Top 10 Common Diseases in Children and Prevention Methods

Common flu is a respiratory infection that can easily spread from one child to another through small interactions. Most children experience this disease, and though it's not very harmful, paying attention and taking good care of the child will help them recover faster.

Symptoms:

• Common flu is often confused with the common cold, but its symptoms are usually more severe than typical cold symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, and nasal congestion.
• In children, about 2 days after exposure to the flu virus (incubation period), initial symptoms may include mild fever that gradually increases, chills, cough, sore throat, earache, watery eyes, runny nose, fatigue, poor appetite, and diarrhea may occur. In some older children, muscle pain, arm and leg pain, sore throat, cough, and eye socket pain may also be present.
• Typically, after 4-7 days, the flu will gradually resolve, and symptoms like fever will disappear. However, cough and fatigue may persist. In severe cases, the disease may leave many dangerous complications.

Prevention:

• Avoid exposing the child to those who are sick.
• Ensure the child drinks plenty of water and maintains good hygiene through bathing.
• Provide the child with well-cooked food, boiled water, and a diet rich in vegetables and fruits.
• When going outside, make sure the child wears a face mask.
• If you notice signs of illness in the child, take them to the doctor for timely treatment to prevent worsening.

Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease is a viral infection commonly seen in young children, especially those under 5 years old. The disease spreads rapidly, easily becomes an outbreak, with peak seasons from March to May and August to September each year. It can be very dangerous if not detected early and treated promptly.

Symptoms:

• Incubation period of 3 – 6 days.
• Onset stage begins with noticeable symptoms including fever, fatigue, sore throat, lesions, soreness in the teeth and mouth, excessive drooling, loss of appetite, and occasional diarrhea.
• Full-blown stage (usually starts 1 – 2 days after the onset), children begin to show typical symptoms of the disease such as blisters resembling water burns on the palms, soles, knees, buttocks, and pus-filled sores in the mouth.

Prevention:

• Maintain regular personal hygiene, wash hands, feet, and toys for the child, avoid disease-causing agents.
• Keep clothing and hair neat when ill.
• Isolate the child from the infected environment.
• Ensure the child drinks plenty of water, eats lots of green vegetables,...
• When sick, take the child to the doctor for appropriate treatment.

Respiratory infections in children are common and can lead to swelling of the throat and bronchi in children, obstructing the airway and causing difficulty breathing. The disease primarily affects children under 5 years old.

Symptoms:

• Signs of cough, fever, wheezing... are the first and most obvious symptoms.
• Other symptoms may include a sore throat, runny nose, or high fever.
• Additionally, children may experience hoarseness, dry cough, rapid breathing, and when inhaling, the child may produce sounds like wheezing or whistling. These symptoms become more pronounced when the child is lying down, especially at night.

• Protect the respiratory system of children to avoid the possibility of disease transmission.
• Keep the child's respiratory system clean, especially the airways, and gargle saltwater for the child.
• Avoid disease-causing factors such as bacteria, dust, wastewater,..
• Minimize contact with sick children to prevent the spread of infection.
• If the child is unfortunately sick, promptly take them to the doctor for treatment.

Chickenpox is a disease caused by a virus, occurring in both adults and children. The disease is prone to large outbreaks in spring, during warm and humid weather. Chickenpox can lead to many dangerous complications, so it is crucial to pay attention for timely treatment and prevention measures.

Symptoms:

• In the initial stage, it is challenging to detect, commonly referred to as the incubation period from 10 to 15 days before the disease manifests.
• The disease often begins with a fever, followed by the appearance of red spots first on the head, then spreading to the face, body, and the mucous membranes of the mouth and tongue.
• Alongside small watery blisters, there is usually mild fever and loss of appetite. In adults or older children, it often comes with high fever, headaches, muscle aches, and vomiting.

Prevention:

• Due to the incubation period, prevention is challenging, and almost everyone will experience it at least once.
• Isolate the child from the disease.
• Ensure the child drinks plenty of water and maintains personal hygiene.
• Avoid disease-causing factors and protect the child's living environment.
• If the child is sick, it's essential to have sufficient knowledge about the disease for proper treatment.

Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye) is the most common disease in children, spreading rapidly due to a virus. If infected, pink eye typically resolves within 4 to 7 days.

Symptoms:

• Initially, discomfort in the eyes, feeling as if there is sand in the eyes, or excessive tearing.
• Watery discharge, and waking up in the morning with difficulty opening the eyes due to sticky discharge. Eye discharge can be green or yellow, depending on the cause of the disease.
• Redness in the eyes, so it's essential to pay attention and treat the child to avoid eye damage.

Prevention:

• Avoid exposing children to dusty environments.
• Regularly use eye drops for the child once a day to ensure safe eye hygiene.
• If aware that a child has conjunctivitis, avoid direct eye contact to prevent transmission.
• If the child is infected, take timely care measures for a faster recovery.

Measles is a common disease in children, easily spreading as an epidemic, but if a child has been vaccinated, there is no need to worry about this disease.

Symptoms:

• Fever, runny nose, followed by a dry cough.
• Loss of appetite, sore throat, conjunctivitis.
• Subsequently, a widespread rash appears.
• The incubation and infectious period lasts from two to three weeks.

Prevention:

• Regularly maintain the child's personal hygiene to avoid disease-causing factors.
• Feed the child well-cooked food and boiled water, encourage the consumption of vegetables.
• Ensure cleanliness in the living environment, preventing pollution.
• Isolate the child from the source of the disease.
• When the child is ill, seek medical attention for effective treatment.

Mumps is a common illness in children before the advent of vaccines. Infections typically show no symptoms, primarily manifesting as swollen glands between the ear and jaw. The danger lies in potential complications such as orchitis, leading to male infertility, and various other serious complications.

Symptoms:

• Sudden high fever, loss of appetite, headache.
• After 1-3 days of fever, the salivary glands become painful and swollen, potentially affecting one or both sides, causing facial distortion, difficulty chewing, and swallowing. These are characteristic signs of mumps.
• Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, muscle pain, general fatigue, and weakness.
• In severe cases, there may be swelling of the testicles and testicular pain.

Disease Prevention:

• It is highly contagious and challenging to prevent.
• Regularly maintain personal hygiene for children to avoid disease-causing agents.
• Ensure that children eat well-cooked food, consume plenty of fruits, and drink lots of water.
• Avoid direct contact with the source of the disease as it is easily transmissible.
• If a child is ill, effective care measures should be taken.

Fungal infection is the most common skin condition, often forming scales on the skin or scalp. It easily spreads from one person to another, so caregivers need to pay attention to isolating the affected child. The condition is treatable with antifungal medication and does not cause any serious complications or significant harm.

Symptoms:

• Raised circular patches on the skin, red and swollen around the edges with a clear area in the middle.
• Red circular patches with gradually spreading scales on the body or face.
  
• Flat, round, itchy rashes.
• Multiple fungal patches may appear, stacking on top of each other. Patients may have fungal infections without the typical red circular patches and itching.

Disease Prevention:

• Regularly maintain cleanliness for the child.
• Use separate personal items such as towels and toothbrushes.
• Ensure the child drinks plenty of water, eats well-cooked food, and consumes a variety of fruits.
• Avoid disease-causing agents and protect the child.
• When ill, take good care of the child and maintain hygiene.

Throat infection is a common ailment affecting most children worldwide, easily transmitted from one child to another. Throat inflammation is the swelling of the throat's mucous membrane, either acutely or chronically due to various reasons. The condition can manifest independently or flare up simultaneously with other ailments such as chickenpox, scarlet fever, influenza, rash-associated fever, tonsillitis, etc.

Symptoms:

• Sore throat, hoarseness
• Loss of appetite.
• Fever, nausea.
• However, the disease is not dangerous; taking medication will lead to a quick recovery.

Disease Prevention:

• Regularly maintain cleanliness for the child.
• Avoid dust, maintain respiratory hygiene, eat well-cooked food, consume plenty of fruits and vegetables,...
• When outdoors, make the child wear a mask, avoid letting the child play in polluted or unhealthy environments.
• And it's essential to have knowledge to help the child prevent and treat illnesses effectively.

Seasonal allergies are not infections, so there's no need to worry. They may be due to individual hormones, making people prone to seasonal allergies triggered by weather changes: sneezing, runny or stuffy nose, and seasonal changes in the air. Commonly seen in children.

Symptoms:

• Sneezing, runny nose, or nasal congestion.
• Tearing and itchy eyes.
• Itchy sinuses, throat, or ears.
• Ear congestion.
  

Disease Prevention:

• Regularly maintain cleanliness for the child.
• Eat well-cooked food and wash hands before meals.
• Instill in the child the habit of washing hands before eating and after using the restroom.
• We must have good knowledge to implement effective preventive measures for the baby.