Kids Health Blog

Measles, can be prevented?

When Europeans first went to places like Australia and America they took the measles virus with them (there were people who were sick with measles among the settlers). Many people in those places (indigenous people) caught measles and many people died because no one in those places had ever had measles before and there was no immunity to it.

Measles, also called rubeola, is a highly contagious respiratory infection that’s caused by a virus. It causes a total-body skin rash and flu-like symptoms, including a fever, cough, and runny nose. Though rare in the United States, 20 million cases occur worldwide every year. (more…)

Sinusitis should not be underestimated

The bones of the skull contain air-filled chambers (sinuses). The sinuses are four sets of hollow spaces that are located in the cheekbones, the forehead, behind the nasal passages, and deep in the brain. Sinuses are lined with the same mucous membranes that line the nose and mouth.

A sinus infection is a bacterial infection of one of the sinuses that normally drain into the nose. When someone has a cold or allergies and the nasal passages become swollen and make more mucus, so do the sinus tissues. The drainage system for the sinuses can get blocked, and mucus can become trapped in the sinuses. Bacteria, viruses, and fungi can grow there and lead to sinusitis. (more…)

Pinkeye (Conjunctivitis)

Conjunctivitis, commonly known as pinkeye, is an inflammation of the conjunctiva, the clear membrane that covers the white part of the eye and the inner surface of the eyelids. This is when the conjunctiva (say con-junk-ty-a) (the lining of the eyelids and the front part of the white of the eye) gets sore, red and watery. The eye may be sore or itchy and eyelids might stick together with yellow pus. It feels like there is something in eye. Most times it is caused by a viral or bacterial infection (germs).

It can also be caused by allergies, hay fever, chlorine from swimming in pool water, or sometimes it is part of having an illness like measles.

While pinkeye can be alarming because it may make the eyes extremely red and can spread rapidly, it’s a fairly common condition and usually causes no long-term eye or vision damage. But if your child shows symptoms of pinkeye, it’s important to see a doctor. Some kinds of pinkeye go away on their own, but other types require treatment. (more…)

Are Your Kids Have a Food Allergies?

Food allergies occur due to immunity to a particular food component. People suffering from food allergies need to be cautious as they give from mild to life threatening symptoms. Allergy to a particular food can even trigger anaphylactic shock, which results in breathing problems, and a drop in blood pressure. Food allergies are not very common but are mostly found in young children.

Some of the most deadly allergies are those caused by food. While some people have no allergies, others are allergic to one or more things. Food allergies are difficult, however, because the offending particle is actually ingested, and therefore harder to remove. (more…)

Puberty in Girls

Two parts of the brain called the hypothalamus (hy-po-thal-a-mus) and the pituitary (pit-u-it-ary) gland start making a lot more of some hormones including growth hormone, LH (lute-in-ising hormone) and FSH (follicle stimulating hormone). These hormones act on other parts of your body to make the changes happen. Both boys and girls have these hormones but they act on different parts of their bodies.

these hormones work on their ovaries (where all the eggs that they might ever use have been stored since before they were born), as well as on their adrenal glands, so that they make more of the female sex hormones such as oestrogen (say east-row-jen) and progesterone (pro-jest-ter-own).

Both boys and girls have some of all of these hormones but boys have more androgens and girls have more oestrogens, and the different levels of these hormones make the differences in their bodies. It is the action of these hormones getting your body ready for adult life that we call Puberty. (more…)

The Problem of Pre-Menstrual Syndrome

The word menstruation (say men-strew-ay-shun) comes from a Latin word ‘mens’ which means month. Most girls and women have their periods about once a month. Menstruation is the shedding of the uterine lining (endometrium). Menstruation (a period) is a major stage of puberty in girls; it’s one of the many physical signs that a girl is turning into a woman. And like a lot of the other changes associated with puberty, menstruation can be confusing. Some girls can’t wait to start their periods, whereas others may feel afraid or anxious. Many girls (and guys!) don’t have a complete understanding of a woman’s reproductive system or what actually happens during the menstrual cycle, making the process seem even more mysterious.

Everyone knows the teen years can be difficult — for both teens and parents. All those physical changes during puberty can make adolescents feel awkward and unsure of themselves. This is particularly true for girls when it comes to menstruation. For a girl, getting her first period is a physical milestone and a sign of becoming a woman. But it can also be confusing and scary, particularly if she encounters certain problems like irregular periods or premenstrual syndrome (PMS). (more…)

Hepatitis A In Children

Hepatitis A is an infection caused by a virus. People usually get hepatitis A from eating contaminated food or water. The hepatitis A virus (HAV) may not cause any symptoms or it may cause fever, tiredness, loss of appetite, nausea, abdominal pain, and jaundice. This disease can cause adults and children to miss a lot of work and school and it can damage the liver. A small number of people a year die from liver failure caused by this virus.

In children, the most common form of hepatitis is hepatitis A (also called infectious hepatitis). This form is caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV), which lives in the stools (feces or poop) of infected individuals. Infected stool can be present in small amounts in food and on objects (from doorknobs to diapers). (more…)

Do not underestimate the pneumonia

Pneumonia is an infection of one or both lungs which is usually caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi. Prior to the discovery of antibiotics, one-third of all people who developed pneumonia subsequently died from the infection. Currently, over 3 million people develop pneumonia each year in the United States. Over a half a million of these people are admitted to a hospital for treatment. Although most of these people recover, approximately 5% will die from pneumonia. Pneumonia is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. (more…)

How to Our Blood Works

Humans can’t live without blood. Without blood, the body’s organs couldn’t get the oxygen and nutrients they need to survive, we couldn’t keep warm or cool off, fight infections, or get rid of our own waste products. Without enough blood, we’d weaken and die.

Blood is a specialized bodily fluid that delivers necessary substances to the body’s cells – such as nutrients and oxygen – and transports waste products away from those same cells. (more…)

Shigella Infection (Shigellosis)

Shigella (or shigellosis) is an infectious disease which can cause diarrhoea, fever and stomach cramps. It is usually caught from another person, but it can be caught from contaminated food or water.

Shigella are bacteria that can infect the digestive tract and cause a wide range of symptoms, from diarrhea, cramping, vomiting, and nausea, to more serious complications and illnesses. Infections, called shigellosis, sometimes go away on their own; in others, antibiotics can shorten the course of the illness. (more…)