When you have a small child, it can be hard to know when they are sick enough to head to the emergency room or if you should wait to see their primary care doctor. When the doctor's office isn't open, you can still call the office and ask their opinion regarding your child. Sometimes you may end up waiting for hours at an emergency room. If your child doesn't need emergency care, waiting in the ER can just make them feel worse overall. While clear emergencies such as a broken bone or a gaping wound require emergency care, other medical problems aren't so easy to identify.
If Your Child Complains of Ear Pain
If your child starts to complain of ear pain, this can be a sign that they are developing an ear infection. If your child doesn't have a fever and the pain goes away quickly with over the counter medication, this is not an emergency. An ear infection becomes more of an emergency when your child can't be consoled. Small babies may even start to grab at their ears in pain. If you give your child medication and this does nothing to stop the screaming, it's better to bring them to the ER than to wait.
Dealing with Your Child's Fever
Children get fevers all of the time. If your infant that is less than three months old has a fever any higher than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, you'll need to call their doctor's office right away. Young infants who get a fever can become very sick quickly. You will probably have to head to the emergency room if your infant has a fever any higher than 100.4. As your child gets older, a fever of 100.4 will barely keep them from running around the home. In general, you can control your child's fever with over the counter medication. If your child spikes a fever higher than 103, then it's time to call their doctor.
It's important to use your common sense when it comes to caring for your child. While you may feel that it is necessary to run to the emergency room all the time, consider calling their doctor's office first unless it is a true emergency. While it may feel uncomfortable for you to wait until morning, spending the night in the ER is no fun for you or your child. You may want your child better right away, but you may have to wait out the illness with at home care. For more information, contact establishments like Van Wert County Hospital.
Share6 March 2017
I was always very healthy throughout my childhood, but when I became a teenager, I was diagnosed with a chronic illness. Thankfully, I had the support of my loving family to help keep me upbeat during a time that could have led to me experiencing the depression that some do after they first learn they will have an illness for life. I am very grateful for the advice I have gotten throughout my life, so I decided to create a blog where I can share all of the advice that has helped me live a happy, healthy life, despite having a chronic illness. Since I am on a medication that suppresses my immune system, I have also studied up on many other illnesses and tips for avoiding them and treating them. I plan to post health tips for people of a variety of ages and suffering with various illnesses!