Typhoid Fever Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatments Tips

Typhoid in your child can make him/her very weak and fragile. Typhoid in young children can sometimes even be life-threatening if not taken proper care. You may ask, after all, what is typhoid fever? Well, it is a bacterial infection. The demon here is a bacterium called Salmonella Typhi.

Causes of Typhoid In Children?

The bacteria of typhoid are found mostly in food or water adulterated by an infected person. Typhoid can also occur due to poor hygiene habits. Now, here are a few common typhoid causes in our child:

• People who have previously suffered from the typhoid bacteria are carriers of the disease. They can easily infect the water or food near them (unknowingly) by dissemination the germs through touching, sneezing and coughing
• Typhoid bacteria are found in large numbers in human faeces. So, when it comes in contact with water it contaminates it. Now, insects like flies can act as carriers and spread the bacteria
• In fact, typhoid bacteria live for a couple of days in water or any form of sewage that is dried
• Lastly, if your child has a weak immune system then he/she is at a greater risk of falling prey to this disease if he/she comes to close contact with an infected person

What Are Signs & Symptoms of Typhoid in Kids?  

When a child is inflicted with the typhoid bacteria, signs and symptoms start appearing after 7-10 days. Below are some of the common signs that you should keep a lookout for:

• Persistent fever that rises gradually to 102ºF to 104ºF
• A headache
• A sore throat
• Fatigue
• Low energy levels
• Stomach pain
• Constipation
• Diarrhoea
• Pink rashes on the stomach or chest

If your son or daughter is showing any of the above signs, please consult a local doctor immediately for a physical examination. If left untreated, typhoid can even cause deaths in children.

How To Treat Typhoid In A Child?

If your local doctor’s diagnosis states that your child has typhoid, then here’s what comes next:

• Keep your child well-hydrated at all times
• Let your child take complete bed rest to recover from all the weakness. This may be 2-3 weeks long
• The doctor will start with the course of antibiotics. Finish the course and continue to monitor your child’s temperature
• In about 2-3 days of starting the antibiotics, your child will start getting better. Fever and body pain will gradually perish
• Now, during typhoid treatment, it has been observed that a young child often gets into a relapse after the course of medication is over. In this case, the doctors will start with the antibiotics once again

Typhoid fever can really make your child weak and furthermore weaken his/her immune system if not treated on time. So, if you spot any of the above signs in your child, rush him/her to the nearest hospital immediately.

Was this blog useful to you? If you have any suggestions, do share it in the comments section below.