Pediatrics is the field of medicine that deals with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases of children from birth to adolescence. Physicians who specialize in pediatrics are called pediatricians. Some pediatricians take further training and become advanced specialists in specific areas of medicine. Hence there are pediatric cardiologists, pediatric neurologists, pediatric orthopedics and so on.

Some childhood ailments are minor and clear up quite fast, though they do take their toll on children. These include sore throats, runny noses, intestinal disorders, and allergies. Other diseases are serious and parents need to be diligent about them. If a child falls ill and shows any of the symptoms related to these diseases they must immediately consult a pediatrician. Some of these diseases and their symptoms are:

Chickenpox : fever, loss of appetite, itchy blister-like rashes.

Measles : fever, loss of appetite, inflamed eye lids, sensitivity to light, hoarseness, runny nose, severe cough, and itchy rash.

Mumps : fever, loss of appetite, muscle pain, earache, swelling and tenderness in the parotid and salivary glands.

Whooping Cough : fits of coughing followed by a high-pitched whooping sound when the child inhales, thick mucus, low fever, loss of appetite, and listlessness.

Mononucleosis : fever, sore throat, headache, extreme fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, and possibly a rash.

Conjunctivitis : itchy red eyes, lids may stick together on waking.

Gastroenteritis : loose or watery stools, vomiting, fever, stomach cramps, headaches.

Hepatitis A : fever, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, yellowing of skin and eyes, dark urine and pale stools.

Influenza : sudden onset of fever, runny nose, sore throat, cough, muscle and headaches.

These are just some of the many childhood diseases. Others with similar symptoms to the ones given above include ringworm, German measles, ear infections, asthma, anemia to mention just a few.

If you are traveling with your children, you have to be very careful as they are more vulnerable to disease than adults are. Furthermore, a new place exposes them to new environment which makes it even more risky. So if you are on a family holiday in Oahu, and you see any of the symptoms given above in your child, then do not take it lightly. Get a pediatrician to see your child as soon as possible. This will also help keep minor illnesses from getting out of control.

To make it easy for you to find a pediatrician closest to where you are in Oahu, Oahu.us has compiled a list of pediatricians in Oahu.