Being a parent is filled with moments of joy, but also moments of worry too – whether it’s about our children’s developmental milestones, their physical health or their general happiness. Unfortunately much of this worry comes rushing to the surface when our child gets sick. We look at the 5 illness symptoms that you shouldn’t ignore in your kids…
If you belong to a medical aid, you may be able to access medical advice if your child is ill, before you decide whether or not you need to see a GP or paediatrician or go to the emergency room. For example, Fedhealth members with children under three years old can access the Pead-IQ BabyLine, a South African medical information company that provides medical information and services to parents and caregivers with children up to 14 years old.
Although childhood illnesses are part of growing up, it can be very helpful as a parent to know the difference between symptoms that can be treatable at home, and those that are more serious. With that in mind, here are five illness symptoms you shouldn’t ignore in your child, but should rather seek medical help for as soon as you can:
Breathing issues
Since we can only live without oxygen for mere minutes, this is definitely a symptom to pay close attention to. Difficulty in breathing in children could be due to several things such as pneumonia, chest infections or an asthma attack. In general, an infection is typically accompanied by a fever, while asthma is not.
If your child has sudden breathlessness, this could mean that something is blocking their airway and they are choking. If they’re very young, it may be very hard to discern this. In general, always seek urgent medical advice if there are issues with your child’s breathing – especially if it comes on quickly.
Hearing loss
There are two types of hearing loss in children: congenital hearing loss, which is present at birth, and acquired hearing loss which develops later. In general, congenital hearing loss is usually caused by genetic factors or infections in either the mother or baby during pregnancy. Acquired hearing loss is usually the result of diseases that occur in childhood, such as recurring ear infections.
Hearing loss can be either sensorineural, where it affects the inner ear or auditory nerve, or conductive, where sound is unable to move through the ear – whether due to a fluid build-up, wax or another object lodged in the ear, or a punctured eardrum. In many cases, especially with conductive hearing loss, the condition can be treated with medicine or surgery.
Headaches
Like hearing loss, headaches can happen on their own or together with other symptoms. In very rare cases, a headache can signal a very serious problem like a brain tumour, but in most cases the underlying causes are treatable, whether it’s an illness like sinusitis, emotional factors like stress and anxiety, minor bumps or bruises to the head or even allergies to certain foods.
However, if your child develops a severe headache out of the blue, it gets worse over time, or it was accompanied by an event like a head fall and/or concussion, you should seek immediate help. This is especially true if your child is experiencing other symptoms such as visual problems, dizziness, a lack of mobility or a sore neck.
A spreading rash
Rashes are very common in childhood, and are most often caused by viral infections. In many cases, the rash will go away on its own and causes only mild irritation for a short period of time. Rashes have many different appearances, so it’s useful to know which signs are of a more serious rash and which are generally milder. For example, measles and chicken pox have distinct rashes and are highly contagious, so you should seek medical help if you suspect these illnesses – especially if they’re accompanied by a fever.
In other cases, a rash that doesn’t turn white when you press on it (known as a non-blanching rash) along with symptoms such as a fever, headache, stiff neck or back pain could signify a more serious illness such as meningitis or even sepsis.
Stiff neck
A stiff neck in active children is often caused by muscle strain during sports or play activities. They can also be the result of a physical trauma such as a fall or a car accident, or as a result of sleeping or sitting in odd positions for long periods of time.
If your child’s stiff neck has no obvious mechanical cause and is accompanied by fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, a rash, swollen lymph nodes and/or muscle or joint pain, this could signify a more serious illness such as meningitis or tick bite fever. In these cases, it’s crucial to seek help as soon as possible to avoid more severe complications.
While there is a balance in terms of unnecessary (and sometimes costly) doctor consultations and outright panic, if you’re worried, it’s always better to ask for help sooner rather than later. Above all, it’s important to trust your instinct as a parent: if something feels serious, don’t ignore your gut. Children are extremely resilient and usually bounce back quickly from illness, but knowing which symptoms to take action on quickly can go a long way in alleviating anxiety.
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Photo by Sarah Chai
