When a child rises in temperature and other unpleasant symptoms are observed, this, of course, causes great anxiety in parents. If the child has a headache and a temperature of 38 degrees, then this may indicate a wide variety of pathologies that occur in the children's body. In some situations, these symptoms even indicate multiple diseases.
You need to understand that such a condition is a signal of the body that you need to pay attention to the health status of the baby. It is worth considering the main causes of heat.
Cold
If we are talking about the smallest children, then it must be borne in mind that even the most commonplace catarrhal disease will be a very serious condition for them. The fact is that the size of the nasal passages of young children is only a few millimeters. A rather large tongue is located in the oral cavity of infants, therefore, the health of a very tiny baby should be treated with increased attention.
If we are talking about a classic ARVI disease, then in this situation the child can continue to behave quite cheerfully for a rather long time. However, after some time, the parents note that the child has a headache and a temperature of 38 degrees or more. If the fever rises and the baby has lethargy and drowsiness, then in this case we are talking about a fairly high fever.
In this case, it all depends on the specific situation. If in this condition there is a very tiny baby, then it is recommended to call an ambulance. With the disease of older children, you can try to bring down the temperature yourself. However, if all measures are ineffective, then it is also worth calling a doctor.
Flu
Viral infection is seasonal. As a rule, children and adults suffer from this disease from December to March. As a rule, this virus causes a strong reaction of the protective functions of the body. With flu, violent intoxication occurs. Inflammatory agents begin to lead to severe headache, weakness, and drowsiness. This disease is characterized by rather rapid development.
As a rule, the first symptoms of the disease are observed on the first day. Parents note that by the evening the child has a headache and a temperature of 38 degrees or more. Body aches and severe drowsiness appear. Symptoms such as coughing, sore throat and runny nose are only added on subsequent days.
Pneumonia and bronchitis
Similar problems are less common in children. As a rule, this occurs against the background of complications after serious viral infections. With bronchitis, inflammation of the bronchi appears. In this case, their mucous membrane swells. This leads to the fact that the active production of mucus begins. At the same time, the epithelium works quite poorly, so it is quite difficult to get rid of the bacteria.
If we are talking about pneumonia, then in this case, the lesions are localized in the lung tissue. As a rule, this pathology is caused by streptococci.
And if we talk about symptoms, then in bronchitis and pneumonia it is similar. The child has a headache, a temperature of 38.5 or more, a cough with sputum, etc. However, with pneumonia, the baby's condition will be worse. The child refuses to play, stops eating and sleeps more.
You need to be very careful, as pneumonia can spread very quickly through the lungs. Therefore, you must immediately go with your baby to a doctor who can diagnose the exact cause.
Gastrointestinal infections
It is worth considering that it is very difficult for parents to ensure that children do not bring dirt into their bodies during a game or walking on the street. Kids rarely independently monitor personal hygiene. This is quite normal if, at the age of 6-7 years, the baby does not monitor the cleanliness of the hands. This can lead to intestinal infections. In most cases, this phenomenon is considered normal, since such problems help the immune system to work more actively.
However, sometimes the baby introduces E. coli, Salmonella or the diarrhea virus into his body. To determine that the baby really has a gastrointestinal infection, it is necessary to pay attention to the fact that the child has a high temperature and a headache. Additionally, the baby may begin to suffer from diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. At the same time, children refuse to eat. All this is a manifestation of bacterial and viral infections. Sometimes parents say that the child has a temperature, head and stomach ache.
If you do not start treatment in a timely manner and do not contact a specialist who will diagnose, then such a manifestation can lead to dehydration of the body. This condition is very dangerous for the child.
Inflammatory diseases
In this case, the sinuses that are located in the bones of the skull are affected. Almost all of these elements are connected to the nasal cavity. In this area, irritations or inflammation appear. This may cause the child to have a headache and a temperature of 38 or more.
Therefore, you should always treat a runny nose in a timely manner. Otherwise, inflammation goes further into the sinuses. Against this background, sinusitis may develop. Also, children sometimes suffer from sinusitis. In this case, we are talking about inflammation of the maxillary sinuses, which are located on the right and left sides of the nose. In this situation, you need to pay attention to additional symptoms. As a rule, with sinusitis, children behave very restlessly, also they sleep more. Discharge from the nose becomes darker and thicker.
The temperature also rises, the child’s headache is very painful.
Self-diagnosis of sinusitis
In order to try to carry out diagnostic measures at home, you need to be very careful not to harm the child. It is necessary to gently press the bone of the cheekbones on the face of the child. It is in this area that the sinuses are located. If palpation aggravates pain, then in this case we are definitely talking about the fact that the child suffers from sinusitis or other inflammatory processes that occur in the sinuses.
In such a situation, it is recommended to seek help from a specialist. In some cases, even surgical intervention (puncture) may be required.
Heatstroke
Children spend a lot of time in the sun, which is why they often experience overheating. Heat stroke appears almost exactly like the sun, only without direct sunlight. It is worth noting that in children the metabolism is different. Kids are much more sensitive, so they are more sensitive to any changes in the environment.
If the temperature in the street rises, then the child, even being in the shade, may begin to feel unwell. This is due to the fact that the baby’s body is experiencing severe stress due to environmental changes. There is a violation of metabolic processes, the vessels expand. This leads to the fact that there is vomiting in the child, a headache and the temperature rises significantly.
In this state, the accumulation of harmful substances, radicals. Therefore, if a child has a very reddened face on a hot day, then this is the first sign of heat stroke. If he has additional convulsions, then you need to immediately call an ambulance.
Brain disease
This pathology is much less common in young children. However, some are diagnosed with meningitis and encephalitis. These diseases are considered one of the most dangerous, since they too quickly affect the human brain.
With the development of meningitis, the child has a headache, a temperature of 37.8 and above. If he gets worse too quickly and the fever exceeds 40 degrees, then an urgent need to call a team of doctors. If the baby suffers from meningitis, then there is a risk of even death, so you need to take immediate measures. It is also worth noting the additional symptoms of the disease. Usually the baby tries to cover himself with a blanket and squeezes his legs under him. Also, small patients suffer from nausea and vomiting.
Poison Poisoning
Kids often taste everything. That is why poisoning is the most common problem that children face. They may accidentally eat a pill, dishwashing detergent, or other chemicals. This can lead to fatal consequences. It is also worth paying attention to the fact that severe headaches and temperature in a child can cause carbon monoxide poisoning or poisons.
First aid
If the child has a temperature, head and neck hurts, then first of all you need to put him to bed and ensure peace. It is necessary to ensure that the room where the baby is located is well ventilated, but drafts should not be allowed. You can try dates for a child with a drug containing paracetamol or ibuprofen. The main thing is to adhere to the correct dosage of drugs.
There are also several folk remedies that will help reduce fever and ease the condition of the baby:
- Lay a leaf of fresh cabbage on your head.
- Apply a compress with vinegar or raw grated potatoes to your forehead.
- Wipe the body of a small patient with a rag dipped in warm water.
- Give the baby to drink the extract of hawthorn, chamomile or motherwort. These funds have a good calming effect.
- Grate whiskey and nape with menthol oil.
If the child has a severe attack of pain, then a decoction of oregano will help.
However, at very high temperatures, in no case should you wrap the child in a warm blanket. Thus, the situation will only worsen.
Some believe that wiping the baby’s body with vodka will help bring down the temperature. In fact, such manipulations can lead to a sharp temperature jump. Also, the use of alcohol is strictly prohibited when it comes to babies.