Kids Health Guide

Tummy aches are one of the most frequently complained about problems in children. There are many causes attributed with it, and it is a challenge for the parent or the physician to find out the exact problem.

Sometimes the pain requires immediate attention and can also be a case of emergency.

The causes can be related to food, infections, poisoning, insect bites, etc.
Bacteria and viruses are responsible in case of abdominal pain due to infections. Gastroenteritis and stomach flu are some of the examples of infections that can cause stomach aches. Gastroenteritis is the inflammation and irritation of stomach and the gastrointestinal passage.

Extra care must be taken by travelers, as the food and drinks can be contaminated at new locations and can lead to traveler's getting diarrhea. Stomach pain due to viral infections ward off quickly, but bacterial infections demand the intake of antibiotics.

In both cases, some children recover very fast by vomiting and excreting. In case of diarrhea, excess drinking fluids should be given to the kid to avoid dehydration.

Food related stomach aches can be caused because of food poisoning, gas production, excess food ingestion and food allergies. Problems because of food poisoning are temporary and can cause bloating.

Symptoms of food poisoning are vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and nausea. Usually these symptoms surface within two days of consumption of contaminated food. Depending on the severity chill, fever, bloody stools, or damage to the nervous system can follow. In case of a group of people who consumed the contaminated food, this situation is known as an outbreak.

Over two hundred diseases are known to be transmitted via food. Food can be poisoned because of toxic agents or infective agents. Infective agents are parasites, bacteria, and viruses.

Toxic agents are uncooked food, exotic foods, and poisonous mushrooms. Food can get contaminated because of handling by unclean workers at the local restaurant, too. Parents should check out the cleanliness and should visit a trusted restaurant.

Particular foods can cause the irritation, such as diary products can cause lactose intolerance. If this is the case, the child is allergic to certain food or drinks and swallowing even a small amount can cause vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, cramping, and skin rash. Since these items are harmless otherwise, such kind of allergic reactions are known as hypersensitivity reaction.

Sometimes the symptoms can be life threatening and are known as anaphylactic shock or anaphylaxis.

Poisoning can also be due to overdose of medicines and even due to eating non-food stuffs. Insect bites such as black widow spider bite can also lead to pain in the abdomen.

It can be accompanied with muscle cramps, weakness, nausea, tremor, vomiting and in severe case it can cause dizziness, faintness, respiratory problems, and chest pain. Also, the heart rate and blood pressure increases.

In very rare cases, abdominal pain can be due to appendicitis. This is a result of blockage and inflammation of tissues. Young kids have a higher rate if complications are considered and should be immediately rushed to the hospital.

The pain starts slowly in the abdomen, specifically near the belly button. The pain shifts slowly to the right side of the lower abdomen within a time period of over twenty four hours. Clear symptoms are abdominal pain, vomiting, nausea, fever and loss of appetite.

Diabetes can also be a reason of abdominal pain. Small children usually curl up, cry and express pain through facial expression. Some kids will be reluctant to talk, but the parent should try to get clear explanation of the problem.

Along with close monitoring of the symptoms, studying the location of pain, pain duration, nature of vomiting, and urinary problems will help. After that a pediatric should be consulted who can further refer to a gastroenterologist.

Until help is reached, the child should be made to relax. Often, lying with face in downward direction can relieve pain due to gas. In case of vomiting and diarrhea, fluids should be given constantly.

Common Cold is caused because of upper respiratory system infection due to cold virus. This infection affects parts such as ears, nose and throat. There are about two hundred known viruses which are responsible for common cold, out of which rhinovirus is the most common.

Because of this great number of viruses, there isn't any shot or vaccination available which helps in preventing cold. The best solution to the cold is human body immune system.

Majority of a child's visits to the doctor will be because of cold. According to an estimate, a child catches cold nearly eight times in a year and each time it last up to a week or so.

Cold viruses usually spread by sneeze or cough from the infected person. The wet and slimy substance inside the nose, called mucus, is the carrier of the virus. When a person cough or sneeze, the mucus drops come out of the mouth and when other persons breaths in these droplets they catch cold.

Cold can also spread by handling of contaminated stuffs like towel, door knobs, school desk, etc. If a person touches a contaminated towel and then touches his nose or eyes, there is a great chance of getting an infection. Therefore, it is a good habit to wash the hands regularly and keep them germ-free.

The cold viruses have docking points which helps it to stick to the interior of the nose. It then controls the nose's cell lining and begins to multiply into more viruses. White cells are responsible to fight these viruses inside the nose. They even kill them and finally get victory after seven days. Sneeze and runny nose actually prevent the viruses to affect the rest of the body parts.

A person sneezes when the nerves inside the nose detect irritation and take the help of the lungs to push them out by letting out a blast of air through the mouth and the nose. The air, while sneezing, comes out at the speed of hundred miles per hour faster than cars on the road.

Once the child contracts cold viruses, they take two to three days to develop and show symptoms. There are many symptoms of cold. The child becomes cranky. He will complain of headache, blocked nose, cough, sneeze, sore throat, muscle ache, nasal cavity congestion and will become exhausted. Low fever can also accompany, along with body chills.

Medicines do not speed up the process of healing as the viruses complete their cycle irrespective of the intake. But they do suppress further growth and make the child feel better.

Children shouldn't take any medicines on their own, thinking that it's just a cold. Parents should supervise the dosage and medicine being taken. And in turn, the parents should follow a doctor's prescription. Decongestants help to decrease the wise of the swollen nose lining, which makes breathing easier.

Antihistamines help to dry the mucus and stops sneezes and runny noses. Ibuprofen and acetaminophen can be given if the child is experiencing headache and muscle ache.

At home, parents should give hot food and drink to the child as they help to soothe soar throats and coughs. The heat also clears up the mucus. Chicken soup is an age old remedy for common cold. Steamy showers are another good option as they help with stuffy nose.

Itchy eyes, scratchy throat and stuffy throats can also be treated with humidifiers which spray cool and fine mist. They also loosen the mucus. The nose should be blown regularly to let the mucus out of the body. It is a good idea to use disposable tissues instead of regular handkerchiefs.

Complete bed rest for a day or two is greatly suggested.
The best precaution that can be taken is eating healthy food and balanced diet so as to strengthen the immune system. The child must exercise regularly in order to stay fir and sleep adequately.

Children who are stressed out more frequently are more prone to have cold. Therefore, it is good if the kid takes extra rest and goes to bed early on some days. And when the child is suffering from cold, he should relax and take bed rest as much as possible.

Sometimes abrasions, cuts and scratches result in dire consequences if they aren't taken care of at the right time. Children run around the house and drop vases and other glass material, which can result in scratches or cuts.

Outdoor activities should be supervised carefully, otherwise abrasions caused by a wall or a rock is unavoidable. There are slight differences among the three and most of the time children get them while playing.

Cuts are caused by sharp objects, which can penetrate into the skin or damage the skin on the surface. Scratches are mild form of cuts. They are also caused by sharp objects such as a piece of glass, thorn or a knife.

Even fingernails can cause a scar. Abrasion is caused by friction or rubbing of the skin with a rough surface. Rug burns and board burns are also examples of abrasion, because they are caused by friction.

Also, in all three cases, the wound can bleed. It bleeds when the tiny blood vessels located underneath the skin gets ruptured. Platelets form clot to stop the bleeding and a scab can also form, which should be pulled out as that will interfere with the healing process of the body.

If the bleeding isn't stopping, the wound should be covered with a soft cloth. After that the wound should be cleaned using lukewarm water and mild soap. Antibacterial ointment should be used to clean the wound and it should be covered with a bandage.

The antibacterial ointment helps kill germs. The bandage will prevent bacteria from getting within and prevent the wound from getting bothersome. But the bandage should be changed everyday and the wound should be kept dry.

The good thing is that abrasion, cuts and scratches don't require any special attention in most cases. But if the scratch is made by animal claws or abrasion is caused by a rusty metallic surface, a doctor should be approached immediately, because the animal could have rabies and the rust can cause septic.

Depending on the situation, the doctor would prescribe antibiotics, lotion or even shots. It is also a good idea that parents make sure that their kid is given tetanus shot on a regular basis. Sometimes, the wound won't be caused in dangerous circumstances, but because of negligence, the wound will get infected by bacteria.

If it the wound is infected, it will show symptoms such as redness, swollen skin, and production of puss which can be of the color yellow or either green.

Cuts can sometimes be too deep and even long. In such cases, stitches should be certainly opted for. It is a very simple procedure. The area of the wound is made numb using some kind of anesthesia.

It can either be injected or simply applied directly. Then the doctor will sew the cut edges together using certain needle and thread. If the cut isn't big enough, the cut is sealed using a special kind of glue, instead of the stitches.

The glue will hold the edges together so that the skin underneath will heal and over a period of time, the glue will dissolve. Kids need to check with the doctor every week, so that the doctor will be able to analyze the improvement. And when the wound is completely healed, the stitches are cut open using scissors and then the threads are pulled off gently.

In majority of the cases, the wound doesn't leave behind a scar. This totally depends on the method and effectiveness of the treatment.

1. Learn to enjoy eating healthy yourself.

Training yourself to like eating healthy will also give you the confidence to guide your children on the same path. Example is, hands down, the best teacher.

2. Curb their taste for processed sugars.

Sugar keeps your kids on an emotional roller coaster, causes disagreeable behavior and continually sets off cravings for more and more sugar. Never offer sweets as a reward or bribe.

3. Teach them to like pure water.

Children need liquids, but they don't need calorie laden, high sugar colas and juices. Clear water leaves room for good food.

4. Substitute whole grains for the processed ones.

Whole grain breads (especially sprouted ones), brown rice and whole wheat pastas should be your grains of choice. You may have to start with half and half and keep adding more of the good stuff until you eventually reach 100% whole grains.

5. Eliminate random snacking.

If your kids are full when they get to the table, they won't want the good foods you fix. Make sure they're hungry enough to eat what's put in front of them.

6. Help them learn to like nutritious fruits and vegetables.

Carrots and apples only taste sweet to children who don't eat a lot of sugar. Serve vegetables when children are hungry and fresh fruit for dessert.

7. Offer only good healthy choices.

Don't give them anything but nutritious foods.

If their only choice is a tuna sandwich or natural peanut butter and unsweetened apple butter on whole grain bread, they'll eventually choose one of your healthy offerings.

Besides the differences in the amount of herbs used for making children's remedies, we need to consider taste, since the most wonderful of remedies do no good at all if they are met by a tightly closed mouth!

You can often make a remedy taste good by extracting the herbs into glycerine and blending in pleasant-tasting herbs such as fennel, peppermint, lemon balm, and licorice.

Honeyed syrups are also pleasant tasting, but are not appropriate for children under the age of one year.

Select the appropriate herbs and follow the suggested dosages for children

~ Glycerine-Based Tinctures ~

Properly made glycerine tinctures are plenty strong enough for children. Because of the sweet taste, kids will find them better tasting, and be more likely to take them.

Follow the instructions for making herbal tinctures and add in some pleasant tasting herbs. Fennel, peppermint, anise, lemon balm and cinnamon are all good choices for children.

~ Herbal Syrups ~

You can make your own herbal syrups by decocting the appropriate herbs and adding honey or glycerine.

Syrups are a good way to go when you're using herbs that are not pallatable as a tea and you don't have time to wait for a tincture.

~ Add 2 ounces of herbs of your choice to 1 quart of cold water.

~Simmer mixture over low heat until it is reduced down to 1 pint of liquid. At this point you will have a dark, thick tea.

~Strain out the herbs and return the liquid to the pot.

~Add 1 1/4 cup honey, maple syrup, or vegetable glycerine and warm them together just until blended.

~Pour into bottles, cap tightly, and label each bottle. Keep refrigerated.

~ Herb Pops ~

These are too cold to give to children suffering from cold imbalances like earaches, colds, or flus.

But if you are trying to boost immunity and prevent infection in a healthy child these are a fun effective way to go.

~Prepare a strong infusion with the herbs of your choice.

~Mix with equal parts of fruit juice. Apple or grape juice work well.

~Pour into ice pop trays and freeze.

*note from editor: Each summer we pick all the blackberries and blueberries our freezer can hold. I put the frozen berries through our juicer and use the juice for herbal pops that are extra rich in vitamin c and antioxidants.

~ Herbal Baths ~

Since the skin is our largest elimination and assimilation organ, herbal baths are a wonderful way for children to receive the healing properties of herbs.

Some suggest tying herbs in a bag and letting the bathwater run through it. But for a truly therapeutic bath experience make a strong herbal infusion, strain it and add the liquid to warm bath water.

Of course you can also add several drops of essential oil to bathwater, just be sure it's blended well and use herbs like lavender or rose.

You wouldn't want strong herbs like eucalyptus getting in little eyes or mouths.

*Tips For Getting Children to Take a Remedy Teas & Infusions

~ Stir a little honey into warm or cold tea

~ Mix the herbal tea with a little apple juice
Tinctures

~ Dilute tinctures in fruit juice or your child's favorite drink

~ Try glycerine-based tincture flavored with fennel

A typical childhood disease in children, chicken pox is very notorious for being contagious. A kid infected with chickenpox virus will develop numerous itchy blisters which are filled with fluid. These blisters burst later, which lead to crusts formation.

Children get approximately five hundred such blisters which grow over a red skin spot. They show up on the face first and then spread to the trunk, scalp and the rest of the body. After a day of appearance, the fluid filled blisters become cloudy and later on, scabby.

The itchiness caused due to chicken pox is really intense and irritating. And the crust, if not treated, can leave marks for life.

Within forty eight hours of getting infected, the symptoms begin to surface. It is only after ten to twenty days after contamination, that the pox appears. Symptoms include fever, abdominal pain, headache, loss of appetite and finally the pox rash.

The condition can be confirmed by testing the pox blisters and by even taking blood test. The medical history of the child can be helpful in determining the severity of the condition.

The virus blameworthy for infecting a person with chicken pox is varicella-zoster or simply, varicella. The virus spreads through airborne transmission, droplet transmission and direct contact.

Not only the infected carry these viruses and should be avoided, also people or kids who have taken the vaccination recently should also be avoided. Since the invention of chicken pox vaccine, there has been a decline in the chicken pox cases.

Children who are under the age of ten should be highly prepared as they are more prone to getting infected by this virus. But on the contrary, when older children or adults catch chicken pox, they become sicker when compared to young kids.

A child or a person who has been infected by chicken pox virus becomes host to the virus for lifetime. But the number is kept under control by the body's immune system. Infants, sometimes, get partial immunity from the blood of their mother, if the mother was already infected by chicken pox.

Kids of mothers, who haven't been infected by chicken pox, tend to get severe chickenpox. Children who have been administered with chicken pox vaccination get mild chicken pox.

Skin condition of children with skin problems like eczema or sunburn can worsen. Such kids can be getting above one thousand and five hundred poxes. Children who have taken steroids can also face bad situation.

Along with the application of the prescribed lotion and intake of oral medication containing antihistamine, the itchiness can be eased by bathing the child in lukewarm water and oatmeal.

The antiviral medications should be started within the first day itself. Other people living in the same household as of the patient should also take antiviral medicines recommended by a doctor. It is a must for everyone to take chicken pox vaccination as a part of immunization routine schedule.

There is a hundred percent chance of not developing moderate to severe chickenpox and nearly ninety percent chance of not developing mild chicken pox. Chicken pox vaccine is the only vaccine which doesn't demand a booster.

But a higher dose can be given to adolescents so as to avoid shingles or herpes zoster. But a doctor should be consulted before opting for the higher dose.