Common Childhood Health Issues You Should be Aware of

As a parent, most people worry about their children and their health. However, it is important that you are knowledgeable about the common health issues affecting children to ensure that you seek the right care and treatment for any conditions that arise early.

To prevent you from being concerned about your children’s health, and to ensure that your children can be as healthy as possible, here are some of the most common health issues in children that are not related to short-term illness.

Hearing Loss

Although you might associate hearing loss or problems with the ears with older adults, hearing loss is common in children and can be caused by a range of conditions, such as head injuries, Meniere’s disease, or ear infections. However, conditions such as congenital hearing loss, which occurs from birth, can be caused by either genetic or non-genetic factors. If it is non-genetic, hearing loss can be caused by birth complications, premature birth, or other factors such as pregnancy drugs or infections during pregnancy.

If you believe that your child is experiencing symptoms of hearing loss, you should seek out professional care at Imperialhearing.com, who can care for your whole family with their hearing loss tests, hearing aids, and ear wax removal service.

Poor Eyesight

Poor vision develops for a number of reasons in children and adults, and you need to make sure that you are aware of their eyesight in order to help them to get the care that they need. For instance, if your child rubs at their eyes, has trouble concentrating, has difficulty reading, or has red or improperly aligned eyes, this could be a sign of sight issues. They may have to have glasses or contact lenses to correct their vision. The types of sight issues children have vary though, and these include colour blindness, lazy eye, near-sightedness, long-sightedness and astigmatism, while eye problems could also indicate diabetes.

Allergies and Intolerances

There are many allergies and intolerances that your children could show signs of at an early age, with allergies rising in children. These include allergies to products such as nuts and seeds, eggs, fish, soy and wheat. Many children also show glucose or lactose intolerances which can make them extremely ill. Your child may have an allergy if they wheeze or struggle to breathe after eating certain foods, if there is swelling in their throat or tongue, or if they sneeze or have itchy eyes. Allergies can be treated by avoiding triggers and taking antihistamines and epinephrine, as well as by ensuring that they are taking responsibility for the food they eat.

Asthma

Asthma is a common long-term condition that first shows signs in childhood, with 1.1 million kids having the condition. When you have asthma, your airways become swollen and produce sticky mucus. There are certain triggers that cause asthma, and these include pollen, mould and dust, pets, second-hand smoke, colds and other common respiratory illnesses, and changes in the weather. You may find that your child wheezes often, that their chest feels tight, or that they cough a lot. They may also have an asthma attack, where they struggle to breathe and become breathless, and have worsening symptoms that fail to be remedied by usual treatments.

Autism and Special Needs

According to experts, autism is a developmental disability that can be helped through special school education. Children that have been diagnosed with autism are not able to process information in the same way as other kids. This is why they face additional challenges in terms of social, educational and behavioral needs. However, parents of children that have been diagnosed with autism have a ton of literature and resources at their disposal to help them grow and prosper into proper functioning adults in society with a little bit of care and support.