When the patient is a child, medical care North Tonawanda NY often consists of a combination of routine well-child visits and periodic evaluations for illness. Children are more susceptible to infectious disease because they often spend a lot of time in close proximity to one another and because their immune systems are still developing.
There are certain diseases that are more likely to affect children. In developed countries, access to medical care and immunizations often prevents these diseases from becoming too serious. However, in developing countries, they can, and often do, prove fatal.
1. Measles
Spread by an airborne virus and highly contagious, measles is characterized by a rash that eventually spreads all over the body from the upper neck and face. Possible complications of measles include bronchitis, encephalitis, and pneumonia. A measles vaccine is available to prevent infection.
2. Meningitis
The meninges are thin layers of tissue lining the spinal cord and the brain. Meningitis is an infection of this tissue. It can be either viral or bacterial in nature. It is possible to vaccinate against only some strains. Meningitis is an extremely serious condition that can cause death or severe complications.
3. Diarrhea
Diarrhea has many different causes, one of which is a bacterial or viral infection in the intestinal tract. A child with diarrhea can become dangerously dehydrated due to the significant loss of fluids and should drink an oral rehydration solution as recommended by a doctor to replace fluids and prevent dehydration.
4. Chickenpox
Chickenpox is a disease strongly associated with childhood. It is usually more severe when contracted as an adult than in childhood. Nevertheless, it can cause complications that can sometimes be dangerous. Not only that, but the varicella virus that causes chickenpox can also cause shingles later in life. Though not life-threatening, shingles is extremely painful and can cause debilitating complications.
Once accepted as a part of growing up, chickenpox is now preventable with a vaccine. For people who have already had chickenpox and have the varicella virus inside them, there is also a vaccination for shingles.