Health Advice: Children Minor Illnesses

No guide can be complete. If you are still worried about your child after reading the information on our website then you should get advice. This could be telephone advice or a consultation with a doctor or nurse at the surgery. Telephone advice is also available from NHS 111. If you feel that it is

A child’s immune system is very powerful, and will clear up most common infections by itself. You can help your child fight the infection by making sure they get plenty of rest and offering them healthy food (like fruit). Give your child plenty to drink. This will help prevent dehydration, loosen phlegm, and lubricate the

There is normally no need to treat ear infections with antibiotics. Pain control with Paracetamol and / or Ibuprofen is all that is normally needed. If your child is having hearing problems, or the ear is draining, they should see a GP. How long will it last? A sore throat typically lasts around 1 week

A sore throat does not need any treatment to make it go away. It will get better by itself If your child seems very unwell or has a sore throat and temperature, but no cough, for more than 3 days, he or she should see a doctor or nurse. You do not need to look

Colds are very common. Normal, healthy children can sometimes have 8 or more colds in a year! How long will it last? A cold typically lasts around 1 week Do antibiotics help? There is no evidence that antibiotics help with colds This information comes from the “When should I worry leaflet?” http://www.whenshouldiworry.com/resources/When%20should%20I%20worry-Booklet_Scotland.pdf

When young children catch a cold they often develop a ‘noisy chest’ or a ‘chesty cough’. This can be worrying for parents who believe that a chesty cough is a sign of a ‘chest infection’. Young children often get noisy chests. This is because they have smaller airways and thinner rib cages than adults. A

Bronchiolitis Advice Sheet MAY 2015

Diarrhoea and Vomiting AdviceSheet MAY 2015