Through the different years of childhood, children experience various ailments, and at times it becomes really difficult to get to the root cause and relieve them of their discomfort, more so because of their inability to express clearly, but homeopathic medicines reach the depth as the approach adopted by homeopaths is holistic in nature. Equal importance is given to both the physical appearance of the health issue as well as the impact it has on the child’s mind. Children are very sensitive and so is their mind which is why homeopathic medicines give wonderful results in case of kids without further aggravating their issue, as homeopathic treatment adopts a gentle and the least invasive (by giving small doses of medicine) approach for healing the sick.
Below mentioned are the few common health related issues experienced by children of different ages:
- Infants: any acute condition, difficult dentition, anxiety issues, gastric issues, ear and throat infections, regurgitation issue, respiratory troubles, difficulty in breastfeeding, delayed milestones, allergies, congenital conditions (for complementary therapy), etc
- School going children: eating problems, separation anxiety, autism, speech delay, ADHD,ODD, down syndrome, learning difficulty, slow growth, various behavioral issues, social issues etc
- Pre teenage: mood changes, separation anxiety, difficult puberty, skin issues like acne, pimples, stunted growth, concentration issue, poor appetite, developmental issues etc
- Teenage: menstrual problems, skin troubles, hormonal imbalance, personality complex etc
For more information please read the below information
Common child health issues
Allergies
Allergies happen when your child’s immune system reacts to substances in the environment that are harmless to most people – for example, foods, insect stings, dust mites, animals or pollen.
Asthma
If your child has asthma they might have a whistling wheeze when breathing, be short of breath either during physical activity or while they’re resting, have a persistent dry cough, or cough during physical activity or at night.
Colds
Children can get colds as often as once a month. The best treatment is usually fluids, comfort and rest, along with suitable homeopathic medicines.
Conjunctivitis
Conjunctivitis is an infection of the lining of the eyeball and eyelids. Symptoms include red, puffy, sticky and sore eyes. Bacterial and viral conjunctivitis are very contagious, but allergic conjunctivitis isn’t contagious.
Food intolerances
Food intolerances are a reaction to a food you’ve eaten. Symptoms include bloating, diarrhea and stomach pain, which usually clear up by themselves.
Gastroenteritis
Many children get gastroenteritis (‘gastro’). Symptoms include diarrhea, loss of appetite, vomiting and nausea, stomach cramps and fever. Most cases of gastroenteritis in children aren’t serious, but it’s important to make sure that your child gets enough fluid.
Hand, foot and mouth disease
Hand, foot and mouth disease causes small blisters inside the mouth and on the hands and feet. These aren’t itchy. It’s a mild and harmless infection.
Impetigo
Impetigo or school sores usually starts as flat, red spots or small blisters anywhere on your child’s body. The spots might fill up with yellow or green pus, burst or crust over. The blisters are very itchy. Impetigo is highly contagious so keep your child at home until they’ve gotten the treatment.
Lice or nits
These insects attach themselves to children’s hair, lay eggs (often called nits), and cause a lot of scratching and itching. You can remove lice by combing wet hair with conditioner or using anti-lice products and obviously by taking homeopathic medicines, if the infestation keeps occurring again and again despite the best hygiene. Keep your child at home until you’ve treated the lice.
Worms
Symptoms of worms include an itchy or red bottom. Worms aren’t usually dangerous. They’re easy to treat with homeopathic medicines. It’s very common for infections to come back, particularly in children at child care, preschool or school.
Many common childhood infections spread easily. One of the best ways to prevent spread is careful handwashing. You can teach your child to wash hands before eating, after going to the toilet, and after touching animals or dirty things.
Common mental health problems in children and their early signs
Children often have ups and downs that affect the way they feel and behave. But sometimes children don’t ‘bounce back’ from the downs, and this starts to affect other parts of their lives. This can be a sign that children are having mental health problems.
Childhood mental health problems are usually grouped into two types:
- conditions like depression and anxiety disorders
- conditions like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and oppositional defiant disorder.
Below are some signs of mental health problems. If you notice any of these signs in your child, and the signs go on for more than a few weeks, it’s important to talk with your child and then get professional help.
Emotional and behavior signs
Your child:
- has repeated tantrums or consistently behaves in a defiant or aggressive way
- seems sad or unhappy, or cries a lot
- is afraid or worried a lot
- gets very upset about being separated from you, or avoids social situations
- starts behaving in ways that they’ve outgrown, like sucking their thumb or wetting the bed
- has trouble paying attention, can’t sit still or is restless.
Physical signs
Your child has:
- trouble sleeping or eating
- physical pain that doesn’t have a clear medical cause – for example, headaches, stomach aches, nausea or other physical pains.
School and social signs
If your child is at school, you might also notice your child:
- not doing as well as usual at school
- having problems fitting in at school or getting along with other children
- not wanting to go to social events like birthday parties.
Good mental health helps your child develop socially, emotionally, cognitively and physically. You can support your child’s mental health with positive relationships, behavior support, a healthy lifestyle and more.
Talking with your child about mental health problems
If you notice a sudden change in your child’s mood or behavior, encourage your child to talk with you about their feelings, and really listen to what they’re saying. Listening and showing that you understand can comfort your child if something is bothering them.
If you’re not sure how to talk with your child about mental health issues, here are some ideas that might help:
- Try telling your child that you’ve noticed they seem sad and you want to help. Your child is more likely to talk openly with you about their feelings if you’re accepting and don’t judge or over-react to what they tell you.
- Tell your child that it’s not unusual for children to feel worried, stressed or sad sometimes.
- Tell your child that opening up about personal thoughts and feelings can be scary, but talking about a problem with an adult they trust can help make feelings clearer.
- Let your child know that you care for them and you’re ready to listen whenever your child wants to talk.
If you can, it’s important to work out whether your child’s low mood is because of a specific, temporary situation or a more serious, continuing problem.
This can help you decide how best to help your child. For example, if your child is disappointed about not being invited to a birthday party, you might show empathy by listening to your child’s thoughts and feelings. But if your child is experiencing a serious and lasting problem like bullying, you need to work with your child’s teachers to sort it out.
Poor mental health is no-one’s fault, and no-one is to blame.
Getting help for your child’s mental health problems
It’s important to get professional help as soon as possible if the changes in your child’s mood or behavior:
- last for more than a few weeks
- are distressing your child
- affect your child’s ability to get on with everyday activities and enjoy life.
