Ravina Sewani

Cholera is an infectious disease that causes severe watery diarrhoea, which can lead to dehydration and even death if untreated. It is caused by eating food or drinking water contaminated with a bacterium called Vibrio cholerae. The disease is most common in places with poor sanitation, crowding, war, and famine. Causes:<ul><li>Common sources of contamination include:</li><li>Municipal water supplies</li><li>Ice made from municipal water</li><li>Foods and drinks sold by street vendors</li><li>Vegetables grown with water containing human wastes</li><li>Raw or under-cooked fish and seafood caught in waters polluted with sewage</li></ul> When a person consumes the contaminated food or water, the bacteria release a toxin in the intestines that produces severe diarrhoea. Symptoms:Symptoms of cholera can begin as soon as a few hours or as long as five days after infection. These include:<ul><li>Rapid heart rate</li><li>Loss of skin elasticity (the ability to return to original position quickly if pinched)</li><li>Dry mucous membranes, including the inside of the mouth, throat, nose, and eyelids</li><li>Low blood pressure</li><li>Vomiting</li><li>Thirst</li><li>Muscle cramps</li><li>If not treated, dehydration can lead to shock and death in a matter of few hours.</li></ul> Diagnosis:Doctors usually take a stool sample or vomit sample to check for signs of the cholera causing bacteria. Treatment:<ul><li>Hydration is the treatment for cholera. Depending on how severe the diarrhoea is, treatment will consist of oral or intravenous solutions to replace lost fluids. Antibiotics, which kill the bacteria, are not used for mild cases. But they can reduce the duration of diarrhoea and also reduce the excretion of the bacteria, thus helping to prevent the spread of the disease.</li><li>Cholera vaccines are also available but whether your child needs one or not will be decided by your child’s doctor.&nbsp;</li></ul> Prevention:Use water that is boiled, chemically disinfected, or bottled water for the following purposes:<ul><li>Drinking</li><li>Preparing food or drinks</li><li>Making ice</li><li>Brushing your teeth</li><li>Washing your face and hands</li><li>Washing dishes and utensils that you use to eat or prepare food</li><li>Washing fruits and vegetables</li></ul> Avoid raw foods like:<ul><li>Unpeeled fruits and vegetables</li><li>Unpasteurised milk and milk products</li><li>Raw or under-cooked meat or shellfish</li><li>Fish caught in tropical reefs, which may be contaminated.</li></ul>

Here are Cholera Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention

All about Cholera

Jaundice is a liver-related condition that causes a yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes. Jaundice is the result of the build-up of a substance called bilirubin in the bloodstream. It’s an orange-yellow substance that usually passes through the liver and is excreted from the body.When there are abnormally high levels of bilirubin in the blood, jaundice develops, and colour of the skin and eye change. Types of jaundice:In newborns, jaundice usually occurs because an infant’s liver isn’t fully developed enough to properly break down and excrete bilirubin.<ul><li>Obstructive jaundice: this results from blockage in the bile duct between the pancreas and the liver.</li><li>Hepatocellular jaundice: this results when there is a liver disease or damage.</li><li>Hemolytic jaundice: this develops when there is an abnormal breakdown of red blood cells, leading to excessive levels of bilirubin in the blood.</li></ul> Symptoms:FeverAbdominal painNauseaFatigue Causes in Newborns:<ul><li>Physiological hyperbilirubinemia</li><li>ABO incompatibility</li><li>Rh incompatibility</li><li>Haemorrhage</li><li>Intrauterine infections</li><li>Metabolic causes</li><li>Breast milk jaundice</li><li>If your baby is born premature, jaundice is common. This is because the liver is still developing and the bilirubin isn’t flushed out of their system. This should correct itself in a few weeks.</li></ul> Causes in Children:<ul><li>Malaria</li><li>Sickle cell crisis</li><li>Thalassemia</li><li>Drugs or other toxins</li><li>Autoimmune disorders</li></ul> Diagnosis:Usually, a doctor can tell whether your baby has jaundice or not just by looking at your child. To further confirm about the jaundice, your child’s doctor may ask for a blood test or a urine sample. Treatment:In many cases, jaundice goes away on its own in 1 to 2 weeks. Your doctor will decide whether your baby should wait it out or start treatments like:<ul><li>Extra feedings: Taking in more breast milk or formula milk will help your baby poop more often, which can help clear out bilirubin from the body.&nbsp;</li><li>Photo-therapy: In this treatment, the baby is put under blue-green lights. This helps in elimination of bilirubin from the body via urine. Your baby will be made to wear eye patches to protect his eyes.</li><li>Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg): If your baby's jaundice happens because he has a different blood type from yours, your doctor may need to give a blood protein through an IV that helps stop the breakdown of red blood cells in your child.</li><li>Exchange transfusion: If your baby has severe jaundice that isn't getting better with other treatments, (s)he may need a blood transfusion called an exchange transfusion. In this process, your doctor draws small amounts of your baby's blood and replaces it with blood from a donor. It's rare for babies to need this level of treatment for jaundice.</li></ul> Prevention:Typical newborn jaundice cannot be prevented usually but you can feed your baby well to make sure your child recovers soon. If you're breastfeeding, aim for 8-12 feedings a day in the first days of your baby's life. For older kids, following tips will help prevent jaundice:<ul><li>Make sure your kids stay hygienic.</li><li>Ensure your kids drink mineral or bottled water or boil the water before drinking it.</li><li>Eat fresh food, and have a balanced diet.</li><li>Ensure your kids get their vaccines on time.</li></ul>

Here are Jaundice Types, Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention.

All about Jaundice

Unlike dengue or other viral fever, malaria has specific medication. If your child has been diagnosed with malaria then you should consult a doctor. Malarial germs do not die on their own. Our body can’t fight these germs so it is mandatory to give medication as soon as malaria is diagnosed. Symptoms:<ul><li>Drowsiness</li><li>Poor appetite</li><li>Trouble in sleeping</li><li>Chills</li><li>Fever (it might reach up to 105˚ F)</li><li>Fast breathing</li><li>Headache</li><li>Nausea</li><li>Body ache</li><li>Seizures in case the infection reaches the brain</li></ul> Causes:Malaria is caused by parasites carried by female mosquitoes. Congenital malaria is the infection of malaria to a child in the womb from mother. Malaria also spreads through blood transfusion, organ donation, or shared needles. Diagnosis: Diagnosis is based on physical symptoms and blood tests. Treatment:<ul><li>Take prescribed anti-malarial drugs by the doctor.</li><li>Take proper care and see that the child rests well.</li><li>Give sufficient fluids so there is no dehydration.</li><li>In case if the child is young enough and can’t take oral medication there are injections available too.</li><li>If the child doesn’t eat or drink or have any other complications after taking the medication, the child should be hospitalised.</li></ul> Preventive measures:<ul><li>Use screens (mosquito nets) on doors and windows, and promptly repair broken or damaged screens. Keep doors and windows shut.</li><li>Have kids wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, shoes, and socks when they go outside.</li><li>Use insect repellent as directed on kids.</li><li>Limit the amount of time kids spend outside during the day, especially in the hours around dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active.</li><li>Keep surroundings clean. Mosquitoes breed easily when there is water around. They lay their eggs in water, so get rid of unclean water around you.</li></ul>

Here are Malaria Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, Prevention, and Diagnosis.

All about malaria

Palak Vyas

Type 1 diabetes in children is a condition where the child’s body is unable to produce an important hormone called insulin. Without this hormone, the sugar in the blood cannot travel to the cells causing high blood sugar levels. This condition is also known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes. Insulin deficiency in the body has to be replaced by insulin injections. It is hard on both the parents and the kids when the child is diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. This is because after the diagnosis, the child has to be given regular insulin injections and his/her sugar intake has to be limited as well. Parents and the child have to be extra cautious all the time.&nbsp;Symptoms:<ul><li>Increased thirst</li><li>Frequent urination, bed-wetting even if the child has been potty trained.</li><li>Too much hunger</li><li>Drastic weight loss</li><li>Fatigue</li><li>Irritability and changed behaviour</li><li>Fruity smelling breath</li><li>Girls may also develop a yeast infection.</li></ul>&nbsp;Causes:<ul><li>The first and foremost reason could be a family history of this disease. The child having parents or siblings having the same condition is at a high risk of developing it.</li><li>Genetics play a major role here.</li><li>It is said that exposure to various viruses can trigger the autoimmune destruction of the islets cells (cells that produce insulin).</li></ul>&nbsp; Diagnosis: Blood glucose level is measured before and after food and by observing for symptoms of diabetes. Complications associated with type 1 diabetes in children:<ul><li>This condition affects the major body organs of the child.</li><li>It narrows down a child's blood vessels, causes high blood pressure, heart disease and can cause stroke issues in later stages of life.</li><li>Basically it affects blood vessels which in turn damage the kidneys, eyes, and nerves.</li><li>Type 1 diabetes reduces bone mineral density causing a risk of developing osteoporosis in later stages of life.</li><li>DKA- Diabetic ketoacidosis is a leading cause of mortality in children with type 1 diabetes. When insulin levels are very low, the body cannot use sugar to produce energy. So it starts breaking down fat for energy. This leads to ketones production, which is toxic at high levels. When the levels are high, it results in DKA, where the body becomes acidic.</li></ul> Treatment: The only treatment for type 1 diabetes is the use of insulin tablets or injections. Prevention:<ul><li>This condition cannot be prevented. Research is still going on in this direction. All you can do is control the damage.</li><li>Maintain blood sugar levels.</li><li>Ensure your child has healthy food.</li><li>Regular exercise routine</li><li>Regular examination and monitoring by the doctor.</li></ul>

Here are Diabetes Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, Prevention, Diagnosis, and Complications.

All about Type 1 Diabetes

Infectious diseases that spread from person to person are said to be contagious. Contagious diseases can spread through insect bites or by ingesting contaminated food or water. Contagious or communicable diseases include: Flu, Common cold, Hepatitis A and B, Measles, Cholera, Rubella, Lice, Mumps, Chicken pox, Cough, Meningitis, Strep throat, Conjunctivitis. To avoid communicable diseases:<ul><li>Ask your children to wash their hands often with soap to reduce the risk of catching any infection. Specially before and after taking food and after using toilets. You too should maintain proper hygiene while preparing food. Tell them not to keep touching their eyes, nose or mouth with their hands.</li><li>Get your child vaccinated for rubella, measles, diphtheria, typhoid on due time.</li><li>Keep your child at home when he or she is ill. If they have any of the symptoms like fever, diarrhoea, or vomiting, don’t send them to school. Sending them to school can worsen their own health plus they may cause infection to other&nbsp;healthy children.</li><li>While you prepare food, use disinfectant and cleaners to clean kitchen surfaces.</li><li>Make sure they don't share their personal items like a toothbrush and comb either with friends or siblings. Avoid sharing drinking glasses and dining utensils too.</li><li>If you are travelling out of the country, go see a doctor first. Ask your doctor about any special vaccination such as yellow fever, cholera, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B etc.</li></ul>

It is very important to take proper precautions to stay away from communicable diseases. Children catch diseases faster than adults as their immune system is weaker than adults.

Precautions for contagious disease

Blood pressure is the force of blood as it flows through the body's vessels. The vessels widen and contract as needed to keep blood flowing well. In a child with hypertension (high blood pressure), however, the blood pushes too hard against the blood vessels, which can cause damage to blood vessels, the heart, and other organs. Causes:<ul><li>Kidney problems</li><li>Blood vessel abnormalities</li><li>Heart disease</li><li>Endocrinological disorder</li></ul> Risk Factors:<ul><li>Obesity: Obese children have a higher chance of developing hypertension</li><li>Hypertension history in family</li><li>Sleep disorders</li></ul> Symptoms:<ul><li>Headaches</li><li>Loss of vision</li><li>Double-vision</li><li>Chest pain</li><li>Abdominal pain</li><li>Breathing problems</li></ul> Diagnosis:Your child's doctor will use charts based on your child's sex, height, and blood pressure numbers to determine whether or not your child has high blood pressure. Treatment:If your child's high blood pressure is severe and doesn't respond to lifestyle changes, the doctor may prescribe medication for the same. How High Blood Pressure Affects Children:<ul><li>Heart disease</li><li>Kidney disease</li><li>Stroke</li></ul> Helping child with hypertension:<ul><li>Keep your child away from tobacco smoke.</li><li>Limit the amount of time your child spends playing video games and watching TV.</li><li>Make changes to diet and exercise a family affair.</li><li>Make sure your child has his or her blood pressure checked as often as recommended by your child's doctor.</li></ul>

Here are Hypertension causes, symptoms, risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment.

Hypertension in children

Few allergic reactions are known to worsen existing conditions like asthma and a few are known to cause asthma problems.Not all children develop asthma due to allergies. Children with a family history of asthma or children with eczema are at a higher risk of developing asthma.Asthma is a chronic inflammatory condition of the smaller air passages in the lungs. The common triggers of asthma:<ul><li>Cold or flu</li><li>Allergens like dust or pollen</li><li>Cigarette smoke or other irritants</li><li>Gastrointestinal reflux</li><li>Stress, continuous crying or laughing, physical activities are also known to trigger an asthma attack.</li></ul> Diagnosis of asthma is based on symptoms, family history and medical history of your child, previously known allergies, etc. followed by medical asthma tests which may include x- ray, blood tests or allergy tests. Please note, it is important to get your child diagnosed of asthma problem only by a healthcare expert. Symptoms of Asthma include:<ul><li>Coughing</li><li>Wheezing</li><li>Shortness of breath</li><li>Uncomfortable tightness in the chest</li></ul> Seek medical attention immediately if you notice these symptoms in your child:<ul><li>Gasping for breath or trouble speaking</li><li>Deep breath/inhalation that shows the abdomen sucked in</li><li>Increased rate of breathing</li><li>Given the close link between allergies and asthma, it is important to identify the source of allergy and manage it effectively.</li><li>Allergy shots (Immunotherapy) may be advised if your child's asthma is due to allergens like pollen or pet dander.</li><li>Asthma treatment is based on the severity and frequency. An inhaler with a holding chamber/spacer may be prescribed by your child’s paediatrician for a quick relief during an asthma attack. Always seek medical help if you think your child might have asthma.</li><li>According to studies, omega 3 fatty acids from fish oil are known to reduce inflammatory conditions like asthma in children. For children with fish allergies, an alternative source for omega 3 fatty acids is algae.</li></ul>

Asthma and allergy are closely related hence it is important to take proper precautions.

Asthma and Allergy

Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs. The air sacs in the lungs (called alveoli) fill up with pus and other fluid. This makes it hard for oxygen to reach the bloodstream. Symptoms:<ul><li>Very fast breathing (in some cases, this is the only symptom)</li><li>Breathing with grunting or wheezing sounds</li><li>Working hard to breathe; this can include flaring of the nostrils, belly breathing, or movement of the muscles between the ribs</li><li>Fever</li><li>Cough</li><li>Stuffy nose</li><li>Shaking chills</li><li>Vomiting</li><li>Chest pain</li><li>Belly pain</li><li>Loss of appetite</li><li>Bluish or grey colour of the lips and fingernails (in extreme cases)</li></ul> Causes:<ul><li>Pneumonia is caused by a variety of germs (viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites). Most cases are caused by viruses. These include adenoviruses, rhinovirus, influenza virus (flu), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and para-influenza virus.</li><li>Pneumonia begins after an upper respiratory tract infection (an infection of the nose and throat). Symptoms begin after 2 or 3 days of a cold or sore throat. It then moves to the lungs. Fluid, white blood cells, and debris start to gather in the air spaces of the lungs and block the smooth passage of air, making it harder for the lungs to work well.</li><li>Kids with pneumonia caused by bacteria usually become sick fairly quickly, starting with a sudden high fever and unusually fast breathing.</li><li>Kids with pneumonia caused by viruses will have symptoms that appear more gradually and are less severe.</li><li>The viruses and bacteria that cause pneumonia are contagious. An infected person can spread the illness when (s)he coughs or sneezes. This is because the germs causing this illness live in the body fluids.</li><li>Sharing drinking glasses and eating utensils, and touching the used tissues or handkerchiefs of an infected person also can spread pneumonia. So it's best to keep kids away from anyone with symptoms of a respiratory infection.</li></ul> Diagnosis:Doctors check a child's appearance, breathing pattern, and vital signs, and listen to the lungs for abnormal sounds. They might order a chest X-ray or blood tests, but neither are necessary to make the diagnosis. Treatment:Pneumonia caused by bacteria is treated with antibiotics taken by mouth at home. If the doctor seems fit, (s)he might prescribe antiviral medicine when the pneumonia is caused by a virus. Children might need treatment in a hospital if the pneumonia causes a lasting high fever, breathing problems, or if they:<ul><li>Need oxygen therapy</li><li>Have a lung infection that may have spread to the bloodstream</li><li>Have a chronic illness that affects the immune system</li><li>Are vomiting so much that they cannot take medicine by mouth</li><li>Keep getting pneumonia</li><li>Hospital treatment can include intravenous (IV) antibiotics (given into a vein) and respiratory therapy (breathing treatments).</li></ul>Check your child's lips and fingernails to make sure they are rosy and pink. Call your doctor if they are bluish or grey, which is a sign that the lungs are not getting enough oxygen. With treatment, most types of bacterial pneumonia are cured in 1–2 weeks. Viral pneumonia may take 4–6 weeks to go away completely. Prevention:Some types of pneumonia can be prevented by vaccine shots of Haemophilus influenza and flu vaccines.

Here are Pneumonia Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention.

All about Pneumonia

<ul><li>If the child gets sick again and again, the parent considers it as weak immunity but this is not true because every time a child falls sick, (s)he gets back to normal on their own so the immunity is fine. The immunity is weak when the child doesn’t heal and stays sick for long extended periods.</li><li>As a child grows, (s)he does not stay at one place or with just one person. This leads to a child getting exposed to outside environment and a lot of new people. Due to this, the chances of catching infections again and again are very high. And so the child falls sick frequently.</li><li>This does not mean that the immunity is less. In fact, the child should not be given medication again and again. The infection will be cured within a week as a child’s body learns to fight against outside germs. Fighting against germs will only make your child’s immunity stronger.</li><li>A child’s immunity completely develops by 5 to 7 years.</li></ul> To increase your child's immunity:<ul><li>Breastfeed your baby.</li><li>Encourage exercise:&nbsp;It enhances immune system through stress-reduction. Thus encouraging your kids to opt for age-appropriate exercise regularly, will&nbsp;make them physically fit and support their immunity. Regular moderate intensity exercise increases child’s immunity.</li><li>Give them nutritious diet: Deficiencies of Vitamins A, C, E, B6 and Folate, are also associated with reduced immunity. Micro-nutrients such as Zinc, Selenium, Iron and Copper are also important in developing a healthy immune system. Thus, a properly balanced diet with all required nutrients is extremely important, especially in the growing years when the immune system is still maturing.</li><li>Inculcate healthy sleep habits: Sleep is a restorative process that plays a critical role in the proper functioning of the immune system. It is important to develop and follow a healthy and optimum sleep pattern for your children.</li><li>Serve more fruits and vegetables.</li><li>Develop a good habit of washing hands: You should pay particular attention to their hygiene before and after each meal and after playing outside, handling pets, blowing their nose, using the bathroom, and arriving home from daycare. When you're out, carry disposable wipes with you for quick cleanups. To help kids get into the hand-washing habit at home, let them pick out their own brightly coloured hand towels and soap in fun shapes, colours, and scents.</li><li>Keep your babies away from second hand smoke: If you or your spouse smokes, quit. Cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 toxins, most of which can irritate or kill cells in the body.</li></ul>

Your child getting sick again and again does not mean that (s)he has a weaker immunity.

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