Common ailments
Temperature
If your child has a high temperature but no symptoms, cool them down by keeping the room cool, taking off their clothes, sponging them with lukewarm water, keeping a cool flow of air on them with a fan, if available, and give them Paracetamol (Proprietary products include Calpol, Disprol and Panadol) or Ibuprofen.
We should see them if the temperature has not settled within 48 hours.
Coughs, Colds and Flu
These conditions are due to viral infections and are not helped by antibiotics. They usually settle after a few days.
Treat by giving plenty of fluids to drink and simple remedies such as Paracetamol, inhalation of water vapour, etc.
Simple coughs can be eased by remedies such as honey and lemon in hot water, cough mixture.
If you develop a cough bringing up coloured phlegm, then we may wish to check your chest.
Sore Throat
This usually settles after 3 to 5 days.
In the meantime treat with Paracetamol, soothing drinks, or lozenges.
Please contact us if your symptoms become severe or continue.
Diarrhoea & Sickness
This normally settles by fasting, taking plenty of water or fruit juice, a few sips at a time and often. Avoid all food, milk, tea and coffee.
Once the diarrhoea and vomiting has settled and your appetite has returned you can restart eating gently.
This condition is often due to viral infections and good hygiene is very important to stop the spread of infection.
Please contact us if your symptoms become severe (when you may be starting to dehydrate) or symptoms continue for more than 24 to 48 hours
Head lice
These insects, contrary to popular belief, prefer clean hair and are not a sign of poor hygiene.
Medicated hair lotion can be obtained from the chemists to treat this problem without a prescription.
Chicken Pox
This starts as a rash appearing as small patches a few millimeters across, which rapidly develop into small blisters. Over the next few days further crops of these blisters will appear, while the earlier ones develop crusts which fall off.
Treatment is the application of calamine lotion to the spots to soothe the itching. Should spots develop in the mouth, cool drinks will soothe.
Children may return to school after no new spots have appeared for four days (antibiotics have no effect on this viral illness).
Nose bleeds
Although a nose bleed is very alarming, most will stop if you tip your head forward and squeeze the fleshy bit below the bone for 10 to 20 minutes.
If the nose bleed does not stop, your nose may need packing and you should contact us. We may need to send you to the hospital for this to be done.