Ravina Sewani

<ul><li>Earaches in children are common. An earache may affect one or both ears, but the majority of the time it’s in one ear. Earaches can be constant or come and go, and the pain may be dull, sharp, or burning.</li><li>Kids below 5 years are at a higher risk for ear infections. Young children with ear infections get fussy and irritable. They may also tug or rub their ears.</li></ul> Symptoms:<ul><li>Ear pain (when chewing, sucking, or lying down)</li><li>Redness of the ear</li><li>Swelling of the ear</li><li>Pulling or rubbing the ears</li><li>Leakage from the ear</li><li>Trouble hearing</li><li>Ear fullness&nbsp;</li><li>Ear popping</li><li>Fussiness</li><li>Vomiting</li><li>Headache</li><li>Fever</li><li>Loss of balance</li><li>Difficulty sleeping</li></ul> Causes:<ul><li>Ear infections - outer, middle, or inner ear</li><li>Change in pressure, such as when flying on a plane</li><li>Earwax buildup</li><li>A foreign object in the ear</li><li>Sinus infection</li><li>Shampoo or water trapped in the ear</li><li>Use of cotton swabs in the ear</li><li>Referred pain - when the pain is felt somewhere other than the infection or injured site. For example, pain that originates in the jaw or teeth may be felt in the ear.</li></ul> Diagnosis:Your child's doctor will use an otoscope to look at the ears, throat and nasal passage. (S)he will might also listen to your child breathe with a stethoscope. Sometimes, doctors might use a Pneumatic otoscope to diagnose an ear infection. The doctor might perform other tests if there is any doubt about a diagnosis.<ol><li>Tympanometry: This test measures the movement of the eardrum.</li><li>Acoustic reflectometry: This test measures how much sound is reflected back from the eardrum.</li><li>Tympanocentesis: An instrument to drain the fluid from the middle ear. This fluid is then tested for viruses and bacteria.</li></ol> Visiting the doctor:<ul><li>If your child has a persistent fever of 104º F (40º C) or higher, seek medical attention.</li><li>For an infant, seek medical help immediately for a fever higher than 101º F (38º C).</li><li>You should also seek immediate medical attention if your child has severe pain which stops suddenly. This could be a sign of the eardrum rupturing.</li></ul> Treating earaches at home:<ul><li>Place a warm compress carefully over your child's ear for approximately 20 minutes.</li><li>Apply a cold washcloth to the ear.</li><li>Avoid getting the ear wet.</li><li>Sit upright to help relieve ear pressure.</li><li>Feed an infant to help them relieve their pressure.</li></ul> Medical treatment:<ul><li>If your child doesn't have too much discomfort or a high fever, the doctor will likely wait 24 to 48 hours (1 to 2 days) to see if the ear infection gets better on its own.</li><li>Your child's doctor will prescribe oral antibiotics or ear drops if the earache does not resolve on its own. In some cases, (s)he can prescribe both.</li></ul> Prevention:<ul><li>Make sure your child gets the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) and the flu vaccine, which may reduce their odds of getting middle ear infections.</li><li>Do not clean ears with cotton swabs or sharp objects.</li><li>Dry the ears after swimming or bathing.</li><li>Avoid secondhand smoke.</li><li>Make sure your child has a habit of washing his/her hands.</li><li>Don't give a bottle when your baby is lying down.</li><li>Ask the doctor if earplugs and special ear drops are a good idea if your child swims a lot.</li></ul>

Here are Earache Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, Prevention, Diagnosis, and Home remedies.

All about earaches

During the fit, a child might experience jerking/twitching of a hand, arm or leg or jerking/twitching of the whole body. They may or may not become unconscious. Seizures are either epileptic (caused due to epilepsy) or non-epileptic that are caused by factors such as drops in blood sugar or pressure, changes in heart rhythm, or emotional stress. Epilepsy is a brain condition that causes a child to have seizures. The brain consists of nerve cells that communicate with each other through electrical activity. A seizure occurs when one or more parts of the brain have a burst of abnormal electrical signals that interrupt normal brain signals. Types of seizures:The type of seizure depends on which part and how much of the brain is affected and what happens during the seizure. The 2 main categories of epileptic seizures are focal (partial) seizure and generalised seizure. Focal (partial) seizures:Focal seizures take place when abnormal electrical brain function occurs in one or more areas of one side of the brain. Before a focal seizure, your child may have signs that a seizure is about to occur. The most common signs are deja vu, impending doom, fear, or euphoria. The 2 types of focal seizures are: <ul><li>Simple focal seizure: The symptoms of this seizure depend on the area of the brain getting affected. If there is an abnormal electrical brain function in the vision part of the brain, your child’s sight may be altered. The seizure activity is limited to an isolated muscle group. For example, it may only affect the fingers, or larger muscles in the arms and legs. Your child may also have sweating, nausea, or become pale. Your child won’t lose consciousness in this type of seizure.</li></ul> <ul><li>Complex focal seizure: This type of seizure often occurs in the area of the brain controlling emotions and memory. Your child will likely have altered consciousness. Your child may or may not pass out, or just stop being aware of what's going on around him or her. Your child may look awake, but have a variety of unusual behaviours. These may range from gagging, lip smacking, running, screaming, crying, or laughing. Your child may be tired or sleepy after the seizure.</li></ul> Generalised seizure:A generalised seizure occurs in both sides of the brain. Your child will lose consciousness and be tired after the seizure (postictal state).&nbsp;Types of generalised seizures include: Absence seizure: This seizure causes a change in consciousness and staring. Your child will likely maintain posture. His or her mouth or face may twitch or eyes may blink rapidly. The seizure usually lasts no longer than 30 seconds. The child may not recognise the seizure and go on about their activity without feeling different. These seizures may occur several times a day. Absence seizures start between ages 4 to 12. Atonic seizure: This is also called a drop attack. During an atonic seizure, your child experiences a sudden loss of muscle tone and may fall from a standing position or suddenly drop his or her head. During this seizure, your child will be limp and unresponsive. Generalized tonic-clonic seizure (GTC): Also known as grand mal seizure. In this seizure, your child’s body, arms, and legs will flex (contract), extend (straighten out), and tremor (shake). After this, muscles contract and relax (clonic period). The child then enters postictal period (after seizure). During the postictal period, your child may be sleepy. He or she may have problems with vision or speech, and may have a bad headache, fatigue, or body aches. Myoclonic seizure: This type of seizure causes quick movements or sudden jerking of a group of muscles. These seizures tend to occur in clusters. This means that they may occur several times a day, or for several days in a row. Status epilepticus: is a life-threatening condition in which a child has prolonged seizures or one seizure after another without regaining consciousness in between them. You should always get emergency medical help if a seizure lasts more than five minutes. Symptoms:<ul><li>Staring</li><li>Tremors, convulsions or jerking movements in the arms and legs</li><li>Stiffening of the body</li><li>Loss of consciousness</li><li>Breathing problems</li><li>Loss of bowel or bladder control</li><li>Falling suddenly</li><li>Not responding to noise or words for short periods of time</li><li>Appearing confused or in a haze</li><li>Extreme sleepiness and irritability when waking up in the morning</li><li>Periods of rapid eye blinking</li><li>Vomiting</li><li>Changes in vision, speech or both</li></ul> Causes:<ul><li>Head injuries</li><li>Birth trauma</li><li>Congenital conditions</li><li>Poisoning</li><li>Fever or infection</li><li>Brain tumours</li><li>Maternal illness during pregnancy</li><li>Genetics</li><li>Degenerative brain disorders</li></ul> Diagnosis:Diagnosing a seizure can be tricky. Seizures are over so quickly that your doctor probably will never see your child having one. Your description of the seizure is important to help your doctor with the diagnosis. If your child falls suddenly or shakes, it is impossible to not notice it. But absence or staring seizures may go unnoticed for years. You shouldn't worry if your child gazes open-mouthed at cartoons on TV, or stares out the window in the car. Most kids who appear to be daydreaming really are just daydreaming. But be careful when your child is in the middle of speaking or doing something, and suddenly stops. Medical tests are an important part of diagnosing seizures. These include blood tests, an EEG (Electroencephalogram) to check the electrical activity in the brain, or request a brain scan such as an MRI with a specific epilepsy protocol. Treatment:The goal of treatment is to control, stop, or reduce how often seizures occur. Treatment is often done with medicine. Medicines are selected based on the type of seizure, age of the child, side effects, cost, and ease of use. Your healthcare professional might conduct regular blood tests to check the level of the medicine in the blood and its effects on the organs. (S)he might also do an EEG by which you will know how the medicines are helping the electrical problems in your child’s brain. Your child may not need medicine for life. Some children are taken off medicine if they have had no seizures for 1 to 2 years. This though, is determined a healthcare provider. Other treatments include: <ul><li>A ketogenic diet: This type of diet is high in fat and low in carbohydrates. The diet causes the body to make ketones. The brain and heart work normally with ketones as an energy source. Researchers cannot identify how exactly this diet helps. DO NOT undertake this diet for your child unless it is advised by your child’s doctor.</li></ul> <ul><li>Surgery: Surgery may be done to remove the part of the brain where the seizures are occurring. Or the surgery helps to stop the spread of the bad electrical currents through the brain. Your child may be awake during the surgery. The brain itself does not feel pain. If your child is awake and able to follow commands, the surgeons are better able to check areas of his or her brain during the procedure. Surgery is not an option for everyone with seizures.</li></ul> Factors that trigger a seizure:<ul><li>Stress, anxiety, or other emotional issues</li><li>Change in sleep schedules or significant sleep deprivation</li><li>Change in medications, or skipping or missing a dose of anti-seizure medication</li><li>Things that over-stimulates the senses, like lights that flash brightly, watching television, playing video or computer games</li></ul> Preventing seizures:<ul><li>Plenty of sleep each night</li><li>Regular medications as prescribed by your doctor</li><li>Avoid bright, flashing lights and other visual stimuli.</li><li>Skip TV and computer time whenever possible.</li><li>Avoid playing video games.</li><li>A healthy diet.</li></ul> Fits or seizures can be really difficult to deal with. Keep the following in mind while your child is having a fit: <ul><li>Stay calm: When you stay calm, you can think of how to help your child.</li><li>Prevent injury: Keep your child away from sources of danger, for example, if you are on the road, take him/her to some safe place. Try to keep them away from ladders or stairs. Keep hard or pointed objects away from them.</li><li>They may stop breathing temporarily. Their face may become dusky or blue around the mouth. Do not try to give CPR during seizures. They will get normal soon.</li><li>Be aware of the length of the seizure: If it lasts for more than 5 minutes, call an ambulance. Observe minutely so that you can give an accurate report.</li><li>Make your child as comfortable as possible: Remove glasses if any. If the child has food in the mouth, do not try to take it out. Roll them onto their side so that any fluids can drain out of their mouth. Loosen anything around their neck for better breathing. Loosen belts or buttons if they are tight.</li><li>Do not put anything into your child’s mouth like a spoon or pencil or any such thing. It is a common misconception that people can swallow their own tongue but that is just not possible.</li><li>Avoid making a crowd around the child during seizures, give them room for breathing.</li><li>Do not give your child any water, food or pills while they are having seizures.</li><li>Be sensitive and supportive after the seizure is over. Let them know it is okay if they had wet their pants or had bowel movements, as they had no control over their body during the seizure. Provide them with fresh clothes to change if they have spoiled their clothes.</li></ul> After the seizure: If they have injured themselves during a seizure, take them to a doctor.

Here are Seizure Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, Risk factors, Prevention, Diagnosis, and Types.

All about seizures

Palak Vyas

Some mothers&nbsp;produce more milk than their breasts can hold, which makes the breasts feel rock hard and uncomfortably full – a condition called engorgement.This condition might last temporarily for 24 to 48 hours. However it can be painful. What do engorged breasts feel like?The breasts feel large, hard and lumpy. The skin of your breasts look shiny and feel stretched, and your nipples becomes hard and flat. Breast engorgement can cause breastfeeding difficulties – which can, in turn, worsen the problem. Your baby might struggle to latch if your nipples are flatter and your breast tissue is harder,&nbsp;causing sore nipples. Causes of breast engorgement:<ul><li>Engorgement usually occurs because the baby is not feeding frequently enough (at least eight times in 24 hours).</li><li>Those women who doesn’t feed their babies or who can’t, due to any reason for example either they are working or too busy with chores due to large families, these women can develop breast engorgement. It can also cause when the woman produces more milk than her baby can have.</li><li>Engorgement can also happen if you suddenly cut on breastfeeds, maybe, because your baby is sick,&nbsp;either (s)he keeps sleeping longer, starting solid foods and other liquids, or going into childcare, which keeps him away from you for longer time.</li></ul> Treating engorged breasts:<ul><li>Breastfeed your baby for minimum 8 times in 24 hours.</li><li>Check that your baby has a good breastfeeding latch.</li><li>Try breastfeeding in different positions.</li><li>You can also massage your breasts gently while feeding to help the milk drain effectively.</li></ul>

New mothers might worry about breast engorgement but there is nothing to worry about much.

Understanding Breast Engorgement

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

Samiksha Choithani

Usually the reactions stay for a few days after the vaccination. If your child has taken a vaccination in the past few days you can expect these reactions:<ul><li>Low-grade fever</li><li>Redness and Pain around the leg or arm where the vaccination was given</li><li>Slight swelling</li><li>Trouble in sleeping</li></ul> Here are some tips to ease the pain:<ul><li>Feeding works wonders when babies are in pain, breastfeeding more often after vaccination can help the baby keep hydrated and take the mind off from the pain.</li><li>Apply ice pack in the injected area, you can also soak a soft cotton cloth in cold water and place it on the injected area.</li><li>Swaddle the baby immediately after vaccination.</li><li>Swing them in arms.</li><li>Do not massage in the injected area for a few days.</li></ul> If the reactions persist for more than 2-3 days, it is better to consult your child's paediatrician.

Almost all vaccinations have mild reactions post vaccination; this means the vaccine is working.

Common reactions after vaccination

Newborns and infants cannot inform when they are hungry. Some of these signs are subtle hints that will tell you when the child is hungry:<ul><li>The baby is putting fingers in mouth</li><li>Sucking lips or tongue</li><li>Making little crying sounds</li><li>Getting restless</li><li>Avoids other family members and only wants to be with mother</li></ul> Some babies are too sleepy and do not show any signs of hunger, but wake them up and feed the baby at least 8 to 12 times in 24 hours. Babies often get hungrier than usual (every hour) during the growth spurt. Growth spurt is the time when the baby is physically growing; it lasts for 2-3 days. Growth spurts occur periodically, within 7-10 days of birth, 2-3 weeks, 3 months, 4 months, 6 months and 9 months.

Irritability is probably the most common signs among babies that indicates a child is hungry.

Signs that indicate babies are hungry

Dry eyes describe a condition when the eye is unable to produce tears properly or does not produce tears of a suitable consistency. Symptoms associated with dry eyes:<ul><li>Your child may experience stinging or burning sensation in the eye.</li><li>He or she feels something is caught in his/her eye.</li><li>They may have red or painful eyes.</li><li>There may be stringy discharge from the eyes.</li><li>They may experience blurred vision.</li><li>Their eyes may feel tired easily after watching TV or reading.</li></ul> Home remedies for dry eyes:<ul><li>Apply water compresses to the eye.</li><li>In cold weather, you can use a bedside humidifier at night.</li><li>Avoid taking your child in the breezy atmosphere.</li></ul> If the situation persists for more than a few days, consult a doctor.

Dry eyes can lead to constant itching and so it becomes all the more necessary to treat it at the right time.

Dealing with Dry eyes

Practically, a child can be allergic towards any fruit but the most common are apples, pears, cherries, peaches, melons, plums, kiwis. Causes: Proteins present in the fruit that the child is allergic to. Symptoms: Symptoms usually show up minutes after a child has been exposed to a fruit that (s)he is allergic to. Sometimes, the symptoms might show up after a few hours.The symptoms include:<ul><li>Nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing or dry cough</li><li>Eczema (a dry, itchy rash) or hives (reddish, swollen, itchy areas on the skin)</li><li>Redness of the skin around the mouth or eyes</li><li>Itchy mouth, ear canal or lip swelling, odd taste in the mouth</li><li>Nausea or vomiting, diarrhoea or stomach pain</li><li>Drop in blood pressure</li><li>Severe reactions include loss of consciousness, chest pain, turning pale, shortness of breath, trouble swallowing, or anaphylaxis</li></ul> Diagnosis:<ul><li>The first thing is to not self-diagnose. Always rely on a healthcare expert's diagnosis.</li><li>A healthcare expert will examine your child's symptoms, his/her health history, and conduct other tests if required, to confirm whether your child has an allergy towards particular foods or not.</li><li>The doctor might get a blood test or a skin prick test done for your child.</li></ul> Foods to avoid:<ul><li>Fresh fruit to which the child is allergic.</li><li>Fresh fruit juice.</li><li>Desserts or food dishes which contain the fruit to which your child is allergic.</li><li>Fruit flavoured packed foods.</li></ul> Treating allergies:<ul><li>The best way to prevent allergies of any sort in children is to avoid the source of the allergen.</li><li>In allergies, paediatricians usually prescribe antihistamine medicines for mild allergic reactions. Whereas for severe allergic reactions like anaphylaxis, your child’s paediatrician will prescribe an adrenaline auto-injector (AAI).</li></ul> Precautions:<ul><li>Develop a habit of reading the food labels for ingredients and allergy information.</li><li>Teach your child to mention about the allergy whenever (s)he goes to visit someone.</li><li>Inform your child’s school about your child’s allergy. You can also give the medicines prescribed by your child’s doctor to the school which they can use in case of sudden allergic reactions.</li><li>Be careful about the possibility of cross-contact; especially when visiting a restaurant.</li><li>Always keep the allergy medication handy for your child.</li></ul>

Not every child will have an allergy towards the same fruit. Every child's immune system reacts differently towards different fruits. The allergic reaction, however, is more or less the same towards any kind of fruit.

Fruit allergies

The basic thing to follow in any kind of allergy is to keep your child away from the source of allergy. In case of jute allergy, keep him/her away from jute bags, jute clothes, or anything that's made up of jute. In case there is any sort of reaction, then consult a doctor as soon as possible. Allergies are usually accompanied by the following symptoms:<ul><li>Watery or itchy eyes</li><li>Coughing</li><li>Running nose</li><li>Sneezing</li><li>Irritation in throat</li><li>Skin rashes</li><li>Red skin</li><li>In more severe and sensitive cases, there is shortness of breath too.</li><li>If you observe such symptoms every time your child is near jute, it is time to consult your doctor.</li></ul>

Allergies usually require medications prescribed by a doctor. Hence, when you think your child has developed an allergy to something, it is advisable to consult your doctor.

tongue tied health concerns

Following article(s) will help solve your concern.