“Allergic to What?” – Allergies in Kids, And What To Do About Them

No matter what season it is, allergies are inevitable. As frustrating as it may be, allergic reactions are a natural part of life even with all the medication and information we have in our modern world. Most allergies are not very harmful but understanding their nuances is an important thing to be aware of because they can lead to certain respiratory issues if gone untreated. This is most certainly the case with children because they are more likely than adults to not know the signs or ignore them due to their adolescent behavior. It’s up to you, the parent, to inform and protect your child from these pesky allergens so let’s explore the different types and symptoms that make your child sneeze, cough, and wheeze.

What Are Allergies?

Allergies are abnormal immune system reactions to specific things that are usually harmless to most people. This causes symptoms that can range from minor to possibly life-threatening. Common allergens include certain foods, dust, plant pollen, and medicines.

How Do Allergies Happen?

If a child with an allergy is exposed to that allergen, their immune system mistakenly believes it’s harming their body. It overreacts, treating the substance as an invader, attempting to fight it off. The immune system makes antibodies called immunoglobulin E to protect the body. These cause certain cells to release chemicals into the bloodstream to defend against the allergen “invader”. It’s the release of these chemicals that causes allergic reactions. Reactions can affect the eyes, nose, throat, lungs, skin, and gastrointestinal tract. Future exposure to that same allergen will trigger this allergic response again.

Types of Allergies

There are different types of allergies that children may be exposed to. The first would be Airborne Allergies. This would include dust mites, pollen, molds, pets, and cockroaches.

The next would-be food allergies, this is especially common. Fish, eggs, cow’s milk, shellfish, tree nuts, soy, wheat, and sesame are all typical foods that a child may find themselves allergic to. Sometimes a child may have a small cough or light rash but in more serious cases a child can be so allergic to one of these foods that they may need to be rushed to the hospital. It is crucial to be aware of how allergic your child is to one or more of these foods to prevent serious consequences.

Other common allergies would be certain medications, an insect sting, bite, or chemicals. Some cosmetics or laundry detergents can make children break out in hives. Usually, this is because someone has a reaction to the chemicals in these products. Dyes, household cleaners, and pesticides also can cause allergic reactions in some children.

Why Do Kids Get Allergies?

The tendency to develop allergies is often hereditary. They can be passed down through genes from parents to their kids. But just because a parent has allergies doesn’t mean that their kids will get them. And someone usually doesn’t inherit a particular allergy, just the likelihood of having allergies. Some kids have allergies even if no family member is allergic. Unfortunately, kids who are allergic to one thing often are allergic to others.

There are times when children will have cross-reactions. For example, children who are allergic to birch pollen might have symptoms when they eat an apple because that apple contains a protein like one in the pollen. And for reasons that aren’t clear, people with a latex allergy are more likely to be allergic to foods like kiwi, chestnuts, avocados, and bananas.

Allergy Symptoms

Some allergens may cause sneezing, a runny nose, itchy eyes and ears, and a sore throat. Other items on the list, such as foods, may cause hives (a red, bumpy, itchy skin rash), a stuffy nose, stomach cramps, vomiting, or diarrhea.

There are times when allergens can cause breathing problems like wheezing and shortness of breath. Some allergens, such as foods, are a problem all year long. But others might bother people only during certain seasons. For instance, you might be allergic to pollen from trees, which is present in the air only in the spring.

How Do I Find Out if My Child Has Allergies?

If your child sneezes and itches a lot, wheezes, or often gets sick after eating a certain food, they should get checked for allergies. They will ask your child many questions about their health, about the animals and plants in your home, and about the foods they eat. Your child’s answer will provide clues about what they might be allergic to, and the healthcare provider may ask them to stay away from a pet or stop eating a certain food to see if their symptoms go away.

The healthcare provider may send your youngster to an allergist, a special healthcare provider who helps people who have allergies. An allergist may give them a scratch test to see if a tiny bit of an allergen will cause a reaction on their skin. They will feel a quick pinch when the doctor makes the scratch or scratches. If they are allergic, one or more spots will become bumpy, itchy, and red.

Things That are Mistaken for Allergies

Common Cold

Is it a cold or allergies? Both conditions can cause watery eyes, a runny nose, and sneezing. This may require some investigating to see which one you are experiencing, but if you take over-the-counter drugs and they don’t seem to be doing the trick, there is a good chance you have a cold and not an allergic reaction.

Chronic Hives

Many people mistake chronic hives for allergies. This is understandable as some allergic reactions cause hives, which are characterized by itchy patches of skin that turn into swollen red welts. Hives may be triggered by pet dander, foods such as cow’s milk, tree nuts, and shellfish, certain medications, or pollen, and tend to go away as the allergic symptoms are treated. However, chronic hives last for more than six weeks and may last months or years. If the cause cannot be identified even after a detailed history and testing, the condition is called chronic idiopathic urticaria. Chronic hives may also be associated with thyroid disease, other hormonal problems, or in very rare instances, cancer.

Eczema

Eczema is a chronic, inflammatory skin condition, and although sufferers may develop asthma and sensitivities or allergies to foods and airborne allergens, eczema itself is not an allergy. However, the skin appears very dry and inflamed, resulting in a similar appearance to allergic contact dermatitis, which is a skin allergy that occurs when a person has exposure to a particular material.

Heat Rash

A heat rash is often mistaken for an allergy. The best thing to do is avoid strenuous exercise when it is very warm, use air conditioning and fans in hot weather, take cool showers and baths, dry your skin thoroughly after bathing, wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothes, and drink plenty of fluids to cool the body and to keep hydrated.

Sleep Apnea

If you regularly wake up with a dry throat and tired feeling, you might wonder if you have an allergy when the culprit could be sleep apnea. It is not age-specific, nor does it affect only overweight people. Signs of sleep apnea would be feeling unrefreshed after a full night’s sleep, frequent awakenings during the night, excessive daytime sleepiness or fatigue, being overweight, restless sleep, waking up with headaches, and nighttime acid reflux.

Food Intolerance

People often confuse food intolerance with a food allergy, but there’s a big difference. Food intolerance may often mimic a food allergy by causing nausea and vomiting, but it is not life-threatening. Children may experience symptoms such as diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, or fatigue. An intolerance is not an immune response, and the symptoms generally relate to stomach issues. While an intolerance to a food may make you miserable, a true food allergy can be potentially life-threatening.

Insect Bites

Insect bites can sometimes mimic hives, a skin allergy that can occur in response to ingested allergens, so it’s easy for people to misdiagnose themselves. Like hives, insect bites may appear as raised, itchy bumps, either red or skin-colored.

How Are Allergies Treated?

Sadly, there is no cure for allergies, but symptoms can be managed. The best way to deal with them is to avoid allergens. You should speak to your kids often about the allergy itself and the reactions they can have if they consume or encounter the allergen. It is also important to tell your child’s teachers, family members, and parents of your child’s friends, about your child’s allergy.

If avoiding environmental allergens isn’t possible or doesn’t help, healthcare providers might prescribe medicines, including antihistamines, eye drops, and nasal sprays. In some cases, medical professionals recommend allergy shots to help desensitize a child to an allergen. But these are only helpful for allergens such as dust, mold, pollens, animals, and insect stings. They are not used for food allergies.

Afterthought on Allergies

At some point, your child is going to experience the annoyance of allergies. It may be minor sniffling and coughing, or something more serious like a tree nut or shellfish allergy but nine out of ten times over-the-counter drugs or antibiotics will do the trick and if that doesn’t work the professionals at Chai Care can take a deeper look. Our trained staff is fully equipped to give a proper diagnosis and supply excellent advice so your child can live a proactive and healthy life!

* Legal disclaimer: The content of this article and the entire Chai Care blog is for educational purposes only; it does NOT constitute medical advice and must not be considered as such. Please consult a medical professional regarding any symptoms or health concerns you or your loved ones.

“My Tummy Hurts!” – Abdominal Pain in Kids: Causes And Treatment

We can all recall a time when we as children had awful stomach pain or aches. Chances are you were hunched over, gripping your stomach in agony, claiming someone was stabbing your intestines with a knife. Dramatic and exaggerated, but when you’re a kid, everything is theatrical. Some of those incidents were no big deal. Just a minor cramp or nausea from eating too much candy before bed, but other times it may have been serious, so much so that medical attention was needed due to a parasite or appendicitis. Abdominal pain in children can vary from minor to major in the blink of an eye, which is why it is so important to be vigilant of the signs and symptoms.

Causes of Stomach Pain

If your child is experiencing stomach pain, it is most likely due to indigestion, constipation, stress, irritable bowel syndrome, appendicitis, or a stomach bug. These are the most common complaints that a child will have regarding stomach issues and fortunately, over counter drugs or a quick visit to your healthcare provider will help. However, stomach pain is more complicated than you might think. Depending on where the child is feeling the pain, this can change the diagnosis and the severity of the injury.

Around the Belly Button

Stomach pain around the belly button is the most common complaint among children and in most cases, the least significant. The culprit of this discomfort is typically attributed to stress or eating something unagreeable. The best action to take for your child who is struggling with this would be to encourage them to rest, check to see if they need to poop, suggest drinking a glass of water, or offer a distraction of sorts. Reading a soothing story or playing a light-hearted game can take their mind off the pain and before they know it, they’ll forget all about it!

Lower Right Part of the Abdomen

Pain in the lower right side of the abdomen can be much more serious, potentially hinting that your child may have appendicitis. Appendicitis is a serious medical emergency that can cause sudden, severe pain in the lower right part of your child’s stomach. If your child complains of stomach pain that moves to the lower right side of the belly, watch for other symptoms including fever, nausea, vomiting, difficulty passing gas, loss of appetite, constipation, and diarrhea. If you suspect that your child has appendicitis, contact your healthcare provider immediately. Early diagnosis decreases the risk of a ruptured appendix or serious complications.

Lower Left Side of the Abdomen

If your child is complaining about pain on the left side of their stomach, it could be caused by constipation or a more severe condition like pancreatitis. Most of the time, stomach pain on the left side is due to something mild, like constipation. Rarely, it can be a sign of something more serious. Your child’s healthcare provider can work with you to better understand the pain and symptoms your child experiences to ensure they receive an accurate diagnosis.

Upper Right Side of the Abdomen

If your child is complaining about pain in their upper abdomen, they may be experiencing indigestion. Telltale signs of indigestion include pain in the upper belly, nausea, bloating, burping, and heartburn. It is also worth mentioning that if your child has pain in the upper right side of their abdomen, this could also be a sign of gallstones. Gallstones are more common in adults than in children, but some children may be more at risk for developing gallstones, including children with obesity, children with certain health conditions including sickle cell disease, and children with a family history of gallstone disease.

Most Common Causes of Abdominal Pain

Indigestion

This is a general term that describes discomfort in children’s upper abdomen. Common symptoms include pain or burning in the area between the breastbone and navel or bloating in the upper abdomen. Most of the time, indigestion will go away on its own and is not considered serious. Prepare smaller meals and try a bland diet. Talk with their healthcare provider if the discomfort persists.

Viral gastroenteritis (stomach flu)

This is an infection marked by watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps, pain, and nausea or vomiting. Seek medical attention if your child has a fever of 100.4 F or higher, bloody diarrhea, or significant pain or discomfort. The most important thing to do is to stay well-hydrated.

Constipation

Constipated children have infrequent bowel movements or hard, dry stools. They may frequently complain of a stomachache, bloating, or discomfort. Talk with their primary care provider if they don’t want to eat, are losing weight, have bloody stools, or are having repeated episodes of constipation.

Stress or anxiety

When children are stressed or anxious, their bodies release the hormone cortisol into the blood. This can trigger abdominal cramps and discomfort.

Appendicitis

Appendicitis is an inflammation of the appendix. It causes sudden pain that begins around the navel and then moves to the lower right abdomen. The pain worsens if children cough, walk or make other jarring movements. Appendicitis pain typically increases and eventually becomes severe. Appendicitis is a medical emergency, and these children should receive immediate medical attention.

Appendicitis is one of the more common reasons your child may need surgery. The appendix is a small, dead-end tube leading from a part of the bowel. If this tube gets blocked, it can cause an infection. Appendicitis can happen at any age but is rare in young children.

The pain often starts in the middle of the tummy and moves down low on the right side. The stomach becomes sore to the touch. This is often worse with coughing and walking around. A child with appendicitis often shows signs of being unwell such as fever, refusing food, vomiting, or diarrhea.

If you are concerned your child may be developing appendicitis, visit your healthcare provider. An operation is often needed to remove the appendix, although in some cases the problem will settle without surgery.

Intestinal obstruction

Intestinal obstruction is a blockage that prevents food or liquid from passing through children’s small intestines or colon. It could be caused by scar tissue, a twisting or narrowing of the intestine, or if they swallow an object. Common symptoms include abdominal pain that comes and goes and is located around or below the navel, constipation, inability to pass gas, swelling of the abdomen, or vomiting. Seek immediate medical attention if children are suspected to have an intestinal obstruction.

Diagnosis of the Abdominal Pain

Typically, when the problem is obvious there are no tests needed. However, if tests are needed, they may include blood or urine tests, stool samples, or other special tests for further examination. If your child does undergo tests, the healthcare provider should explain the results to you. Some results may take several days to come back, and these results will be sent to your primary care physician.

Stomach pain in children is usually nothing to worry about. But, if your child experiences any of the following symptoms, take your little one to their healthcare provider: diarrhea, pain when urinating, unexplained weight loss, jaundice, blood in stool, and recurrent stomach pain with no clear cause. From there, a medical professional can help you determine how severe the illness is.

Treatment of the Abdominal Pain

Your child’s treatment will depend on what your healthcare provider determines is causing their pain. Treatment may be as simple as sending your child home with advice to rest, take fluids and eat a bland diet. Other treatment options include hospital admission and surgery. A few general suggestions would be to make sure your child gets plenty of rest and have them drink plenty of clear fluids such as cooled boiled water or juice. Do not push your child to eat if they feel unwell. If they are hungry, have them eat bland food like crackers or bananas and place a hot water bag on their stomach.

If your child doesn’t seem to be getting any better and their symptoms have manifested into more severe signs such as vomiting, blood in urine or stool, painful skin rash, fever, or chills, then you should take your child to Chai Care to have them checked out by our skilled medical professionals.

* Legal disclaimer: The content of this article and the entire Chai Care blog is for educational purposes only; it does NOT constitute medical advice and must not be considered as such. Please consult a medical professional regarding any symptoms or health concerns you or your loved ones may have.

Dec 15, 2022

Nursing a Nursemaid’s Elbow

“History will judge us by the difference we make in the everyday lives of children.” – Nelson Mandela.

Our obligation as adults is to protect our youth by any means necessary. The best way to do that is by staying informed about new scientific studies and taking advice from medical professionals on how to best help and nurture the children of the world. Because of their lack of knowledge and experience, toddlers depend on us to guide them through all the dangers and illnesses that may come their way. Even the safest and most responsible adults make mistakes now and again, which is why we are going to dive into everything you need to know about—”nursemaid’s elbow”.

What is Nursemaid’s Elbow?

When most people hear the words “nursemaid’s elbow” they are surprised to learn that it has anything to do with young children due to its strange name. In simple terms, nursemaid’s elbow occurs when the radius (one of the bones in the forearm) slides out of place from where it is normally attached to the elbow joint. It is a common condition in children younger than four years of age. Other names include pulled elbow, slipped elbow, or toddler’s elbow. The medical term for Nursemaid’s Elbow is “radial head subluxation”.

Let’s say you are out on the town, taking a leisurely stroll with your toddler. The youngster notices something that catches their eye, and they begin to run towards the excitement, when the parent grabs their arm to stop them, pulls too hard, and suddenly contracts the hand or forearm. This causes the radius to slip out of the ligament holding it into the elbow. It can also occur when an infant rolls himself or herself over, from a fall, or from pulling or swinging a young child by the hand. We all love picking up a baby and playing with them, but it’s important not to be too overzealous because the child is not fully developed to withstand such quick movements.

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Sursemaid’s Elbow?

Nursemaid’s elbow is a tricky injury because it usually occurs to toddlers and young children who may not be able to articulate what exactly the problem is, leaving it up to the parent or guardian to figure it out. At first glance, nursemaid’s elbow may not be obvious and can easily go unnoticed, but the child will usually cry from the discomfort. Other important signs to look for would be: if the child avoids moving their arm below the shoulder, supports one arm with the other hand, holds their arm straight or slightly bent and close to the body, or if they refuse to rotate their palm.

In other words: if the child lacks mobility and demonstrates discomfort and flexibility in the arm, there is a good chance they are experiencing nursemaid’s elbow.

Now that you know the symptoms, the next question is:

Is Nursemaid’s Elbow an Emergency?

The simple answer is: Yes.

Normal use of the arm will be painful and inhibited until the injury is corrected, which is why it is crucial to seek medical attention as soon as possible. There are certain cases where nursemaid’s elbow has corrected itself, but there is no reason to take that gamble, especially when dealing with children. Let your healthcare provider be the one to examine your child to make sure there are no fractures or breaks and once the examiner does that, they can begin the process of correcting the injury.

Diagnosis & Treatment of Nursemaid’s Elbow

After your child has been officially diagnosed by your healthcare provider, they will perform a physical exam and ask a series of questions about what happened at the time of the injury. This physical exam will test your child’s range of motion and see if there is any tenderness at the elbow. The treatment is a simple, but effective physical maneuver called “nursemaid elbow reduction”. Lasting only a few seconds, the healthcare provider will perform the reduction by gently flexing and rotating the arm. If you hear a “pop” sound, don’t be alarmed! This is simply the joint moving back into place. As far as imaging tests are concerned, they often won’t show evidence of nursemaid’s elbow, however, an X-ray can be used to rule out a fracture or break.

Even though you should seek medical attention to have the joint corrected by a professional, there are forms of treatment you can do on your own. There are plenty of over-the-counter drugs to help your child manage the pain and applying ice to the injured area will also help. There are some adults out there who have attempted the correction maneuver themselves, this is not well advised.

Recovery begins immediately after your child’s elbow has been reduced. The best part is your child will only feel pain for a few seconds, but soon after will feel as good as new!

Prevention of Nursemaid’s Elbow

Now that you know what nursemaid’s elbow is and what signs to look for, let’s discuss a few simple ways to prevent this from happening. The best thing to do is avoid pulling or jerking your child by the arm or hand. This may sound simple, but when a child attempts to cross a street before looking both ways or their curiosity gravitates them to something that can harm them, your parental instincts kick in, telling you to pull them out of the way. Even though you are trying to protect them, you may actually hurt them in the process. Another method would be to use verbal cues instead of physical ones to get their attention and lastly, try not to swing your child around by the hands or arms for fun. Many parents do this because it’s entertaining and puts a smile on their child’s face, but this is probably the most common way children suffer from nursemaid’s elbow.

Afterthought

If the healthcare provider has successfully corrected the joint, nursemaid’s elbow should not come back but it is worth noting that a child who has had this injury is more likely to have it again, than someone who hasn’t. This is because the injury stretches the ligaments, making it harder to hold the bone in place. A child who has experienced Nursemaid’s Elbow may have looser ligaments in general too. Fortunately, as children grow, their bones and ligaments will become stronger, making nursemaid’s elbow highly unlikely after a child turns five years old.

We are privileged to live in a country where we have countless urgent care facilities that are staffed with exceptional medical professionals who can easily help if your child experiences nursemaid’s elbow. This is an injury that should not go un-diagnosed and luckily for you, Chai Care will always be here to supply you with the top-notch service and sensitive care that your child deserves!

* Legal disclaimer: The content of this article and the entire Chai Care blog is for educational purposes only; it does NOT constitute medical advice and must not be considered as such. Please consult a medical professional regarding any symptoms or health concerns you or your loved ones.

Abscess Obsession

It is no secret that children are the most vulnerable people on the planet. Because of their youth and lack of experience, our moral responsibility as adults is to make sure that we are well-informed about various medical emergencies. We can almost expect that there will come a time when we will need to see the signs or symptoms of any minor or serious injuries that a child may experience. Of course, a medical professional will be the one who calls the final shots. However, before seeing a healthcare provider, you, as the parent, will be the one to notice if your son or daughter is experiencing something out of the ordinary. One common injury a child can endure is the development of an abscess.

What is an Abscess?

Painful and warm to the touch, abscesses can virtually show up anywhere on your body. However, the most common sites are in the armpits, areas around the anus and vagina, the base of the spine, around a tooth, and in the groin. It’s also important to note that inflammation around a hair follicle can also lead to the formation of an abscess, which is called a boil.

Unlike other infections, antibiotics alone will not usually cure an abscess. In general, an abscess must be opened and drained for it to improve. Sometimes draining occurs on its own, but generally, it must be opened with the help of a warm compress or by a doctor in a procedure called ‘Incision and Drainage.’

Sadly, kids are more prone to abscesses because they’re less likely to tend and clean their wounds, putting them at risk for these nasty infections. Foreign objects that get inside a wound, like sand or clothing fibers, can also lead to abscesses, as can irritated hair follicles.

Types of Abscesses

The first kind of abscess we’ll discuss is skin abscesses. This is when bacteria get under the surface of your skin, and an abscess forms. This can occur anywhere on the body, although skin abscesses tend to be more common in the underarms, genitals, buttocks, trunk, hands, and feet. When this happens, bacteria will creep underneath your skin and cause an abscess. If you have a minor skin wound, such as a small cut, gash, or a sebaceous gland (oil gland) or sweat gland, this can lead to an abscess as well.

Then there are internal abscesses. These develop inside of the stomach and are caused by an infection reaching tissue deeper within the body. This can occur because of an injury, abdominal surgery, or an infection spreading from a nearby wound or cut. Unfortunately, there are numerous ways an infection can spread in the abdomen and cause an abscess to develop. For example, a lung abscess may form after a bacterial infection in your lungs, such as pneumonia, and a burst appendix can spread bacteria within your abdomen. If your child is experiencing high temperature, increased sweating, chills, pain in their stomach, or loss of appetite and weight, your child may be experiencing an internal abscess.

Lastly, there are tooth abscesses. This is when a pocket of pus that’s caused by a bacterial infection poison one of your teeth. The abscess can occur in different areas near the tooth for different reasons. A periapical abscess occurs at the tip of the root. A periodontal abscess occurs in the gums at the side of a tooth root. A periapical tooth abscess usually occurs because of an untreated dental cavity, an injury, or prior dental work. The resulting infection with irritation and swelling can cause an abscess at the tip of the root. Symptoms to look out for are severe toothaches that spread to the jawbone, neck, and ear, pain with hot and cold temperatures, pain when chewing, fever, swelling in the face, tender or swollen lymph nodes, and foul mouth odor.

Traditionally, dentists will treat a tooth abscess by draining it and getting rid of the infection. They may be able to save your tooth with a root canal treatment. But in some cases, the tooth may need to be pulled. Leaving a tooth abscess untreated can lead to serious, even life-threatening, complications so make sure to take your little one to the dentist ASAP!

What Causes an Abscess?

The most common way someone may contract an abscess is from infection with staphylococcal bacteria. From there, bacteria enter the body, and the immune system sends white blood cells to fight the infection. This causes swelling at the site of infection and the death of nearby tissue. A cavity is created, which fills with pus to form an abscess. The pus contains a mixture of dead tissue, white blood cells, and bacteria. The abscess may get larger and more painful as the infection continues and more pus is produced. Some types of staphylococcal bacteria produce a toxin called Panton-Valentine leucocidin, which kills white blood cells. This causes the body to make more cells to keep fighting the infection and can lead to repeated skin infections. However, in rare cases, an abscess may be caused by a virus, fungi, or parasites.

Abscess Treatment

Finally, some good news! Most abscesses can be treated at home. If the abscess is small (less than 1 cm or less than a half-inch across), applying warm compresses to the area for about 30 minutes 4 times daily may help. Do not attempt to drain the abscess by squeezing or pressing on it. This can push the infected material into the deeper tissues. Also, do not attempt to stick a needle or other sharp instruments into the abscess center, because you may injure an underlying blood vessel or cause the infection to spread. It’s important to make sure your child avoids touching, pushing, popping, or squeezing the abscess because that can easily spread the infection or push it deeper inside the body, only making things worse. An easy way to prevent spreading the infection is by not letting your child share clothes, towels, washcloths, sheets, or anything that may have touched the abscess.

Even though you can take it upon yourself to treat your little one, seeing a healthcare provider is highly recommended to ensure full safety. The trained professional will be skilled enough to cut open the abscess and completely drain the pus and debris. Once the sore has drained, the doctor may insert some packing into the remaining cavity to allow the infection to continue to drain. It may be kept open for a day or two. A bandage will then be placed over the packing, and you will be given instructions about home care. Most children will feel better immediately after the abscess is drained. If the child is still experiencing pain, the doctor may prescribe antibiotics for home use over the next few days.

Abscess Prevention

Continuing on the good news train, abscesses of all kinds can be prevented by practicing good hygiene. Keep all cuts and wounds clean, dry, and covered with a bandage to protect them from germs. It is also important to teach kids to wash their hands often and well, using soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water aren’t handy, it’s OK to use alcohol-based instant hand sanitizers or wipes.

Fortunately, once treated the abscess should heal and your child will forget all about it. Even though there are rare cases in which abscesses shave led to serious illnesses, the chances of that happening are extremely low if you make sure to follow these simple steps. Abscesses can be nasty, and many people become squeamish at the sight of them, but the staff at Chai Care are trained professionals who can take care of them in no time!

* Legal disclaimer: The content of this article and the entire Chai Care blog is for educational purposes only; it does NOT constitute medical advice and must not be considered as such. Please consult a medical professional regarding any symptoms or health concerns you or your loved ones.

Dec 12, 2022

Pinworms vs Your Kid

Here’s a little bit of trivia for you:

You can exercise daily, check up on your mental health regularly and count your carbs, fats, and proteins down to the exact milligram – and still become sick with a minor or even life-threatening illness, when you least expect it. Our unforgiving world gives every creature about an equal chance for survival, and this includes the kinds of creatures that we wish would never exist.

Fortunately, human beings, the single most dominant species on our planet, have evolved to develop rational thinking, so we’re slightly better prepared to handle these unexpected problems, by absorbing as much information as possible and by applying our knowledge into practice.

So, hopefully, after reading this, you will know everything you need to know about one very important and very unpleasant parasite:

Pinworms

Don’t know what pinworms are? Don’t sweat it. Many people don’t and those that claim to know have a rudimentary understanding of the parasitic worm. Even with all our scientific advances, cures, and medications, these creepy crawlers are extremely common. They have been running amok for as long as humans have been around. Fortunately, they are treatable, so don’t fret!

What exactly are pinworms?

How do you treat the infection?

Glad you asked! Without further ado, here is everything you need to know about pinworms.

Simply put, pinworms are white parasitic worms that live in the large intestine of human beings. They are about one-half inch to a full inch in size and while the infected person sleeps, female pinworms leave the intestinal tract and lay their eggs on the skin around the anus. The eggs are laid in a sticky, jelly-like substance that, along with the wriggling of the female pinworm, causes severe itching.

Who is most likely to contract pinworms?

Super-gross and maybe even too much information, but it’s important to know because this is the most common worm infection in the United States. Young children have the highest infection rate due to below-average sanitary conditions in schools, daycare centers, and recreational facilities. Even though these grimy facilities play a major factor, let’s face it, children tend to care less about cleanliness than adults. Kids like to play first and think later, paying no attention to such things as pinworms which is why we must protect them.

How do pinworms spread?

The easiest way for your child to spread pinworms is if they have scratched his or her bare anal area and the eggs get under his or her fingernails without proper hand washing. They can also be transferred from the fingers to clothing or bedding, and then spread around the home, and believe it or not, the eggs may be inhaled from the air or deposited onto food and swallowed. It’s important to note that even if your child may have seemingly healed, pinworms can survive up to two weeks on clothing, bedding, or other objects if kept at room temperature. So even though your child may be in the clear, make sure to do a deep clean of your home to ensure that you have completely eradicated the parasite.

What are the symptoms of pinworms?

The most common symptoms of pinworms are extreme itching in the anal/vaginal area, difficulty sleeping, and irritability but other symptoms that are important to be aware of are nervousness, restlessness, loss of appetite, insomnia, poor concentration, weight loss, sweet cravings, teeth grinding, mood swings, bed wetting, and fatigue. These additional symptoms may be due to other illnesses – so the next step to take is searching for the female worm or egg which will confirm if your child has pinworms or not.

Pinworms can be sneaky and usually only reveal themselves in the evening. The adult worms can sometimes be seen directly around the anal area or in pajamas. If the worms are not visible, you may try conducting something known as a “tape test” in the morning. You do this by applying a piece of transparent tape against the folds of skin around the anus to pick up any eggs or worms and then seal it in a plastic bag. After this, take the tape to a medical professional, where the eggs can be identified under a microscope, for an official diagnosis. We may be biased, but we strongly believe that Chai Care is one of the best places to visit for expert medical help. Please consider visiting one of our urgent care centers if your child experiences the symptoms of pinworm infection!

Let’s paint a picture. Your child hasn’t been acting like themselves lately. They are restless, losing weight, have severe mood swings, and have been complaining about a never-ending itch located in their anus. You take a look and notice a half-inch-long white worm. Now what?

How to get rid of pinworms?

There are both over-the-counter and prescription drugs one can take but consult with a healthcare provider before doing so. Once you received a legitimate diagnosis, next comes treating the infected.

The infected person should take the prescribed medicine orally. The medicine is given in two doses. The second dose should be given two weeks after the first. It’s crucial for the person to bathe first thing in the morning to reduce egg contamination and prevent it from spreading. Essentially, it’s best to be as clean as possible. Make sure your child washes their hands and under the fingernails thoroughly. Whether this is after using the bathroom, before eating, or after any activity, it’s paramount that they scrub their hands with warm water and soap. During this time, avoid nail biting and scratching bare anal areas to avoid re-infection. Most people don’t know this, but parasites live off bacteria/sugar. So, during this time, it is best to cut down on your child’s sugar intake. Lastly, it is important to know that when one person in a household contracts pinworms, usually another family member does too so make sure to treat all infected family members at the same time.

Now that your child is treated, it’s time to treat your home. Make sure to change all the sheets, pillowcases, and bedspreads, and thoroughly wash them with hot water along with all the underwear, pants, shorts, and clothing to ensure maximum cleanliness. During the daytime keep all blinds open because the eggs are ultra-sensitive to sunlight. Pinworm eggs are light and scatter easily so dust should be removed carefully from all surfaces in the home. Be extra careful when vacuuming or use an oiled cloth (which may be boiled or destroyed later) to help prevent the eggs from scattering.

You did it! Now that your child is finally pinworm-free, how do you prevent this from ever happening again?

How to prevent pinworm reinfection?

It’s simple. Make sure they wash their hands and underneath the fingernails frequently, bathe daily, encourage them to avoid scratching their bare anal areas, and change and wash clothing and bedding frequently. It’s important to note that pinworm eggs continue to be present (excreted) in the feces of an infected person for up to a week after the treatment, so precautions should be taken to prevent reinfection by washing hands thoroughly, especially under the nails.

If your child follows these simple steps, they will be in the clear, but kids sometimes have a difficult time following the rules. If your child winds up contracting the infection again, consult your healthcare provider and follow the same steps. In some cases, it may be necessary to treat the patient and close family contacts more than once for extra protection.

If your little one gets infected with pinworms, there’s no sugarcoating this: The experience will not be pleasant for them or for you as a parent. Fortunately, there are diagnostic tools and great medications readily available, and thankfully there are urgent care facilities that can offer them exceptional treatment and make sure they are as good as new in no time. If you feel that your child may have contracted pinworms, bring them down to Chai Care and we will get them treated and healthy in no time!

* Legal disclaimer: The content of this article and the entire Chai Care blog is for educational purposes only; it does NOT constitute medical advice and must not be considered as such. Please consult a medical professional regarding any symptoms or health concerns you or your loved ones.

The Scars From The Past, Part 1

Do you suffer from an odd ache here and there in your body?

You’re not alone. We plant the seeds of our future small, annoying afflictions when we’re kids, and those nasty seeds grow into full-blown weeds that can smother our blooming health right on the root.

Perhaps I’m being too poetic here, in a blog article intended to promote our everyday and urgent care services, but this is relevant. What we’re talking here is healthcare for kids and youth:

The Pediatric Healthcare

But that stretches further into life. The habits we establish as kids go far into adulthood, and one of those habits is lack of respect and appreciation of our own body: Of how fragile it is, and how much the damage we do to it will stay with it. As you want your kids to be careful around expensive furniture, or driving your expensive car on a weekend, so you want to make them appreciate that they only have one body and that body must be treated with proper care.

Childhood traumas – of mental and physical kind – should not be underestimated; they may affect the rest of our lives!

Here’s a story from my own life, I hope it resonates with you. Trust me, you don’t want this to happen to your kid.

It’s a commonly known fact that death comes after life. Sadly, this doesn’t happen to be true for most people – who don’t take the trouble to enjoy life to the fullest, and so, the live as though they’re already dead.

(That’s pretty much what I told myself back when I was a little younger.)

Back then, I was reckless, impulsive, and out of control. I embraced every moment as if it were my last because I was fortunate enough to have the foresight that life is short and should be lived to its fullest.

However…

The decisions I was making and the circumstances that I was allowing myself to fall into were significantly more harmful than rewarding.

In my youth, I didn’t think of my future. Honestly, life seemed like it would always be the same and I was the only person to ever live that Father Time wouldn’t harm. Yes, I was delusional and, in many ways, naïve and arrogant but it molded a very important journey that led me down a destructive road that would eventually transform into a more purposeful life. But I had to fall many times before getting there.

For some reason when you’re young, seeking advice, medical assistance, or simply asking for help can be difficult. You think you know everything there is to know and it’s nearly impossible to believe that someone else may be smarter than you. I have lost track of the number of times when my impulses got the best of me, but one memory comes to mind.

Misguided Youth

Growing up, there wasn’t much to do in my rural Pennsylvania town. My friends and I loved watching action movies and would always reenact intense and dangerous scenes from them, wanting to be as bold as the stars in the films. But then things escalated into full-blown stunts. No harnesses, green screens, or stunt doubles to protect us. All of us were constantly banged up, scratched, and bruised but none of us wanted to look soft, and as silly as it’ll sound, we thought that made us cool.

Our most dangerous and idiotic exploits took place on the local train tracks. Every Friday at 5 PM a massive freight train would speed by transporting who-knows-what. Normally we would play a game of chicken with the steel tube but would make sure to give ourselves plenty of time to hop out of the way before impact. But that got old quickly. The daredevil in me took over and I came up with the bright idea to dangle myself from the bridge above the tracks as the train whizzed by. Even my adventurous pals knew better and warned me not to try it. That only excited me more. I patiently waited for the train to come my way and when I saw the smoke in the distance, I prepared myself. When it was about fifty yards away, I lowered myself, realizing I was not dangling above the train but hanging directly in front of it. I was soon to be a splattered fly on the windshield. My hands were sweaty, and I overestimated my strength. Pulling myself back up to safety was impossible. In a split-second decision, I let go and dropped. One of my friends was brave enough to help me hobble off the tracks just in time before getting crushed, just like our favorite action heroes.

The pain in both my knees, ankles, and back was unlike anything I have ever experienced yet when my buddies tried to call an ambulance for me, I wouldn’t let them. I tried to laugh it off even though my bloodshot eyes said otherwise. After a few more attempts to call for medical attention, they stopped trying and assumed I was OK. Deep down, I wished more than anything that someone would come to my rescue.

Scarred for Life

Still to this day I have back issues, weak knees, and ligament damage in both ankles all because I was too stubborn and proud to see a medical professional. It’s hard for me to stay seated for long amounts of time and jogging is completely out of the question because my body hasn’t healed in the ways that it needed to. 

If only technology was quicker then I would go back in time and grab that kid by his filthy shirt collar and tell him to stop being so foolish. There was no point to it all, no one was impressed and all it left me was a life of pain. Sure, we were bold and maybe brave at times but in the long run, none of those stunts were worth it.

We are fortunate enough to live in a country where we have access to essentially unlimited amounts of medicine, hospitals, urgent care facilities, and clinics that will help us heal our bodies when needed but also supply us with proper information on how to live proactively.

Pediatric traumas of today do not need to remain untreated, and I implore you, the reader of this article: If you know a kid who needs proper care after playing or doing sports maybe a little too recklessly and having been banged up in the process – please, send them to get checked out. You’ll be surprised how much a basic urgent care visit can do for preventing the kind of recurrent pains in the joints or ligaments that too many people suffer absolutely unnecessarily!

But back to my story – unfortunately, I wasn’t as wise in my past as I am now, and the experience I described to you wasn’t enough for me to learn. That wouldn’t come for some time…

* Legal disclaimer: The content of this article and the entire Chai Care blog is for educational purposes only; it does NOT constitute medical advice and must not be considered as such. Please consult a medical professional regarding any symptoms or health concerns you or your loved ones.