Public health and wellness has taken center stage in the 2016 Presidential Election. From Hillary Clinton’s diagnosis of pneumonia leading to dehydration, exhaustion, and a near collapse at a 9/11 event over the weekend to Donald Trump’s on air visit with Dr. Oz, the health of this election’s candidates looks to be a major talking point for now. Perhaps through the next 50 some days until the voting.
Although it may be unusual for the news casters across American to be focusing on health conditions this often, parents of young children know first hand that the health concerns of their own children is always top priority. From getting a diagnosis for sinus infections that have been causing breathing difficulties to dealing with chronic ear problems, most parents are well aware of the importance of their children’s health. A sick child cannot go to daycare, cannot go to school, and can share the problem with other family members. For these reasons, many parents are quick to get medical care as soon as they suspect conditions like sinus infections are starting.
Parents understand that untreated sinus infections, ear infections, and other conditions can lead to extended illnesses and in some cases hearing loss. Having quick access to affordable, quality care is important to all families. Ear nose and throat problems in children and adolescents can often be solved quickly if they are diagnosed in a timely fashion. Delayed care, on the other hand, can create chronic conditions that are more expensive and extensive. And while some conditions can be successfully treated with rest, fluids, and antibiotics, other cases involving severe and continued sinus infections can lead to the need for hypernasal speech treatments.
How Quickly Can Your Children Get an Appointment When They Need to See a Doctor?
One of the challenges facing many families with children who are sick is finding the time to get into see a doctor. Although every parent wants the best care for their children, sometimes pediatric appointments can be difficult to find. Unless you are the first parent to call in the morning, you may not be able to get one of the few coveted sick appointments available in an otherwise already crowded day at many pediatric offices across the country.
And while getting the appointment can be challenging enough, sometimes the real wait time for these appointments is even more difficult to manage. An appointment in the middle of the morning that ends up lasting until lunch because you had to spend an hour in the waiting room can make scheduling even more frustrating.
As a result, many parents look to other options for treatment beyond pediatric offices. In fact, some parents will call the pediatric office, but when no early morning appointment is available, they instead go to a quick care clinic instead. Knowing that many of these clinics are associated with their own pediatric offices, makes the decision to go to a clinic easier. The fact that the clinic staff can access the pediatric office records of the patient means that the care feels more extensive.
Common Health Conditions Often Plague Children Once the School Year Begins
Ear, nose and throat doctor’s will tell you that five out of every six children will have at least one ear infection by the time they reach their third birthday. Statistically, this means that 83% of the youngest children will have had to deal with an ear infection. And while some children experience these ear conditions as a one and done event, other children deal with chronic ear and sinus infections that make necessary some standard treatment options.
Although 30 years ago 90% of tonsillectomies in American children were done for recurrent infection, that is no longer the standard treatment. Currently, statistics indicate that only 20% of tonsillectomies are done for constant infections. It is more common, in fact, that tonsillectomies are performed only in the case of obstructive sleep problems (OSA). In fact, 80% of the tonsillectomies performed are for OSA.
Instead of tonsillectomies, many doctors try tubes for children who suffer from constant or chronic ear infections. Getting these conditions treated promptly, either in a pediatric office or a quick care clinic, should be a priority.
