While we can be (understandably) overprotective of our children, worrying about their health constantly, there are times that we are not sure that they are ill enough to bring to the doctor. Overreacting can sometimes be worse than acting like a small illness is not a big deal. It is when you feel in your gut, or your child’s symptoms are uncharacteristically extreme that we should really think about a doctor’s visit.
You should first ensure that you maintain good communication with your kid at any moment. You should always ask your child (no matter their age) to know how they feel and if the symptoms are worsening or are there even new ones developing. A talking child will generally be very honest and they will provide you with honest answers about how they feel. If your kid has not reached the age of talking, you need to be much more alert to their symptoms.
You should always check for symptoms like vomiting, alertness, fever, heartbeat rates and restlessness among others. This will help you know the best time that you should take your kid to the doctor. Sometimes you will be required to put yourself in their shoes and ask yourself if you were them how would you feel. Therefore this can serve as a better method of knowing when to and when not to visit the doctor.
There are also some guidelines that can help you answer. These guidelines can help you determine when to and when not to visit the doctor. One example is that, if your kid has been suffering from a common cold or a flu and the symptoms are still observed after two weeks you should seek medical attention. This can be very important because these symptoms can be for more serious diseases like pneumonia. Even with simple guidelines you should always seek not to make errors on the bad side.
With the ‘hand-sanitizer’, antibacterial, germ free culture that we live in today there may be times that your child has not built up an immunity to certain bacteria. To keep your child as healthy as possible push for the hygiene that is necessary rather than being over the top. Have them wash their hands after they use the restroom, wash their hands after they’ve been in contact with animals etc, but don’t over do it. Sometimes allowing them to roll around in the dirt and pick up things they shouldn’t is a much better immunity building exercise than shielding them from germs altogether.
Sourced from: dugout
Photo: Thinkstock/vadimguzhva
