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It is our job as pediatricians to diagnose a patient’s condition correctly, because it is only in doing so that we can give him the proper treatment. However, there are times that these conditions may be under- or misdiagnosed. This is usually because the symptoms are vague or mild, and therefore are easily overlooked by parents and medical professionals. It can also be due to lack of knowledge of the condition by the general public or it is an uncommon one.
There are many commonly under-diagnosed diseases among children which you should know about. Here are some of them:
Sleep disorders. During a routine checkup, it’s important to discuss about your child’s sleeping habits. You may not know it but he could be suffering from sleeping problems like apnea or insomnia.
What to look for: Does your child snore loudly? Does he wake up frequently during the night? Are there changes in his mood, behavior or performance in school? If you answered yes to any of the questions, talk to your doctor about it.
Restless legs syndrome (RLS). It is a disorder of the nervous system, which causes the person to feel a tingling, pulling, or crawling sensation on the arms or legs. RLS can interfere with rest and relaxation, because the symptoms occur when the child is sitting or lying down. This condition is often under-diagnosed because people tend to dismiss it as a common muscle pain or tiredness. Sometimes, they are often misdiagnosed to have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD, because people with RLS find that walking around or moving their feet up and down helps lessen the discomfort.
What to look for: Check if he has trouble sleeping. Observe if your child’s toes and feet jerk or move slightly while sitting or resting. See if he prefers to walk or run around instead of resting. Listen for complaints.
Eating disorders. Children as young as five can have eating disorders, hence it is very important for parents to be in tune with their child’s eating habits and emotional wellbeing. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are conditions that are usually under-diagnosed or under-treated. Anorexia nervosa is characterized by self-induced weight loss, coupled with a morbid fear of becoming fat and a relentless pursuit of thinness. Patients with bulimia nervosa have a distorted body image, are obsessed with their body weight, and have a tremendous fear of becoming fat. Bulimics have an overwhelming desire to eat large quantities of food at a single sitting (termed 'compulsive' or 'binge' eating); they then immediately self-induce vomiting, abuse laxatives, or use both these forms of purging before the food has had time to be digested and absorbed. Both of these conditions can greatly affect your child’s health and must be addressed by the whole family immediately.
What to look for: Watch out for dramatic weight loss or weight gain. Observe his words and actions—is he obsessed with being thin? Is he obsessed with exercise? Does he spend a lot of time in the bathroom after eating? (He may be vomiting his meal.) Does he tend to overeat? Check for fatigue, mood swings and depression. You should know if he has a low self esteem.
Hypertension. Hypertension is thought to be a disease for adults, but children and adolescents could be suffering from it, too. For children, hypertension is defined as a blood pressure beyond the 95th percentile for age/sex/height.
What to look for: Look out for headaches, dizziness and fatigue. Check if he is having visual problems or disturbances. Shortness of breath is also a sign.
I hope you find this list helpful. By being informed, you are able to look for the right clues. As a parent, you can rest easy by giving your child a balanced diet, enough exercise, ample rest and the best immunity-boosting vitamins.
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