With summer around the corner, the NHS in Essex is sharing guidance for parents and carers on common illnesses that often start circulating at this time of year.
While illnesses like coughs, sore throats and earache are extremely common in young children, many parents and carers don’t realise that children’s ‘super bodies’ are designed to fight off many common illnesses, without the need for antibiotics.
To help carers and parents to support their children through illness, NHS Mid and South Essex, in partnership with Southend City Council, is launching the ‘Super Bodies’ campaign. This provides a family-friendly guide on the simple things parents and carers can do to treat common illnesses at home, as well as helping them to spot the signs of a more serious illness, and knowing when and where to go for medical help.
As most common children’s’ illness like coughs, colds, and sore throats are mainly caused by viruses, antibiotics will not work in treating them and are unlikely to speed up the healing process. Also, more often than not, antibiotics can cause unwanted side effects such as an upset tummy and diarrhoea, which may make your child feel even worse.
Overusing antibiotics contributes to ‘antibiotic resistance’, which means that antibiotics are becoming less effective at treating the more sinister bacterial infections they are meant to treat. This is a very serious threat to the health of our population. Despite this, last year in Southend the number of children (aged 0-9) prescribed antibiotics was almost double the national average. We can help fight against this threat by trusting the advice of healthcare professionals and only using antibiotics when they are needed.
Community Pharmacists are readily available to address any concerns parents have about their children’s health, usually without needing to make an appointment. With the Pharmacy First scheme, we can also now treat a range of conditions with medicines that previously would have needed a prescription from a doctor.
– Saira Haji, a Community Pharmacist from Belfairs Pharmacy in Leigh on sea
Children are likely to pick up common viruses at this time of year, especially while mixing in school and nursery environments, but they are usually nothing to worry about. Their ‘super bodies’ get to work, and most children with a normal immune system and up to date immunisations will fight off these common illnesses with a little ‘TLC’ (tender loving care) at home.
The evidence shows that most children actually recover from these ailments in the same amount of time with or without antibiotics, which have no effect on viruses and so don’t actually help to fight off the infection.
– Krishna Ramkhelawon, Director of Public Health at Southend City Council
Parents and carers of young children can visit the ‘Super Bodies’ website page for information on treating coughs, earaches and sore throats at home, as well as finding a list of more serious signs and symptoms to look out for.
They can also find out when they need to stay home, when to visit a pharmacy, their GP, or call NHS 111 – or when to call 999 or attend A&E.
Super Bodies