Top 5 Most Common Childhood Illnesses

*Collaborative post.

First thing’s first: I am by no means a medically trained professional, but I have had two children and they have, inevitably, caught their fair share of illnesses. Secondly, and perhaps even more importantly than covering my back with a hefty disclaimer, if your child catches a childhood illness, please do not blame yourself!

Children are wild, crazy, social little humans and that means that they have absolutely no care in the world for boring things such as hygiene. It doesn’t matter how well you teach them or how old they are, I guarantee you they’ll still sneeze in your face. That’s why it’s important to know all about the most common childhood illnesses and how to treat them.

Because kids will be kids, there are loads of extremely common childhood illnesses that come and go through the stages of your child’s infant life.

Today, I’m simply covering the 5 most common childhood illnesses. Again, please note I am not a doctor and I merely offer advice based on my own experiences. If you’re worried about your child, please do seek medical attention!

boy lying on sofa, head resting on a cushion for a blog post on childhood illnesses

1 Sore Throats

Suffering from a sore throat is very high up on the list of common childhood illnesses. A lot of the time, although they cause pain and discomfort, sore throats can be treated effectively at home. In some cases however, such as persistent tonsillitis, medical assistance may be required. Specialist ENT clinics can help with a huge variety of medical issues that affect the ears, nose and throat. If you’re in need of an ENT Dr in London, those at 150 Harley Street offer a huge variety of services that are directly related to the ears, nose and throat, they even offer help for those suffering with sleep disorders. Sore throats can cause discomfort, so I often treat them with honey, lemon and hot water mixed together as this helps to sooth the pain.

2 Urinary Tract Infections

It doesn’t matter if you’re a child or an adult, it’s likely that at some point in your life you’ll have suffered from a UTI. UTIs are common childhood illnesses because it’s easier for bacteria to build up when a child is learning to use the toilet, learning to wash themselves properly, or having to wear a nappy. Symptoms include a burning sensation when urinating, the urgent need to urinate frequently and the increase in bedwetting in children who are toilet trained. Children may also experience abdominal pain or back pain when suffering from a UTI. In order to treat a UTI, you’ll need to take your child to the GP, where the Dr will ask for a urine sample to confirm the bacteria’s presence.

3 Common Colds

As the name suggests, the common cold definitely makes the top 5 list of common childhood illnesses. In fact, it’s been noted that children, especially those in child care, are likely to catch between 6 and 8 colds per year. As I mentioned earlier, kids aren’t exactly the king and queens of hygiene, so when cold and flu season rolls around, it’s fairly easy for children to catch this illness. Although it is horrible to suffer with a cold, the best thing you can do for our children is offer them plenty of fluids and make sure they get lots of rest. The symptoms (runny nose, sore throat, fatigue, congestion and a cough) can last up to 10 days, however there are plenty of medicines over the counter that can help. Simply talk to your pharmacist for the best option available.

The common cold can turn into a sinus infection. In this case, a GP may want to do a physical examination on your child before offering the best course of action.

4 Coughs

Just like the common cold, catching a cough is pretty much a given when it comes to childhood illnesses. Coughs are caused by viruses and often don’t require any prescription medicines. The classic honey, lemon and hot water drink can help easy coughs and the sore throat that can occur as a result. Medicines are available in shops, but it’s best to ask a pharmacist for the best medicine based on your child’s symptoms and age.

5 Ear Infections

Ear infections often occur after colds and affect children and young babies quite commonly. As far as childhood illnesses go, an ear infection can be quite painful, leading to children often pulling and tugging at their ears. Sometimes a small discharge leaks from the ear and is accompanied by a temperature. Ear infections aren’t usually serious and can be treated at home with child friendly medicines. If symptoms don’t clear up after 3 days or you notice a loss of hearing, swelling, or other unusual symptoms, it’s best to take your child to the GP.