What is the Most Common Disease of Childhood?

 As new parents or someone who has a young child at home, you can worry and think about the possibilities. With the advancement of technology and medicine, you can be thankful that the most common disease in childhood isn’t nearly as bad as what it was just 70+ years ago. Pediatric Associates offer expert and experienced Pediatrics in Levittown, NY, which helps us understand the process of treating diseases in childhood.

Children are naturally more susceptible to illness and disease due to their underdeveloped immune systems. They are also regularly exposed to more diseases at school and care facilities. The most common disease in children is currently the common cold. It is said that children may have a cold up to eight times in a given year. 

Common Pediatric Illness’

The common cold is easily spread and is very common due to having over 200 variants. It is often spread through air droplets that are coughed and or sneezed into the air by a sick person. Here are some of the symptoms your child is likely to experience when suffering from the cold:

• Stuffy, runny nose
• Scratchy throat
• Sneezing
• Low-grade fever
• Mild cough
• Achy muscles

This disease usually starts about three days after contracting it and can last anywhere up to a couple of weeks. A cold’s symptoms can typically look like another ailment, so you should always contact Pediatrics in Levittown, NY, when your child is experiencing these symptoms. 

Though the cold is almost always harmless and even somewhat good for your child to build up their immune system, their symptoms can be confused for other diseases and viruses such as the Flu. If you believe your child is suffering from the Flu, contact Pediatrics in Levittown, NY, immediately. 

For the Flu, you typically see small differences from a common cold. Here are some things to be on the lookout for if you believe your child has the Flu:

• High fever
• Clear nose
• Severe cough
• Severe aches and pain
• Several weeks of fatigue
• Exhaustion

Contact Our Pediatrics in Levittown, NY

Rest is always best for treating the common cold as there is currently no cure for the disease. Be sure to increase your child’s fluid intake and use over the counter pain relievers for headaches and fevers—contact Pediatrics in Levittown, NY, to get a diagnosis today.