Children have a right to receive timely and high-quality medical care. And since they cannot obtain it themselves, it falls to you as a parent or guardian to ensure your child remains healthy. This often involves finding a qualified San Pedro pediatrics specialist to monitor and maintain your child’s health. But, beyond that, you may need to stay up to date with all the treatment guidelines recommended for children so you can ensure your child is receiving the best care possible. This means that you should not only be familiar with common pediatric concerns but with how they should be treated. Drawing from information provided by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), here is a look at five common childhood conditions and their approved treatments.
Sore Throat
Many children develop sore throats at some point or another and the condition can be painful. When it is caused by a virus, your child may not need antibiotics. They may also not need medicine and your pediatrician may recommend at-home pain management techniques as you wait for the sore throat to clear. However, strep throat or a sore throat caused by streptococcal may require antibiotics. Your pediatrician can diagnose strep throat using a rapid strep test or lab test.
Common Cold
Common colds are other upper respiratory tract conditions common in children, especially those that attend a school or child care. Estimates show that the average child gets 6 to 8 colds every year. Usually, this condition is accompanied by symptoms like coughing, congestion, and a runny nose that last up to ten days. In most cases, common colds do not require antibiotics. Your pediatrician will only adopt this mode of treatment if a sinus infection is present.
Ear Pain
Ear pain in children can result from ear infections, sinus infections, colds, teeth pain, or a swimmer’s ear, among other things. To treat this problem, your pediatrician must determine the cause. Ear pain in both ears accompanied by a high fever or other symptoms may require antibiotics.
Cough
Like colds, coughs do not usually require antibiotics. This is because they usually result from a virus. And if your child is 4 years old or younger, you may want to avoid cough medicine. This medication is also not recommended for children between 4 and 6 unless your pediatrician allows it. Among other things, this is because consistent study findings have shown that cough medicine carries the risk of serious side effects in younger children. This is also true of medicines with narcotics like codeine.
Bronchiolitis
Not to be confused with bronchitis, bronchiolitis is a condition common in young children and infants during the flu and cold season. Its most prominent symptom is a wheezing sound accompanying your child’s breathing. In most cases, your pediatrician will avoid antibiotics and recommend ways to keep your child comfortable until the symptoms pass. They may also monitor your child’s eating and breathing.
Is Your Child Unwell? Trust Only Your Pediatrician
Did you know that AAP does not recommend acute care services, telehealth services, or retail-based clinics without pediatric expertise for children under 2 years? This means that you should always direct any concerns about your child’s health to your pediatrician. In addition to knowing your child better, our pediatrician understands their medical history and is well-versed in recommended treatments for children. So if your child is unwell, reach out to your pediatrician to discuss treatment.
