4 Common Childhood Ailments Any Denver Parent Should Watch Out For

As a parent, there’s no question about whether you want the best for your child, as it goes without saying. In Denver, as in everywhere else, it’s important for you to know about some of the common childhood ailments that your children may face. Something like an autism spectrum disorder affects roughly one out of 44 children in the United States, as reported by the CDC in 2021 based on data from 2018. Knowing about some of these diseases can help you to keep your children safe. Outlined below are four of them, so have a look at them and keep your children safe and healthy.

1. Stomach Flu

The stomach flu is also called gastroenteritis and it’s not really a flu at all. It’s caused by a virus and it can be very infectious, spreading from one child to the next very quickly. Some of the symptoms of the stomach flu are diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea. These symptoms will usually pass in a few days and the best thing that can be done is to manage them. Give your child a lot of fluids to make sure they don’t get dehydrated as a result of the vomiting.

2. The Common Cold

The common cold, as the name gives it away, is one of the most common childhood diseases. It’s caused by a virus that spreads fast and easily in environments where people are in close contact with each other, such as in schools. While the common cold has no cure, its symptoms can be managed with over-the-counter medication. These symptoms include headaches, muscle aches, and fever, among others.

3. Chickenpox

Chickenpox is characterized by a fever and red, itchy spots on the face and body. These spots start as a rash but soon turn into blisters. It’s important to make sure that these blisters aren’t infected as an infection can cause them to leave scars. As such, it’s important to do your best to keep your child from scratching at these blisters and breaking them open. This is another very contagious disease that’s fortunately mild in healthy children. If your child shows signs of chickenpox, it’s a good idea to keep them home from school so that they don’t spread the disease. While treating the symptoms is usually enough to keep them in check, you may need to go to the hospital if other symptoms develop. These include an extremely high fever and extreme lethargy. If accompanied by other symptoms like developmental stuttering, which normally happens in children aged between two and five, there may be a serious issue that needs immediate medical attention.

4. Strep Throat

This is a bacterial disease caused by the bacteria streptococcus pyogenes. It causes the infection when it gets into the throat and nose, causing swollen tonsils, fever, stomach pain, and sore throat. If your child exhibits these symptoms, it’s important to take them to the hospital so that they can get tested and given antibiotics for treatment. To keep the chances of this disease at a minimum, it’s a good idea for you to ensure that your child’s oral health is in good shape. Oral health issues are also common in children, although 15% to 20% of adults aged between 33 and 44 years have one form of gum disease or another.

When you know the symptoms of the common childhood diseases, you may not panic when you spot them in your children. This is because you’ll be well aware of just what you need to do in order to restore your child’s health and get them back in a pleasant and healthy state.