Common childhood illnesses – Super Bodies

Illnesses like coughs, sore throats and ear ache are extremely common in young children, but our children’s ‘super bodies’ are designed to fight off many common illnesses, without the need for antibiotics.

These common ailments and can be unpleasant for children and their caregivers, but are most often caused by viral infections and do not need to be treated with antibiotics.

Antibiotics rarely speed up recovery for these conditions and have no effect on viruses.

Instead, our children’s ‘super bodies’ get to work, and most children with a normal immune system and up to date immunisations will recover in the same amount of time with or without antibiotics.

How to help your child get well:

Cough

How to feel better at home

• Try to stay home and avoid contact with others if they have a high temperature or do not feel well enough to do their normal activities
• Rest and drink plenty of water
• Try hot lemon and honey (not suitable for babies under 1 year old)
• Think ‘Pharmacy First’ for advice

When to visit your GP

• Their cough lasts for more than 3 weeks
• They have a weakened immune system (for example, because of chemotherapy or diabetes)
• They are losing weight for no reason

When to call NHS 111

• They are coughing up blood
• They find it hard to breathe
• If their cough is very bad or quickly gets worse – for example, they have a hacking cough or cannot stop coughing
• If they feel very unwell or have chest pain
• The side of their neck feels swollen and painful (swollen glands)

Find out more: www.nhs.uk/conditions/cough

Ear ache

How to feel better at home

• Treat pain with age-appropriate painkillers such as paracetamol and ibuprofen
• Place a warm or cold wet cloth on their ear
• Think ‘Pharmacy First’ for advice

When to visit your GP

• They have ear ache for more than 3 days
• If they keep getting ear ache

When to call NHS 111

• If they become generally unwell
• They have a very high temperature, or feel hot and shivery
• There is swelling around the ear
• There is fluid coming from their ear
• They have something stuck in their ear
• Hearing loss or a change in hearing
• If they are under 2 years old and have ear ache in both ear

Find out more: www.nhs.uk/conditions/earache

Sore throat

How to feel better at home

• Rest and drink plenty of water
• Try lolly ices to soothe painful throats
• Think ‘Pharmacy First’ for advice

When to visit your GP

• If their sore throat doesn’t improve after a week
• If they often get sore throats

When to call NHS 111

• They have a very high temperature, or feel hot and shivery
• They have a weakened immune system (for example, because of chemotherapy or diabetes)

When to call 999 or visit A&E

• They have difficulty breathing or are unable to swallow
• If they are drooling – this can be a sign of not being able to swallow
• They make a high-pitched sound as they breathe (called stridor)
• If their symptoms are severe or worsening quickly

Find out more: www.nhs.uk/conditions/sore-throat

You know your children best, so do seek medical help if you are concerned about their symptoms, or if their ‘super bodies’ need a bit more support because they are immunosuppressed or have other existing medical conditions.

Keeping antibiotics working for those in need

Common illnesses such as coughs, ear ache and sore throats don’t usually need treating with antibiotics, and your child will get better without taking unnecessary medication.

In fact, antibiotics are no longer routinely used to treat most infections, because:

• Many infections in children are caused by viruses, so antibiotics are not effective
• Antibiotics are often unlikely to speed up the healing process
• Antibiotics can cause unwanted side effects for your child, such as rash and diarrhoea
• The more often antibiotics are used to treat minor conditions, the more likely they are to become ineffective for treating more serious conditions

Overuse of antibiotics means they’re becoming less effective against bacteria and this has led to the emergence of ‘super bugs’. These are strains of bacteria that have developed resistance to many different types of antibiotics.

They can be serious and challenging to treat, and are becoming an increasing cause of disability and death across the world.

Find out more about antibiotic resistance and ‘super bugs’.