You’re on your feet as soon as you hear your baby sneeze, examining them and their toys from head to toe to catch the culprit behind the sneeze. It might sound a bit funny right now, but you know it’s true.

That’s how many parents react when their children fall ill—it’s a natural reaction. Nobody wants to see their child in pain.

But children do tend to fall sick frequently, owing to their young and developing immune systems. This is why routine well-child visits are important for a growing baby. But don’t panic if your baby falls sick and visit your primary care physician.

Let’s check out a few of the most common childhood illnesses that you need to be aware of:

The Flu

The influenza virus causes the flu, and it’s extremely common in young children. Environmental factors like cold and rainy weather, consuming cold and/or fried food, allergies, etc., also may contribute to the flu attack.

Your child may have a slight fever, a runny nose, and a mild cough. Consult your pediatrician to know if you need to take any medications or wait for the condition to resolve on its own.

However, you can still feed your baby the chicken noodle soup you made with so much love for them!

Chickenpox

Nobody can forget the time they had chickenpox! And it’s true because the itching and the rashes seem unbearable when we’re kids.

Chickenpox is a common and often mild disease occurring in young children. It’s caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV) and usually lasts four to seven days. While a fever may run, the classic signs are the rashes appearing first on the chest, the neck, and back, and then all over the body.

Small blisters form, which are often fluid-filled. You’re advised to not let your child scratch at them as they leave scabs. Children who have been vaccinated against chickenpox may experience a very mild form of the illness, while the unvaccinated ones may experience a stronger attack.

 Mumps

Swelling of the salivary glands (glands inside our throats responsible for generating the saliva in our mouth) after viral infection is very common in children. The illness starts with typical flu-like symptoms and then progresses into painful swelling.

If left untreated, it can lead to more serious problems like meningitis (inflammation of the brain’s layers) and can be fatal.

Ear Infections

Young children are more prone to ear infections than adults. Ears are tricky parts of the body and need extreme care to be cleaned, which is often why infections occur. Maintaining the good hygiene of your kids is one way to combat ear infections.

Take care while cleaning your child’s ear and also when you’re teaching your child. The eardrum (a thin membrane in the deep ear that helps transmit sound) is very delicate and may rupture if extra force is used.

Your child’s pediatrician may recommend some ear drops to help relieve the itching and the blockage. However, do not use any medication for children without a proper prescription.

Pink Eye

Pink eye can be both viral and bacterial. If your child has pink eye, it’s best to consult your pediatrician to determine if it’s viral or bacterial and start adequate treatment.

Both forms of the disease usually clear away within ten days, but your doctor may prescribe you a course of antibiotics if it’s bacterial.

Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD)

This is very common in small children below the age of five. Symptoms of flu and general crankiness develop at first. Later, sores on the mouth and rashes may appear on the soles of your baby’s feet and palms of their hands. This may cause your baby to drool more than usual and have trouble eating food.

Make sure you keep your baby clean and keep them from touching their feet or mouth. The rashes and sores may itch, but you mustn’t let your baby scratch at them because they leave scabs.

Strep Throat Disease

Caused by a common bacteria known as Streptococcus, “strep” usually comes with a fever and a sore throat, lasting for a few days. Your pediatrician may examine your child and find white spots on the child’s tonsils (glands inside the throat).

There may be pus-like discharge as well. Make sure to follow the doctor’s advice on medications and any home remedies they suggest, such as doing salt-water gargles.

At A Thru Z Pediatrics, we understand you want to protect your child from diseases at all costs, and we want to help you with that. Our newborn pediatricians provide regular immunizations that help to protect your little ones against seasonal illnesses. We also provide well-child visits Stone Oak and testing for ADHD to the people living in San Antonio, as well as the areas of Live Oak, Cibolo, and Schertz. We operate out of two different locations of Stone Oak and Medical Center.

Book an appointment with us today.