Sore Throat
Kids Health
The raw, scratchy, burning feeling at the back of your throat is often the first warning sign that you have a cold, or that the flu is on the way. But it can also be the first symptom of more serious conditions.
If your throat is sore, dry, scratchy, burning, or irritated and you are also experiencing fever, commonly, you may have the bacterial infection strep throat. Strep throat is characterized by inflammation in the throat with white patches as well as fever and general feeling of discomfort. Strep throat can be diagnosed with a rapid strep test and a throat culture. Positive results for strep can be treated with antibiotics; but, you may still be contagious for 2-3 days following beginning the course of treatment. Strep is highly contagious, therefore, we recommend seeking medical attention as soon as possible.
Ear Aches
Kids Health
You may feel pain in your ears even when the source is somewhere else in your body, like a toothache. That’s because the nerves in your face and neck pass very close to your inner ear. Doctors call this type of pain that starts in one area but is felt in another “referred pain.”
If your earache comes with a severe sore throat, it could be an infection like tonsillitis or pharyngitis. In fact, ear pain is often the worst symptom of one of these conditions. Learn more about sore throat symptoms.
Tooth abscesses, cavities, and impacted molars also can cause ear pain. Your doctor will be able to tell if your teeth are to blame by tapping on a tooth or your gums to see if they feel sore.
The temporomandibular joint, or TMJ, is the “hinge” of your jaw that sits directly below your ears. You might get TMJ pain from grinding your teeth, or it could be a symptom of arthritis. The ache in your ears or face comes after you chew, talk, or yawn. To treat it, take over-the-counter pain medicine and put warm compresses on your jaw. Try not to clench your teeth. You may benefit from using a mouth guard when you sleep. This can help ease the tension that causes ear pain. Eating soft foods will help, too.
Some causes of ear pain can be serious such as tumors or infections, including cellulitis or shingles. If your ear pain is severe, doesn’t go away within a few days of home treatment, or comes with a high fever or sore throat, or you get a new rash, visit your doctor right away for treatment and to rule out something more serious.
Dental Pain
Kids Health
A toothache is a pain in or around a tooth that may be caused by: Tooth decay, Abscessed tooth, Tooth fracture, A damaged filling, Repetitive motions, such as chewing gum or grinding teeth, or Infected gums.
Whether it’s sharp and sudden or dull and constant, tooth pain is hard to ignore.A toothache or tooth pain is caused when the nerve in the root of a tooth or surrounding a tooth is irritated. Dental (tooth) infection, decay, injury, or loss of a tooth are the most common causes of dental pain. Pain may also occur after an extraction (tooth is pulled out). Pain sometimes originates from other areas and radiates to the jaw, thus appearing to be tooth pain. The most common areas include the jaw joint (temporomandibular joint or TMJ), ear pain, sinuses, and even occasional heart problems.
Bacteria growing inside your mouth can contribute to gum disease and dental decay, both of which can cause pain. Often, gum disease will not result in any pain.
You can prevent the majority of dental problems by flossing, brushing with fluoride toothpaste, and having your teeth professionally cleaned twice a year. The dentist may apply sealants and fluoride, which are especially important for children’s teeth.
Could It Be Sensitive Teeth?
If your teeth are healthy, a hard outer layer of enamel covers them to protect the nerves inside. The enamel can wear away over time. When the middle layer of your tooth is exposed, anything you eat or drink can reach your nerve endings.
Gum disease can make your teeth sensitive. Your gums shrink away from your teeth, and that exposes the roots. You also can damage your gums if you brush too hard.
A recent cleaning or a new filling may make you sensitive for a few weeks. Many people feel it after whitening treatments. An old filling that’s loose or damaged can cause it, too.
Pink Eye/Stye
Kids Health
Pink eye, also called conjunctivitis, is a infection of the eye’s conjunctiva usually caused by a bacteria or virus that results in red, itchy, painful eyes. Learn more below.
Conjunctivitis, also known as pinkeye, is an inflammation of the conjunctiva. The conjunctiva is the thin clear tissue that lies over the white part of the eye and lines the inside of the eyelid.
Children get it a lot. It can be highly contagious (it spreads rapidly in schools and day-care centers), but it’s rarely serious. It’s very unlikely to damage your vision, especially if you find it and treat it quickly. When you take care to prevent its spread and do all the things your doctor recommends, pinkeye clears up with no long-term problems.
Pink eye is characterized by redness and swelling of the surface of the eye, as well as discharge from the eye. Styes are characterized by a raised painful bump, often near the inner corner of the eye. Both conditions can be caused by bacterial or viral infection, allergies, or environmental irritants such as smoke or chemicals.
Shingles – 12 and Up
Kids Health
Shingles is a rash that turns into red, fluid-filled blisters. They usually dry out and crust over within 7 to 10 days.
Shingles is a rash that is caused by the same virus as chickenpox (varicella-zoster), and is characterized as a painful rash that appears on one side of your body in a band. The chickenpox virus can get reactivated by physical or emotional stress and present itself as shingles. Those with a weakened immune system are at a greater risk of experiencing shingles. If you experience numbness or burning in an area that is followed by a rash, it may be shingles and should be treated as soon as possible, as early treatment yields the best results. If you experience shingles in the eye, go to the hospital right away.
What Are Risk Factors for Shingles?
A weakened immune system might wake up the virus. After you’ve had chickenpox, you’re more likely to get shingles if you:
- Are 50 or older
- Are under a lot of stress
- Have cancer, HIV, or another disease that lowers your body’s defenses
- Have had a serious physical injury
- Take long-term steroids or other medicines that can weaken your immune system.
Head Lice
Kids Health
Head lice is a parasitic insect that is commonly seen among school-age children and adults living under the same roof. It is very contagious and spread by direct contact. Head lice is found in the head, near the scalp and is not related to personal hygiene. Head lice is typically accompanied by lots of itching of the scalp, and visible eggs and insects which are very small and white in color. It is best to seek treatment as soon as head lice is noted to be present to minimize contagiousness and discomfort.
UTI – Female 12 and UP
Kids Health
A urinary tract infection, or UTI, is an infection in any part of your urinary system, which includes your kidneys, bladder, ureters, and urethra. Learn more below.
The symptoms of a UTI can include
- A burning feeling when you pee
- A frequent or intense urge to pee, even though little comes out when you do
- Cloudy, dark, bloody, or strange-smelling pee
- Feeling tired or shaky
- Fever or chills (a sign that the infection may have reached your kidneys)
- Pain or pressure in your back or lower abdomen
- Types of UTIs
- An infection can happen in different parts of your urinary tract. Each type has a different name, based on where it is.
Cystitis(bladder): You might feel like you need to pee a lot, or it might hurt when you pee. You might also have lower belly pain and cloudy or bloody urine.
Pyelonephritis(kidneys): This can cause fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, and pain in your upper back or side.
Urethritis(urethra): This can cause a discharge and burning when you pee.
Asthma
Asthma Diagnosis and Management
Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition characterized by inflammation and narrowing of the airways, leading to difficulty breathing. This can result in symptoms such as wheezing, shortness of breath, coughing, and chest tightness, which may be triggered by allergens, exercise, respiratory infections, or environmental factors. At TNC Walk-In Clinic, we offer expert diagnosis and management of asthma through comprehensive assessments and personalized treatment plans. Our goal is to help you control your asthma symptoms, reduce flare-ups, and improve your overall respiratory health with tailored medications and lifestyle strategies.
Cough/Cold
Kids Health
The common cold, including chest cold and head cold, and seasonal flu are caused by viruses. Use over-the-counter cold medications to relieve symptoms including sore throat, runny nose, congestion, and cough. Flu symptoms are similar, but include fever, headache and muscle soreness. See a doctor who may prescribe antiviral medications Relenza or Tamiflu. Learn more below.
When you wake up sneezing, coughing, and have that achy, feverish, can’t move a muscle feeling, how do you know whether you have cold symptoms or the flu?
It’s important to know the difference between flu and cold symptoms. A cold is a milder respiratory illness than the flu. While cold symptoms can make you feel bad for a few days, flu symptoms can make you feel quite ill for a few days to weeks. The flu can also result in serious health problems such as pneumonia and hospitalizations.
Flu
Kids Health
If you are experiencing the symptoms of a cold coupled with chills, body aches, and/or fatigue, you may have the flu. You should seek medical attention for treatment as soon as possible.
Unlike cold symptoms, signs of the flu tend to come on suddenly. You might have:
- Fever above 100 F
- Severe aches in your muscles and joints
- Weakness or severe fatigue
- Warm, flushed skin and red, watery eyes
- Chills
- A headache
- A dry cough
- A sore throat and runny nose
- Vomiting and diarrhea with flu is more common in children.
Get medical help right away if you have:
- Trouble breathing or shortness of breath
- Pain or pressure in your chest or belly
- Sudden dizziness
- Confusion
- Severe vomiting
- These symptoms can mean your illness is severe.