Lesson 2:
Common diseases
among children
Have you gotten sick like the boy in the
picture?
How would you
describe an
unhealthy child?
How do you
describe a healthy
child?
No one wants to get sick. It is so much more fun
to be strong and healthy. When you are sick,
you cannot go and play. You feel weak and tired.
Your parents are worried, too. When you are
sick, you also have to take medicine and
sometimes limit the things you eat. But,
sometime, one cannot avoid getting sick.
What are some
common diseases that
affect children?
Diseases
Diseases are caused by
germs. These are very tiny
living things that enter your
body and make you sick.
Influenza or Flu
is a disease that you can get
from germs. Its symptoms include
high fever, cold, headache, body
aches, and cough. You feel weak
or dizzy to.
Stay at home. Take enough rest.
Bed rest is necessary. Eat foods
like fruits and vegetable that
could help boost your immune
system. Stay away from crowded
and dirty places. Observe good
hygiene. Wash your hands
regularly.
Whooping
cough
is a severe case of coughing. It starts as a
mild cough and fever, but it worsens as a
continuous coughing spell. This disease is
highly contagious, this means that a
person with whooping cough can easily pass
it on to other people.
When you have cough. you have to
drink plenty of water or fruit juiices
and have complete rest.
Tonsillitis
is the inflammation of the tonsils. Your tonsils are
part of your throat. Their role is to help fight the
germs that enter your mouth and nose.
However,sometimes the tonsils get infected by
germs. They become red and swollen. Because of this,
your throat hurts and it is hard to swallow.
Tonsillitis is treated with antibiotics, which are
medicines that fight certain types of germs.
How can I prevent
tonsillitis?
1. Wash your hands often, especially before touching your
nose or mouth.
2. Avoid sharing food, drink, or utensils with someone
who's sick.
3. Replace your toothbrush regularly.
Diarrhea
is a disease that characterized by frequent,
loose, and watery vowel movements. When you
eat spoiled or unclean food, you can suffer from
diarrhea. You may also suffer from stomachache
when you havediarrhea. In severe cases, this
disease can cause dehydration or rapid loss of
water from the body.
What is the best way to
stop having diarrhea?
Drink plenty of liquids, including water, broths and
juices. Add semisolid and low-fiber foods gradually as
your bowel movements return to normal.
Chicken Pox
is a disease that causes very red and itchy rashes
on your skin. Most children, like you, can catch
chicken fox at an early age. The rashes turn into
fluid-filled blisters that spread mostly only your
face, chest, and back. Chicken pox usually starts
with very high fever before the rashes appear.
Nowadays, doctors can give you a vaccine or a shot
for chicken pox.
A person with chickenpox should
take a bath everyday. Avoid
scratching the blisters and scabs.
Avoid contact with others to
prevent spread of the disease.
keep in mind
A healthy child is active, lively, strong and happy.
An unhealthy child is weak and always sickly.
Some common diseases that affect children are
influenza, whooping cough. diarrhea. tonsilitis and
chicken pox.
Your everyday health condition is very important
as a growing child. You have to develop a strong
defense against diseases. You can achieve this by
adopting a healthy lifestyle. Since you are
exposed to different people and different
surroundings every day, you need a healthy and
strong body to counteract the attack of germs.
You can avoid the common childhood diseases by
getting good nutrition, having enough rest, having
regular physical activities and developing good
social relationships with other peolpe.