Children’s immune systems are still maturing, so they’re more susceptible to certain diseases, or severe cases of those diseases. Indeed, millions of children will experience at least one seasonal illness every year. Knowing what to do if your child catches one of these illnesses could make a difference in their recovery. Below, we’ve got some tips for how you can treat common childhood illnesses your children could get.

1.Earache

Earaches in children can be caused by ear or sinus infections, trapped water, or severe tooth pain. It can be hard to identify the cause of ear pain, but a medical professional can help by examining the ears up close. If your child with an earache also has a fever, it’s likely a bacterial infection.

Bacterial infections require an antibiotic, generally amoxicillin. Viral infections causing ear aches usually need to be waited out. Manage pain under your doctor’s recommendation.

2.Skin Infection

Skin infections are usually the result of bacteria and can show up as boils, abscesses, or oozing, among other symptoms. How the infection presents depends on the type of infection present. A culture swab is generally needed before your doctor can prescribe medication.

3.Urinary Tract Infection

Urinary tract infections, or bladder infections, are caused by bacteria. They are common in children and teens but can sometimes be misidentified as simple bedwetting or small bladder. If there is pain or a burning sensation during urination, abdominal pain, or frequent urination, there might be a UTI.

A urine sample will help your doctor figure out which antibiotic will treat the infection best.

4.Sore Throat

Sore throats in children are a common health issue. There are two primary causes: viruses and bacteria.  Sore throats caused by bacteria are more common in older kids, though toddlers and infants can become infected if they have an older sibling that has it or if they spend a lot of time in daycare with other young children.

For bacterial infections like strep throat, you’ll need an antibiotic from an urgent care center or your doctor. If the sore throat is caused by a virus, you’ll simply have to be patient and manage pain for seven to ten days.

5.Cough

If your child has a cough with other symptoms, especially fever, they should be tested for COVID-19 at an urgent care center. If the test is positive, your doctor will let you know how to treat the infection going forward.

For non-COVID viral infections, manage any associated pain, and use cough medicine in kids over six.

Not every case of childhood illness is a severe one, and early diagnosis and treatment can be helpful for recovery. If your child begins to have seasonal illness symptoms, visit your nearest urgent care center for assistance.

And whenever your child comes down with a sudden illness or injury it is crucial to ensure that they get provider treatment at AFC Urgent Care Fairfield. Our provider team is highly skilled in pediatric urgent care and treating sudden illness symptoms!