
* Repeated vomiting of green or yellow bile.
* Vomit resembles coffee grounds.
* Vomiting blood.
* Vomiting following head injury.
* Specially in tropical countries dehydration can come very quickly and also the amount of fluid.

Keywords: Kids health,cold, vomiting, kids care, kids illness

[minisoji]

Diaper rash


Diaper rash is very common in babies and is not a sign of parental neglect. Most babies get nappy rash at some time in the first 18 months. Diaper rash is a type of irritant dermatitis (inflammation of the skin) that is localized to the diaper area in infants and often spares the skin of the folds beneath the diaper. Diaper rash may become infected by bacteria or yeast normally present on the skin. Effective treatment can eliminate diaper rash.

What causes diaper rash?

• Common diaper rash is caused by at least two factors:
• Contact irritation; and/or
• Local skin infection due to overgrowth of various bacteria or fungal organisms.

Other causes include:

1.A sensitive skin
2. Rubbing or chaffing
3. Strong soap, detergent or bubble bath
4. Baby wipes containing alcohol
5. Diarrhoea or illnesses
6. Changes in diet such as weaning or changing from breast milk to formula.

In its early stages the rash may appear as red patches on your baby's bottom or there may be general redness. The skin may look sore and be hot to touch and there may be spots, pimples or blisters.

What treatments are recommended for diaper rash?

• Avoidance of the precipitating agents: The best treatment for diaper rash is avoidance of the precipitating agents, which led to the contact irritation and to regions becoming secondarily infected by skin bacteria or yeast.
• Open-air exposure of the irritated skin: is also extremely effective in helping clear up diaper rash.
• Application of petroleum jelly: should a rash develop, simple cleansing with water and soft cloths tends to be less irritating to the injured skin than disposable wipes. Frequent application of one of the many diaper area ointments containing petroleum jelly (e.g. Vaseline) provides an effective barrier against skin irritants.
• Several topical antibiotic ointments: in case there is a bacterial or yeast infection associated with the rash then a pediatrician should be consulted. Topical antibiotic ointments are available for therapy in these situations.

Protecting your baby from nappy rash

• Change the nappy as soon as you can when it becomes wet or soiled. You may find your young baby needs changing 10 to 12 times a day, and older children at least 6 to 8 times.
• Clean the whole nappy area thoroughly, wiping from front to back. Use a mild baby soap with plain water, or specially formulated baby lotion or gentle baby wipes. If using soap and water, rinse off the soap and pat dry thoroughly and gently.
• Lie your baby on a towel and leave the nappy off for as long and as often as you can to let fresh air get to the skin.
• How about not using disposable diapers?

Parents often wonder if switching from disposable to cloth diapers will lessen the likelihood of contact type diaper rash. In fact, the opposite seems to be true. The absorbent gel material found in most of today's disposable diapers draws moisture away from the skin area, thus helping to promote a healthy diaper area.

How should an allergic rash be treated?

For an allergic reaction to the fragrances or other components found in disposable diapers or wipes, eliminating the offending agents by using either simple water cleansing of the skin and a switch to another brand of disposable diapers or using cloth diapers instead is usually therapeutic.

Should steroid ointments be used?

The rash in many cases appears very red and serious, but attention to above-mentioned tips (like keeping the baby dry, exposing skin to air) can bring about a rapid relief. However, in some cases a minimally concentrated hydrocortisone cream may be recommended. However, the excessive usage of steroid ointments/creams can cause lot of other sideffects. They should only be used under the guidance of a pediatrician or another physician who is fully familiar with their application to infants.

Keywords: kids care, kids health, kids fever,

[minisoji]

Tonsillitis


Open Mouth - Tonsils Tonsil is a mass of lymphatic tissue one each in the lateral(side) walls of the nasopharynx(where the far end of the nasal cavity meets with the oral cavity)the size of almonds. The basic function of these tissues is to provide resistance against disease and they normally subside by the time the kids are in their teens. The problem arises when they get inflamed and enlarged and start interfering with normal swallowing and eating. Infection of the tonsils is commonly seen in school going children.

Signs and symptoms:
Pain at the angle of the jaw and also sometimes in the ear.
Difficulty in swallowing.
Fever is often present.
Foul breath.
Inflamed oral cavity.

Treatment:

* It normally would consist of antibiotics for 7- 10 days, analgesics(pain relievers) and warm saline gargles.

Complications:

* Greatly enlarged tonsils, i.e. when tonsils meet each other in midline, can lead to difficulty in breathing.

* Attacks of acute tonsillitis can be associated with recurrent attacks of pain & infection in the ears.

* When certain bacteria are the causative organisms of acute tonsillitis and the infection is not resolved it may lead to heart disease in these patients.

* A child suffering from recurrent attacks has a slow development & frequently misses out on school.
* In adults, recurrent attacks of acute tonsillitis can predispose to formation of intraoral abscesses which then present as emergencies.


Surgery for Tonsillitis:
If the child is having recurrent attacks (approximately two attacks in a month); when tonsils are interfering with speech swallowing & respiration; when there is risk of developing heart disease then surgery to remove the tonsils( tonsillectomy ) should definitely be considered.

Keywords: kids care, kids health, kids fever,

[minisoji]

Worms

Worm infestations constitute an important health problem, especially in the children. Worm infestations are generally not noticed but can sometimes lead to significant problems, which affect many organ systems. Most of these are a result of unsanitary living conditions and poor food preparation. In countries like India, these constitute an important public health problem because infestation by hookworms is the cause of anemia in a significant number of children

A wide variety of worms infest humans, these range from half-inch pinworms to tape worms as long as 30 feet. The more important among them are the pinworms, the roundworms, and the hookworms.

Most (not all) of the worms live in the intestines and generally don't cause prominent symptoms unless they penetrate the intestinal wall and move to another part of the body. Any worm infestation can lead to respiratory or cardiovascular complications.

Pinworms:
These are very small worms, the size of about 2-4 mm, white in color and generally seen in clumps. It is characterized by the intense itching it produces in the anal area. Pinworms live in people's lower intestinal tracts. The female worm leaves the anus to deposit eggs in the anal area at night and induces severe itching. The consequent scratching transfers the eggs to the host's fingers. If inadvertently eaten, the eggs reach the intestines - hatch in the intestines and thus the cycle continues.

Roundworms causing Ascariasis:
Roundworms constitute a major public health problem. It is estimated that upto 1/4th of the world's population is infected with roundworms. It lives in the small intestine, lays enormous quantities of eggs that are excreted in the feces. The eggs remain viable for a long time in the soil and can enter the body in unwashed or raw food. Foods that are eaten raw like salads and vegetables readily transmit the infection. Children playing in soil can also pick up infection.

Hookworms:
It has been estimated that more than 200 million people are infected in India alone. Hookworms enter the body through skin, commonly through bare feet. It may also be acquired by food also.

The larvae migrate to the small intestine, where they may live for several years taking nutrients from the intestinal walls. Hookworm infection causes chronic blood loss and depletion of body's Iron stores leading to Iron deficiency anemia. This can lead to retarded growth; Low Birth Weight babies (if the mother is infected). Their eggs are excreted in feces; if the infested feces contaminate soil, the cycle is repeated.

Symptoms
Apart from the characteristic itching in the anal area produced by pinworm infection most of the symptoms of worm infection are non characteristic. These include:

* Anemia
* Diarrhea
* Nausea, vomiting
* Changes in appetite and fatigue
* Wheezing, coughing or other breathing difficulties.

Diagnosis
Most of the worms can be diagnosed from stool samples, which demonstrate their eggs/cysts. Pinworms can be diagnosed by using a piece of sticky tape to pick up any eggs that may be around the anal area; the tape is then checked under a microscope. The worm itself is sometimes visible in stool samples or around the anus.

Treatment
Most worms, thankfully, can be treated with a wide variety of available medicines effectively. Medicines commonly used include Mebendazole, Albendazole, Piperazine and Pyrantel.

The treatment is usually repeated after two weeks to ensure removal of the worms and their eggs.

Prevention

* Make sure children always wash their hands after going to the bathroom and before eating.
* Keep fingernails short to reduce the chances of picking up worm eggs underneath them.
* Wash all the vegetables, fruits thoroughly before eating raw.
* Meat, especially pork should be thoroughly cooked before eating.
* Ensure that children don't play barefoot in soil.


Keywords: kids care, kids health, kids fever,

[minisoji]

Bedwetting

Bedwetting or nocturnal enuresis is involuntary passage of urine while the child is asleep at an age beyond which the sphincter control is normally developed. An occasional lapse by child should not cause concern. Bedwetting is of two types - Persistent (or primary) type and the Regressive type. In persistent type child has never been dry at night and in regressive type, the sphincter control is developed at normal age and child remains dry for several months after which child again starts wetting bed at night.

Prevalence of nocturnal enuresis at 5 yrs of age is 7% for males and 3% for females. At 10 yrs of age it is 3% for males and 2% for females and at 18 yr of age it is 1% for males and rarely present in females. There is a marked familial pattern.

Persistent Type

Persistent type of bed wetting is due to delay in maturation of neurological control of sphincters. Persistent type of nocturnal enuresis may also be due to inadequate or inappropriate toilet training. Parents who demand rapid toilet training may generate an angry response, the child unconsciously defy them by wetting the bed. But on the other hand parents who do not understand the timely need of toilet training may undermine childs effort to control the bladder.

One hypothesis also suggests that these children sleep deeply hence signal from distended bladder indicating the need to empty the bladder does not reach the conscious level of their brain during sleep.

Treatment for Persistent type of Nocturnal Enuresis

(a) Children should not be given liquids after dinner
(b) Child should void before going to sleep
(c) No punishment or humilation of child
(d) Reward therapy - Reward the child for being dry at night
(e) Conditional devices (alarm that rings when child wets the sheet) is reserved for persistent and refractory cases and is successful in more than 90% cases.
(f) Bladder stretching exercises
(g) Drug treatment is effective only briefly and there is exacerbation of symptoms once drug is discontinued.

Regressive type
This type of bedwetting is precipitated by stressful environmental events such as birth of a sibling, death in family, marital conflict and moving to a new home.

Treatment for Regressive type of Nocturnal Enuresis

This type of bedwetting is transitory. Prognosis is better and management is easier than persistent type.

In both types of bedwetting organic pathology is found only in small number of cases. Organic causes such, as anomalies of urinary tract, juvenile diabetes; nephropathies and neurologic illnesses should be excluded by physical examination and investigations.

Keywords: kids care, kids health, kids fever,