Treatments

The ear works by receiving sound waves and sending messages to the brain. The outer ear includes the part of the ear you can see and the ear canal. The sound waves go through the ear canal and hit the eardrum and cause it to vibrate (see the picture below). The vibration of the eardrum causes the tiny bones in the ear to move. This movement sends the sound waves to the inner ear. What causes earaches? Earaches commonly happen when the ear canal becomes blocked, which keeps fluid from draining out of the canal. Fluid in the middle ear provides a good place for an infection to start. Infection with blockage increases pressure behind the eardrum, causing much of the pain. The ear canals can become blocked because of allergies, a cold or other infection. In other cases, the adenoid gland near the ear becomes enlarged and blocks the ear canal. Acute ear infections usually clear up in one or two weeks. Sometimes, ear infections last longer and become chronic. After an infection, fluid may stay in the middle ear. This may lead to more infections and hearing loss. What are the symptoms of ear infections? The most common symptoms of an acute ear infection are ear pain (which may be sudden and severe) and fever. If your child is too young to tell you what hurts, he or she may cry and fuss. Your child may also be irritable or listless, have trouble hearing, or not feel like eating. Will earaches hurt my child's hearing? Middle ear infections and fluid in the ear are the most common causes of temporary hearing loss in children. Children who have ongoing problems with hearing may have trouble developing their speech and language skills. For this reason, it is important to talk with your doctor if your child has repeated ear infections. What is the treatment for ear infections? If your doctor thinks the infection is caused by bacteria, he or she may prescribe an antibiotic. (Antibiotics don't work for infections caused by viruses.) It's important to follow the directions for giving your child the medicine. Pain relievers like acetaminophen (Children's or Infants' Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Children's Advil or Children's Motrin) can help make your child feel better and reduce fever. Don't give your child aspirin unless your doctor says it's okay. A warm, not hot, heating pad held over the ear can also help relieve the earache. Ear drops to relieve pain are sometimes prescribed. An immunization (“shot”) that helps prevent some ear infections is available. Talk to your doctor for more information. What can be done to prevent ear infections from returning? Some children seem to get many ear infections. If your child has had three ear infections in six months or four in one year, your doctor may suggest that your child take a low dose of antibiotic every day, usually during the winter when these infections are most common. Your doctor may want to see your child a few times when he or she is taking the antibiotic to make sure another ear infection does not happen.

Asthma is a lung disease that causes your airways to swell and narrow, making it very hard to breathe. If asthma isn’t well controlled, it can cause a variety of issues and complications. It can cause your child to miss school and even end up in the hospital. It’s important to have an asthma action plan to help manage your child’s condition. What is childhood asthma? Asthma is a long-term (chronic) lung disease that affects your airways. Your airways are the tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs. When you have asthma, you can’t get air into your lungs because your airways swell and get too narrow. Like a pinched straw, this makes it hard for you to breathe, which can cause wheezing, coughing and chest tightness. Certain triggers can set off or worsen these symptoms, causing an asthma attack. Attacks can come on fast or develop slowly, and they may be life-threatening. Asthma can begin at any age, but it most often starts during childhood when your child’s immune system is still developing. Most children who get asthma have their first symptom by age 5. Asthma can cause your child to miss school and even end up in the hospital. It’s important to have an asthma treatment plan to help manage your child’s condition. How common is asthma in childhood? Asthma is the leading cause of chronic illness in children. It affects about 7.5 million children in the United States. The rate of the condition in children is steadily increasing. It’s also one of the main causes of missed school for children and missed work for parents. Why are more children getting asthma? Researchers believe several factors may be leading to more and more children developing asthma. These factors include: Exposure to more allergens such as dust, air pollution and secondhand smoke. Not enough exposure to childhood illnesses that build up their immune systems. Lower rates of breastfeeding (chestfeeding), which prevent babies from receiving important immune system substances. What are the symptoms of asthma in children? Not all children have the same asthma symptoms. And symptoms can vary from episode to episode in the same child. Childhood asthma symptoms may include: Frequent coughing spells. Coughing fits may occur while your child is playing or laughing. They may also occur at night or right after your child wakes up. Coughing may be their only symptom. Less energy during play. Rapid breathing or shortness of breath (dyspnea). Complaining of chest tightness or their chest “hurting.” A whistling sound (wheezing) when your child breathes in or out. Retractions. When the area between your child’s ribs and neck area sinks in when they try to exhale. Retractions are a sign your child is working hard to breathe. Feelings of weakness or tiredness. Irritability. Trouble feeding (sucking or eating). When your child has an asthma attack (asthma exacerbation), their symptoms may get much worse. The attacks may come on slowly or quickly. Sometimes, they can be life-threatening (status asthmaticus). If your child has any of the following warning signs of a severe attack, you should get medical help right away: Severe coughing. Rapid worsening of shortness of breath or wheezing. Serious breathing problems. Increase in respiratory rate at rest. Turning pale or bluish in their face, lips and/or fingernails. Trouble speaking, inability to speak in sentences or not being able to speak at all.

The Pediatric Allergy service is one of the comprehensive treatment plans offered at the Hospital. Through its diagnosis and tailored treatment and management, we can help your child recover from any allergy condition. Our allergy experts have a high success rate in detecting some of the most common allergies including foods, animals, pollen, medications, perfumes/household chemicals, etc. Our sophisticated and latest technology offers reliable and well founded support to the diagnosis by our experts. The following pediatric allergy conditions can be treated at Hospital: Asthma Eczema (atopic dermatitis) Hay fever (allergic rhinitis) Hives (welts, urticaria) Sinusitis Reactions to insect stings, medications or foods (anaphylaxis) Immune disorders Severe, unusual infection Recurring abscesses & thrush Frequent pneumonia, diarrhea, & sinusitis

Adolescent health is a pediatrics subspecialty. Adolescent medicine specialists are (mostly) pediatricians who enjoy working with teens and young adults so much they want to specialize in that age group. Adolescent medicine is one of only three age-based specialties What is an Adolescent Health Specialist? If your child is between the ages of 11 and 21 years, he or she may benefit from the care of an adolescent health specialist. Today’s adolescents face tremendous social and academic pressures, as well as potentially life-threatening illnesses, habits, and behaviors. Adolescent health specialists have the training and expertise to help teens and young adults with their complex physical, behavioral, and emotional health care needs—from physical exams and immunizations to reproductive and mental health care. A Pediatrician will diagnose and treat medical conditions in adolescents and children, and they may administer minor procedures as required. They also provide education to family members by answering questions and providing follow-up information as needed.

All kids get a fever from time to time. Usually, a fever isn’t dangerous or bad for kids. It can even be a good thing because it can help the immune system fight infection. Still, parents might be unsure about how to handle a fever at home and when to call the doctor. Here are some tips. What Is a Fever? In general, a fever means the body’s temperature is 100.4°F (38°C) or higher. Different ways of measuring a temperature — rectal, armpit, ear, forehead, mouth — get a slightly different number, so the number that means a child has a fever is a little different too. What Causes Fevers? Fevers in kids are usually caused by an infection. A fever helps the body by stimulating the immune system to fight the infection. Doctors also think the higher temperature makes it harder for the germs to grow. A few other reasons kids can have a fever: Overdressing: Infants, especially newborns, may get fevers if they're overdressed, wrapped in a blanket, or in a hot environment because they don't regulate their body temperature as well as older kids. But because fevers in newborns can be a sign of a serious infection, even infants who are overdressed must be checked by a doctor if they have a fever. Immunizations: Babies and kids sometimes get a mild fever that lasts about a day after getting vaccinated. A child who is teething might have a slight rise in body temperature, but it's probably not the cause if the temperature is higher than 100°F (37.8°C). When Is a Fever a Sign of Something Serious? In most healthy kids who are acting well, a fever isn’t serious. But a fever can be serious for: Infants younger than 3 months: If an infant younger than 3 months has a rectal temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, call your doctor or go to the emergency department right away. Kids with some health conditions: If your child has an ongoing health issue, make sure you know if the doctor should be called for fever. A fever is probably not serious if your child is 3 months or older and: is still interested in playing is drinking well is alert and smiling has a normal skin color looks well when their temperature comes down Don't worry too much about a child with a fever who doesn't want to eat. This is common with infections that cause fever. For kids who still drink and urinate (pee) normally, not eating as much as usual is OK. What Are the Signs of a Fever? Kids with a fever might: feel warm act differently (they might be fussy or cranky, or quieter than usual) breathe a little faster or have a faster heart rate than normal have a headache have chills or sweating have red or flushed skin For any of these signs, take your child’s temperature to know if they really have a fever. If your child feels warm or is acting unwell, use a digital thermometer to confirm a fever. Different ways of taking the temperature are more accurate than others at measuring the true body temperature. The best way to take a temperature: for kids 3 years old and younger: a rectal temperature for kids 4 or older who can cooperate: an oral temperature (by mouth) for any age: under the armpit (axillary) and temporal artery (forehead) are easiest but less accurate. Tympanic (in the ear) is OK for kids 6 months and older. It's a fever when a child's temperature is at or above one of these levels: rectal (in the bottom), tympanic (in the ear), or temporal artery (across the forehead): 100.4°F (38°C) oral (in the mouth): 100°F (37.8°C) axillary (under the arm): 99°F (37.2°C) How Can I Help My Child Feel Better? No treatment is needed if a child is still playing and drinking normally and doesn’t have pain. Treating a fever with medicine isn't needed if a child is still playing and drinking normally and doesn’t have pain. Give medicine only when a fever causes a child discomfort or keeps them from drinking. While kids have a fever, keep an eye on them, help them to rest, and keep offering fluids to drink. They need to drink a little extra to make up for the fluids they lose from sweating.

More than half of all child deaths are associated with malnutrition,which weakens the body’s resistance to illness. Poor diet, frequent illness, and inadequate or inattentive care of young children can lead to malnutrition. If a woman is malnourished during pregnancy, or if her child is malnourished during the first two years of life, the child’s physical and mental growth and development may be slowed. This cannot be made up when the child is older – it will affect the child for the rest of his or her life. Children have the right to a caring, protective environment and to nutritious food and basic health care to protect them from illness and promote growth and development. A young child should grow well and gain weight rapidly. From birth to age two, children should be weighed every month. If a child has not gained weight for about two months, something is wrong. Breastmilk alone is the only food and drink an infant needs until the age of six months. After six months, the child needs a variety of other foods in addition to breastmilk. From the age of six months to two years, children need to be fed five times a day, in addition to sustained breastfeeding. Children need vitamin A to resist illness and prevent visual impairments. Vitamin A can be found in many fruits and vegetables, oils, eggs, dairy products, fortified foods, breastmilk, or vitamin A supplements. Children need iron-rich foods to protect their physical and mental abilities. The best sources of iron are liver, lean meats, fish, eggs and iron-fortified foods or iron supplements. Iodized salt is essential to prevent learning disabilities and delayed development in children. During an illness, children need to continue to eat regu- larly. After an illness, children need at least one extra meal every day for at least a week. Importance of weight gain in a child A young child should grow well and gain weight rapidly. From birth to age two, children should be weighed every month. If a child has not gained weight for about two months, something is wrong. Regular weight gain is the most important sign that a child is growing and developing well. The child should be weighed during every visit to a health centre. A child who is given only breastmilk for about the first six months usually grows well during this time.Breastfeeding helps protect babies from common illnesses and ensures good physical and mental growth and development. Infants who are not breastfed may not learn as easily as breastfed infants. If a child does not gain weight for two months, he or she may need larger servings or more nutritious food,may be sick or may need more attention and care.Parents and health workers need to act quickly to dis-cover the cause of the problem. Each young child should have a growth chart. The child’s weight should be marked with a dot on the growth chart each time he or she is weighed, and the dots should be connected after each weighing. This will produce a line that shows how well the child is growing. If the line goes up, the child is doing well. A line that stays flat or goes down indicates cause for concern. If a child is not regularly gaining weight or growing well, there are some important questions to ask: Is the child eating often enough?A child needs to eat three to five times a day. A child with disabilities may require extra help and time for feeding. Is the child receiving enough food?If the child finishes his or her food and wants more, the child needs to be offered more. Do the child’s meals have too little ‘growth’ or ‘energy’ foods? Foods that help the child grow are meat, fish, eggs, beans, nuts, grains and pulses. A small amount of oil will add energy. Red palm oil or other vitamin-enriched edible oils are good sources of energy. Is the child refusing to eat? If the child does not seem to like the taste of a particular food, other foods should be offered. New foods should be introduced gradually. Is the child sick? A sick child needs encourage- ment to eat small, frequent meals. After an illness,the child needs an extra meal every day for a week.Young children need extra breastmilk for at least a week. If the child is frequently ill, he or she should be checked by a trained health worker. Is the child getting enough foods with vitamin A to Prevent illness? Breastmilk is rich in vitamin A. Other foods with vitamin A are liver, eggs, dairy products, red palm oil, yellow and orange fruits and vegetables, and many green leafy vegetables. If these foods are not available in adequate amounts, as is the case in many developing countries, a child needs a vitamin A capsule twice a year. Is the child being given breastmilk substitutes by bottle? If the child is younger than six months,exclusive breastfeeding is best. From 6 to 24 months breastmilk continues to be the best milk as it is an important source of many nutrients. If other milk is given, it should be fed from a clean, open cup,rather than from a bottle.