What Every Parent Should Know About Childhood Diseases

I had most of the childhood diseases when I was growing up. As a matter of fact my parents thought I was pretty sickly. I had the chickenpox and the German measles. I came down with the flu several times and I had bad allergies to pollen, mold, and animal dander.

That meant taking spoonfuls of awful tasting cough syrup every day and having at least one coughing and sneezing fit in the morning. It also meant that I couldn't have a dog when I was growing up.

I remember that getting sick when I was a child felt differently than coming down with something as an adult. It's hard to explain why, but the extra attention was nice and everything just seemed to look and feel different.

Maybe it was the fever. I had a fever once that was so high they had to put me in a cooling bath to bring it down. One time, when I had the flu, I remember staring at a crack in the ceiling until it looked like it was starting to move around. It wasn't scary, it was fascinating.

Back then the doctor made house calls. If you thought that something was wrong with your child you just called the doc. and he was usually there the same day. Now it's a little harder. Sometimes it takes weeks to get in to see the doctor. You can always go to the emergency room, but here are some helpful tips that might help you determine whether your kid is just suffering from the sniffles or there is something wrong that might be serious.

According to WebMD:

RSV can be more serious in children than in adults. RSV stands for respiratory syncytial virus. It is responsible for a lot of cases of bronchitis in this country, especially among children. The disease begins like the flu with sneezing, a runny nose, and a cough. Wheezing may follow. If your child starts wheezing it's best to take him to the doctor to get checked out.

Ear infections are common among young children. Germs can get into the middle ear causing fluid to accumulate. Symptoms include being cranky, fever, and tugging at the ears. Surgery may be needed to help drain the fluid out of the ear.

Croup: If your child starts sounding like a barking seal then it's probably time to take him to the doctor. Croup occurs most often in children under 5 and they usually recover in about a week. But if the child has a lot of trouble breathing then you should take him to the ER immediately.

Pinkeye, or conjunctivitis, is usually caused by the same type of virus that causes the common cold. You child can get it wherever there are other children, like at school or the day care. The symptoms include itchiness and redness in the eye. Ointment will usually clear it up in a matter of days.

There is now a vaccine for chickenpox and you should have your child get it. Not only will it prevent that horribly itchy rash, but also prevent a very painful condition in older adults called shingles.

Meningitis is an infection of the tissue around the brain. There are two causes: bacteria and viruses. The viral kind is usually pretty mild and may cause headache and neck stiffness. The bacterial kind can be severe and life threatening. There are some vaccines for the bacterial type.

Childhood diseases used to claim a lot of lives, but now there are vaccines for most of them. Some people don't get their child vaccinated because they think they may have dangerous side effects. Most vaccine side effects are very rare, especially the serious ones. Giving your child something for a cold, or an aspirin can be just as risky, but most parents don't hesitate. It's still a good idea to get the vaccines.

Source: http://www.webmd.com/parenting/slideshow-childhood-illnesses-parents-should-know