When to be concerned about a common illness

When the occasional illness pops up, it can be hard to determine when it’s something you can handle on your own and when to actually make a call to the doctor. If you are ever uncertain, we recommend your child be examined by an expert like our board-certified pediatricians at Village Pediatrics in Plano, TX, who carry years of experience under their belt working with children. Common illnesses such as sore throat, diarrhea, cough, strep throat, laryngitis, fever, vomiting and nausea are definitely illnesses that can be treated in your own home with some good old tlc and over-the-counter medication. But when things become more serious with increased temperature of 100 degrees and above, or your child’s symptoms quickly take a downturn, it’s best to call our trusted pediatricians and make an appointment for the proper diagnosis and treatment.

Conditions and symptoms of common illnesses

Diarrhea

When diarrhea comes into the picture it can be a very scary time for parents, especially when it seems to just continue inexplicably. This illness can represent a viral, bacterial or parasitic infection and typically your child’s body will fight it off naturally over a period of time. If at any point you begin to grow concerned that your child does not seem to be getting better, the watery, loose stools continue, or your child show signs of dehydration, please reach out to Village Pediatrics.

Fever

A fever itself is just a symptom, but it can often accompany an illness. It’s not uncommon to see a fever associated with a wide array of infections. From time to time, a fever can be linked to a larger infection issue such as a cold or flu, earache, gastroenteritis (stomach virus), strep throat and more.

Strep Throat

Typically, strep throat requires testing to be properly diagnosed because it’s not always an illness that’s easy to spot. If you look inside your child’s mouth, you may notice the back of their throat looks inflamed with small red dots. Common symptoms of strep throat include soreness of the throat, pain when swallowing, fever and swollen lymph nodes in the neck. If you do suspect your child has strep throat, the most efficient form of evaluation is a throat swab test. Strep throat is extremely contagious so please give us a call seeking assistance when you become unsure if it is in fact strep throat your child is experiencing.

Laryngitis (Croup)

Laryngitis takes place when the vocal cords are inflamed, which is normally due to the vocal cords being irritated, overworked or infected. Signs of laryngitis usually include when you hear your child’s coughs become deeper and more painful sounding, they have difficulty breathing easily, their voice starts to become raspy or they may have no voice at all. Laryngitis can also be referred to as croup, which is a larynx with a viral infection that is also contagious.

Vomiting and Nausea

Queasiness and constant vomiting are fun for no one to experience. When an infection is present, nausea and vomiting are common symptoms you may see when the body is attempting to flush out bacteria, a parasite or virus. However, this illness can also be tied to motion sickness, overeating, contaminated food, stress or anxiety, and food allergies. Keep your child drinking plenty of fluids and give Village Pediatrics a call for an evaluation if the vomiting or nausea worsens.

Cough

A sudden cough could signal a cold coming on or even just a tickle in the throat, it doesn’t always mean your child is getting sick. At times an uncomfortable cough could also be a sign of bronchitis, allergies, congestion, acid reflux, other conditions or even more serious infections. How to tell for sure? Contact your pediatrician, who can give your child a thorough evaluation and offer the best treatment options.

Sore throat

A sore throat doesn’t always exist with other typical cold-like symptoms such as a cough, fever or runny nose. However, when it is present and combined with these other common symptoms, it could be pointing towards allergies, acid reflux, a cold or even infection. One of the best ways to know for sure is to keep you child hydrated and monitor their temperature. If symptoms do not clear up, call your pediatrician.

Suggested treatment

As parents, it’s hard to watch our children undergo common illnesses such as these and it can really take a lot out of them. But at Village Pediatrics, we are committed to doing everything possible to treat your child and help them along a journey to a healthy, speedy recovery.

If symptoms escalate and a temperature arises, it always a good idea to communicate with your pediatrician to let them know what’s going on and learn if additional steps need to be taken. Click here or text (469) 382-3796 to make your child's appointment.