News

Fall is here: Watch Out For These Conditions

School is back in session, which means kids will be sharing lots of things, including contagious diseases!  Make sure your child washes his/her hands often and takes precautions to avoid spread of germs.  Here are some common fall infections:

Croup: Croup is a viral infection that affects younger children (usually under age 3) but can cause problems in any age child.  It usually starts out as cold symptoms then develops into a very “barky” cough (the patient often sounds like a dog, or seal “barking”).  The cough is much worse at night.  Very young children can develop noisy breathing (called “stridor”) and this can become quite severe.  There is no antibiotic to get rid of the virus, but sometimes children can benefit from other medication to reduce swelling in the airways.  If you think your child may have croup and need medicine, call us for an appointment.

Sore throats: Sore throats are common year-round, and most (about 80%) are viral, but with the kids back at school, we are seeing more “strep throat,” or a sore throat caused by a bacteria (streptococcus).  Children with strep throat can get better without antibiotics, but the condition should be treated because serious complications can occasionally happen with untreated strep throat, such as an abscess in the tonsil, or rheumatic fever.  In order to tell if your child has strep throat, we NEED to perform a STREP TEST in the office.  So if you suspect this, please make an appointment for your child.

Regular colds, viruses, etc:  We see the common cold all the time, but again this infection likes to spread around more during the school year.  Generally these are mild and will get better without any medication.  Some things that may help your child with colds are:

• Nasal saline—use spray (for older children) or drops (for infants) to help thin out the mucous and help with breathing and eating problems that arise from cold symptoms
• For coughs—for children older than age two, some studies have shown that 1-2 teaspoons of dark honey (chased with some water to avoid tooth decay) at night can help children sleep.  Another study showed that children of the same age with colds rest better at night by using Vick’s Vapo-Rub placed directly on the chest (NOT in a vaporizer or mist).
• Cold medicine—in general these are NOT effective for children and should not be used for anyone under six years old.  A few studies have shown that for children 6 and older, sleep can be improved with these medications, but the cold symptoms do not change at all.

Remember: Good handwashing practice and learning how to NOT spread germs (coughing into the elbow, using disposable tissues, etc) are the best way to PREVENT common childhood illnesses.  Good eating practices (five servings of fruits or vegetables per day) and regular exercise can also boost your child’s immune system.

Back to news