Common childhood illnesses: causes, complications, and management

¶ … diseases in the world are suffered by all children. Babies and adults alike have to endure them at some or other point of their life. Furthermore, those whose immune systems are poor or weak have a greater tendency to contract diseases such as the common cold, infant diaper rash, earaches, stomach aches and diarrhea (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2015)

Common cold

The common cold shows the following symptoms: a sore throat, runny nose, headache, and watery eyes. Up till now, no precise medication exists to 'cure' the common cold. Normally, this viral illness wanes by itself after a period of 5-6 days. However, in the event that symptoms continue for an unusually long time, the patient must stay alert, as severe cases of common cold may result in pneumonia, sinusitis, ear infection, asthma attack, and bronchitis (Justadd, 2015). A study indicates that several individuals suffer each winter from sinusitis, impacting both their professional and personal lives.

Diaper rash in infants

Diaper rash denotes red, scaly patches occurring on an infant's bottom. Its primary cause is wet or dirty diapers, unchanged for long periods (Lawton, 2013). The grubby diaper provides bacteria, fungi, and yeast with adequate conditions to grow, thereby causing a rash. Typically, babies suffer these rashes at 9-12 months of age (Benaroch, 2015).

Diarrhea in young children

Diarrhea refers, in actuality, to a means of ridding the body of germs via loose stools. The urge to visit the toilet numerous times causes much water loss from one's body, and may lead to serious problems. Diarrhea may last for a period of 10-15 days (Healthwise, 2014).

Earaches

Earaches refer to extremely sharp pains occurring in any one, or in both, ears, and are more common in young children than in adults. Earaches may follow a pattern- they may recur after some intervals of time or may be steady and continuous (NHS Professional Team, 2014).

Stomachaches in children

Just like earaches, sharp pains occurring in the stomach are denoted as stomach aches, with children having a greater tendency than adults to contract the problem. Stomach aches may occur because of several abdominal infections or other stomach issues (Ferry, 2015). Stomach pains take the form of intolerable cramps.

Common causes

Viruses are the key causes of diarrhea and common cold, while diaper rash arises from wet and dirty diapers (bacteria, fungi, or yeast grow on diapers unchanged for long durations). Diarrhea is also caused by bacteria, while stomach aches and earaches in little children spring from diarrhea and cold, respectively. Earaches may also arise from ear infections, occurring because of fluid deposits in one's ear, for long (ADAM, 2015). Gastroenteritis (stomach inflammation or an aftereffect of food poisoning) may be a causal factor of diarrhea. This could also lead to stomach aches. Additionally, like diarrhea and common cold, stomach aches can also result from bacterial and viral infections. Moreover, other possible causes of stomach aches include irritable bowel syndrome, indigestion, appendicitis, celiac disease, and infections in the urinary tract (Swierzewski, 2008). These ailments leave children in plenty of discomfort, bringing with them diarrhea or constipation.

Common cold

No specific drug is available for fighting the common cold. Medications available in pharmacies aim at making the individual or child feel better from inconveniences arising from cough, runny nose, watery eyes, and sore throat. One must take necessary precautions to recover as soon as possible. Alcoholic and caffeinated drinks should be avoided. An over-dose of syrups for common cold (particularly those with alcohol as a constituent) should be avoided. Adequate rest is the best means to speedy recovery. Furthermore, sore throats can be relieved through gargling using salt-water (1 cup warm water with half a teaspoon of salt) (Doerr, 2015).

Diaper rash in infants

Precautionary measures must be taken for diaper rashes. Rash areas must be kept dry and contact with urine and stool must be avoided. The area must be washed using warm water and dried with very soft cotton cloths (MedBroadcastClinicalTeam, 2015). Additionally, until the rashes completely disappear, diapers mustn't be used. Ointments prescribed by the doctor should be applied to the affected area.

Diarrhea in young children

Diarrhea basically leads to essential fluid loss from one's body. Breast milk contains a large quantity of antibodies, thus, if possible, infants should be given extra breast milk to treat the condition. Also, use of ORS (Oral Rehydration Solution) may help, to some degree, in regaining these lost fluids (Murphy et al., 2009). One must also consult a physician to acquire extra sodium, potassium and nutrient supplements to compensate their loss because of diarrhea.

Ear aches

Ear infections are the primary cause of earaches in children, following a bout of cold or flu. Therefore, in early childhood, one must take precautions against flu / cold. Children shouldn't poke their ears with objects like ear buds. Breast milk (containing adequate antibodies) may help reduce earaches. Further, babies must be kept at the right angle while breastfeeding, as a wrong position (e.g., if the infant is placed completely horizontally) may cause milk to go into the baby's ear tubes (Hoi, 2010).

Stomach aches in children

Stomach aches have multiple causes; managing a stomach ache depends upon its key cause. Antibiotics and medicines suited to the disease may be injected or administered orally. In case of hernia or appendicitis, surgery will be recommended. If stomach issues arise from a certain variety of food, the child's eating habits will be changed for curing him/her of the condition (Alan & Lake, 1999).