Older Child Has Strep Throat Baby at Home

Equally a parent, information technology's hard to know if your child'south coughing or sore throat is due to the mutual cold, a symptom of seasonal allergies or a warning sign of something more than serious. To aid parents decipher between ailments, Reshma Khatri, Doctor, PPG – Pediatrics, offered a quick guide to some mutual pediatric illnesses, including their symptoms, risks and ways to place what has your piddling one under the weather condition.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a common and very contagious viral infection that affects the respiratory tract, upper airways and lungs. While RSV can bear on anyone at any age, it is nigh common in children younger than 5, with babies beingness most at risk for serious complications peculiarly if premature or born with eye or lung illness.

How can RSV exist contracted?

RSV spreads through the air when the patient coughs or sneezes and through directly contact like touching the face of a child with RSV.

What are the symptoms of an RSV infection?

RSV can cause common cold-like symptoms, including a coughing with mucus and nasal congestion, but likewise present with the following:

• Wheezing (heard on an test by a physician)
• Difficulty breathing (pulling in ribs) or apnea
• Refusal to breastfeed or bottle-feed due to the in a higher place
• Signs of dehydration: a lack of tears when crying, little to no urine output and cool dry skin

What should parents do if their kid has RSV?

If your child is younger than vi months old and experiencing any of these symptoms, take them to come across a pediatrician or primary care provider. If you notice your baby is lethargic or breathing rapidly, call 911 or take them to the ER immediately.

How is RSV treated?

There is no medication to treat the virus, but nearly babies and young children with an RSV infection benefit from treating the symptoms: nasal suctioning, saline drops, cool-mist humidifier, fluids throughout the day and fever reducers with the guidance of your pediatrician. In more serious cases, babies at loftier take chances may need to be admitted and treated in the hospital.

How long does RSV last?

An RSV infection can vary. On average, parents can expect the infection to last roughly 2-three weeks with the possibility of a cough persisting until 5 weeks.

What can parents or caregivers do to prevent infection or the spread of RSV?

To forestall the spread of RSV:

• Clean and disinfect hard surfaces
• Wash easily often
• Avoid kissing your baby if you have a cold
• Limit exposure to anyone with a cold
• Avoid crowds during height RSV season
• Don't smoke around the baby

Pertussis (Whooping Cough)

Pertussis or whooping cough is a common, only highly contagious respiratory illness acquired by a type of bacteria called Bordetella pertussis. When the leaner gets into the airways, information technology attaches to the lining of the lungs where information technology causes swelling and inflammation leading to the distinctive dry, prolonged coughing accompanied by cold-like symptoms. While whooping cough can touch on anyone at whatsoever age, it'due south most dangerous to babies younger than 6 months old because their immune systems are so immature and young children who are non vaccinated.

How can whooping cough be contracted?

When a person with pertussis sneezes, laughs or coughs, the minor aerosol that comprise the leaner stay in the air as respiratory droplets that can make you sick when yous exhale them in. Therefore, anyone with whooping cough should article of clothing a mask so every bit not to spread the illness and infect others.

What are the symptoms of whooping coughing?

In babies, the signs of whooping cough could present as a mild cold with symptoms including:

• Coughing (prolonged duration with decreased feeding)
• Sneezing
• Runny nose
• Low fever
• Fatigue
• Watery eyes

Information technology's also possible that some infants may not make the "whooping" sound after a cough spell, merely instead, gasp for air while trying to catch their breath.

An older child, on the other hand, could have whooping coughing and non fifty-fifty know it, but because it can present like the common common cold. Still, if afterwards 2 weeks your child even so has a cough specially one that causes vomiting or ends with a "whooping" sound as they attempt to breathe in air volition need to exist seen by a pediatrician.

What should parents exercise if their child has whooping cough?

If yous call back your child might have pertussis, see your pediatrician or master care provider correct away. If your child is diagnosed with during an exam, you can expect to start handling immediately to decrease the duration of symptoms and possible spread to others.

Babies and children under the age of 18 months with whooping cough must be monitored closely because they are at take chances for apnea or may terminate breathing during a coughing spell. Young babies with astringent cases may demand to be hospitalized.

How is whooping cough treated?

Whooping coughing is treated with antibiotics for v days. Older children should not attend schoolhouse until they've completed handling. Subsequently the antibiotic treatment, they are no longer contagious, just your child could nevertheless accept a persistent cough for several weeks post-obit. Young infants, however, might need to be admitted to the hospital if they have trouble breathing or feeding.

How long does whooping coughing terminal?

Pertussis may last 3 to 6 weeks with a persistent cough.

What tin can parents or caregivers do to prevent infection or the spread of pertussis?

The best prevention from whooping cough is by way of vaccines like DTaP and Tdap. These vaccinations can help avert the disease in children and adults. If diagnosed, the best mode to prevent the disease from spreading is to wear a mask and avert school or work for 5 days, until treatment with antibiotics is complete.

Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD)

Hand, Foot and Oral cavity Disease (HFMD) is a mild, only contagious viral infection. It is most common in infants and young children and characterized by painful sores or ulcers in the mouth and a rash on the easily and feet.

How can HFMD exist contracted?

The virus can be plant in an infected person's oral and fecal secretions including:

• Olfactory organ and throat (saliva, drool and nasal fungus)
• Blister fluid from the rash
• Feces or stool

The transmission or spread of the virus can occur when in close contact with someone infected by the virus. Shut contact includes hugging or inhaling respiratory droplets sprayed into the air afterward a cough or sneeze. HFMD can also exist contracted if in that location is contact with feces when changing a diaper or touching contaminated objects and surfaces such as doorknobs or toys, then touching your eyes, nose or mouth before washing your hands.

What are the symptoms of HFMD?

If your child is suffering from HFMD they could experience some of the following symptoms:

• Fever
• Sore pharynx
• Painful blisters in the oral fissure
• Red rash on the hands and feet, sometimes on the buttocks, upper thighs and face
• Loss of appetite

What should parents do if their child has HFMD?

If you are concerned that your child may accept HFMD, you lot should contact your pediatrician or main healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment specific to your child'south needs.

How is HFMD treated?

There is no vaccine or specific handling for HFMD, only you can relieve the symptoms by taking medications such equally acetaminophen or ibuprofen to relieve hurting and fever. The important affair for infants and children is to ensure they are drinking enough liquids to foreclose aridity.

How long does HFMD final?

Commonly, the disease lasts from 5 – 7 days, but the virus tin can yet be active for up to 4 – six weeks in fecal matter, which is why it imperative to exist consistent with proper paw-washing.

What tin parents or caregivers practise to forestall infection or the spread of HFMD?

There are several standard precautions to take to prevent and lower your risk of infection, including washing hands oftentimes, disinfecting touched or soiled items and avoiding close contact such as kissing or hugging someone with HFMD.

Streptococcal Pharyngitis (Strep)

Streptococcal Pharyngitis or strep is a bacterial infection that causes inflammation and pain in the pharynx. Strep is near common in children and adolescents, roughly ages 5 – fifteen.

How tin strep be contracted?

Strep is easily spread to others and most ordinarily contracted through shut contact including inhaling infected respiratory droplets that accept been coughed or sneezed into the air, drinking or eating from the same glass, plate or utensils every bit an infected person.

What are the symptoms of strep?

The most mutual symptoms of strep throat include:

• Fever
• Headache
• Tum hurting or nausea
• A sore pharynx that can come on speedily
• Pain when swallowing
• Swollen tonsils and sometimes white patches
• Swollen lymph nodes

What should parents do if their child has strep?

If y'all suspect your child has strep it is recommended that you come across your primary intendance provider to go treatment. After 24 hours of treatment, the child is no longer contagious and can become back to school.

How is strep treated?

Antibiotics are commonly prescribed for strep throat and tin usually be taken orally or past mode of an injection.

How long does strep last?

Strep unremarkably resolves inside 3 – 5 days with antibiotics. The main reason to seek treatment for strep is to forbid complications including rheumatic fever which affects the middle and possible abscess formations in the tonsils themselves.

What can parents or caregivers do to prevent infection or the spread of strep?

Adept hygiene is the foundation for preventing strep along with frequent hand-washing, irresolute toothbrushes and covering the nose or rima oris when coughing and sneezing.

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Source: https://www.parkview.com/community/dashboard/common-pediatric-illnesses-what-parents-need-to-know

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