Uh-oh. You’re sneezing, coughing, and you have a bright red nose. You figure it’s just another cold, but this one sticks around way too long. Is it really a cold? Maybe not. It could be a problem with your sinuses. What Are Sinuses? The sinuses (say: SY-nih-siz) are air-filled spaces found in the bones of the head and face. There …
Jordan didn’t know what was going on in his stomach. But after eating lunch and going to recess, he stopped wanting to run around after a soccer ball. Was it something he ate? Did he gobble his lunch too fast? Was he coming down with the “stomach flu”? Jordan was just about to ask his …
Have you ever heard of the “kissing disease”? If you said that it’s mono, you’re right! Infectious mononucleosis, called mono for short, is usually caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). EBV is one of the most common viruses around. Most people will get infected with it at some point in their life. Babies and young …
You come home from school feeling awful with a sore throat. Your mom takes your temperature with a thermometer. Within a few minutes, you hear the word fever. But what are fevers, exactly? Why do kids get them? Why do parents and doctors care so much about them? Let’s find out. What Causes a Fever? Most …
Do you remember having an ear infection? Even if you don’t remember, you probably had one. Most kids have at least one middle ear infection before they are 2 years old. These infections can cause ear pain and a fever. What Is a Middle Ear Infection? Middle ear infections are one of the most common childhood problems. Let’s …
Scratch scratch. Scratch. Your head is feeling really itchy. Could it be lice? If so, you’re not alone. Every year, millions of people worldwide get head lice. Most of those millions are kids. Any kid who goes to school has probably already heard about lice. They can spread easily at schools, so if one kid gets …
Way in the back of your throat are your tonsils — one on the right and one on the left. They are part of your body’s infection-fighting system to keep you from getting sick. But what happens if these infection fighters get infected? Then you have tonsillitis (say: tahn-suh-LYE-tus). What Are Tonsils? The tonsils’ job …
You — yes, you! — can help keep people from getting sick this flu season. How? It’s not too hard. Just take these steps: Get the flu vaccine. Wash your hands often, especially before eating and after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose. Keep your sneezes and coughs to yourself (use a tissue or your elbow …
What Is Strep Throat? Strep throat is a disease caused by a tiny ball-shaped type of bacteria (say: bak-TEER-ee-uh) called group A streptococcus (say: strep-tuh-KAH-kus). If a kid has strep throat, the doctor will give him or her medicine called an antibiotic (say: an-tye-bye-AH-tik) to kill the strep bacteria. That’s good news because sometimes strep throat can …
What Are Pinworms? Pinworms are a type of little worm that commonly infects the intestines, especially in kids. Many of the kids in your school have probably had pinworms at one time, and the worms are nothing to be afraid of. It’s gross to think about, but anybody can get pinworms. To learn how to …
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