Despite installing the best baby-proofing products on the market and making sure that your child is wearing their helmet every time they ride their bike, they’re bound to be injured or get sick. And while many times these injuries are nothing and won’t need more than a kiss and a band-aid to heal, it’s important to know a few types of ailments that should be treated immediately.
Asthma Attacks
There are many triggers that bring on asthma symptoms. Some of these include:
- allergens, like mold and pollen
- irritants, like chemicals and cigarette smoke
- upper respiratory infections
- vigorous physical activity
The symptoms that a child might exhibit when experiencing an asthma attack include coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. If these symptoms appear, children need to use their quick-relief inhalers so their symptoms improve. Complications from an asthma attack can become serious, leading to pneumonia, lung collapse, or respiratory failure.
Burns
While there are many different ways children can receive burns, the most common are caused by children touching hot stoves, fireplaces, curling irons or hot beverages. Most of the time these burns can be treated at home with cool water, aloe vera, and possibly a little .5% hydrocortisone cream. What’s most important is that the burn is protected during healing. If not cared for properly, a burn can develop signs of an infection including oozing, more pain, redness and swelling.
Seizures
Often a sign of a larger problem, seizures cannot be ignored. If your child is having a seizure, pay attention to what they were doing before it started and what happens afterwards. It’s important to be able to describe their movements and the length of the seizure to emergency personnel. Try to protect them from falling and carefully try to put them on their side so as to let fluids come out of their mouth. Unless seizures are already a common occurrence for your child, it’s best to get the immediate attention of a medical professional.
Sprains and Fractures
Kids in sports are more likely to experience a sprain or a bone fracture at some point. The problem is figuring out if it’s just a mild sprain or a more serious fracture. To reduce swelling, apply ice and a compression bandage and have your child rest with the injured area above their heart. Urgent care facilities like the Memorial Hospital of Converse County are great for these types of situations. They are often equipped with X-ray equipment to tell you right away what kind of injury it is, you won’t be charged at the higher emergency rate, and you won’t have to wait for a doctor’s appointment the next day.
Flu
It’s well-known that children can be the hardest hit by the flu. If your child has any issues that could cause a flu virus to have serious complications or if you are certain that your child contracted the flu from another confirmed-infected person, you should talk with your child’s doctor about having them treated with antiviral drugs. These drugs can shorten the length of the illness and help your child avoid complications and hospitalization if taken within the first two days of illness.
While no parent needs to rush their child to the emergency room for every boo-boo, afflictions like asthma attacks, burns, seizures, fractures, and the flu should not be ignored. By taking immediate action, parents can ensure that their child doesn’t develop further complications and discomfort.