Treating Common Childhood Illnesses and Treatment

Posted on February 19, 2009
Filed Under Child Birth |

Any illness in a child is different from, and more serious than, the same illness in an adult because the immune system is not fully developed. Getting familiar with the advice in these pages will help you take prompt action if your child feels sick.

EARS

Ear infections are common in children because their eustachian tubes (the tubes that connect the middle ear to the throat) are short; thus, any throat infection can ascend quickly to the middle ear.

MIDDLE EAR INFECTION

Otitis media, or infection of the middle ear, is quite common in children and is associated with recurrent tonsillitis. In fact, one of the main reasons for removing tonsils (and adenoids) is chronic middle ear infections. Infections are caused by bacteria entering the middle ear from the nose and the throat via the eustachian tube. If middle ear infections are left untreated, they can result in permanent hearing loss. Recurrent middle ear infections are often linked with middle ear effusion.

Symptoms The most prominent symptoms are severe earache and loss of appetite. Your child may also have a fever or a discharge from the ear, and there may be some hearing loss. A toddler with a middle ear infection may be distressed and pull and rub the affected ear, which will be very red; in fact the whole side of his face may be inflamed.

Treatment The usual treatment is a course of antibiotics and pain-relieving medication. At home you should keep your child comfortable and cool and give lots of drinks as well as his medicines. An ear, nose, and throat specialist should treat repeated middle ear infections to avoid middle ear effusion. An operation to remove the tonsils may be recommended.

MIDDLE EAR EFFUSION

If your child has repeated infections of the middle ear or throat, or tonsillitis, the middle ear can gradually fill with jellylike fluid. Because the fluid cannot drain away through the eustachian tube, it becomes gluelike and impairs hearing because the sounds are not being transmitted across the middle ear to the inner ear, where they are actually heard. It’s important to deal with this condition promptly or your child could be slow to speak and learn.

Symptoms Middle ear effusion usually causes no pain, but partial hearing loss and a feeling of fullness deep in the ear may occur. A child with chronic middle ear effusion may sleep with his mouth open, snore, and speak with a nasal twang. If this condition is not treated it can cause permanent deafness, resulting in speech and learning problems.

Treatment After examining your child’s ear with an otoscope, a doctor may prescribe antibiotics to clear the infection and vasoconstrictor drugs to allow the fluid to drain. In severe or recurring cases of middle ear effusion, a minor operation may be necessary to insert a tiny plastic tube that drains the mucus through the eardrum, which quickly heals after a few days. The tubes quite often drop out of their own accord and rarely have to be reinserted, since all the fluid has drained.

A child who has tubes inserted should take precautions to avoid letting water into the ears, and should swim only if he is wearing snug-fitting earplugs.

THROAT

Throat infections such as tonsillitis and adenitis are rare in babies under one year. ‘They are more common in children who have just started school and are being exposed to a new range of bacteria.

SORE THROAT

An uncomfortable or painful throat is usually due to infection by a bacterium such as streptococcus, or a virus such as the cold or flu viruses.

Symptoms Your child may tell you that he has a sore throat, or you may notice that he finds it hard to swallow. Depress his tongue with a spoon handle and tell him to say “aaahhh” so that you can look down his throat for signs of inflammation or enlarged red tonsils.

Treatment Give lots of drinks, and puree your child’s food if he finds it difficult to swallow. Your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic if there is a bacterial infection or tonsillitis.

TONSILLITIS AND SWOLLEN ADENOIDS

The tonsils, situated on both sides of the back of the throat, prevent bacteria that invade the throat from entering the body by trapping and killing them. This can sometimes result in the tonsils themselves becoming swollen and infected. The adenoids, which are situated at the back of the nose, are nearly always affected at the same tIme.

Symptoms Your child will complain of a sore throat and may find swallowing difficult. On examination, the tonsils appear red and enlarged, possibly with yellow and white patches. He may have an elevated temperature, the glands in his neck may be swollen, and his breath might smell. If the adenoids are swollen, too, his speech may sound nasal.

Treatment Consult your doctor, who may take a throat swab and examine your child’s ears and glands. Bacterial tonsillitis is treated with appropriate antibiotics. Removal of the tonsils is considered after many severe recurrent attacks, or if the ears are badly affected too


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