Sick Kid at Home? When to Bring Them to Urgent Care

As kids continue to grow, their immune systems mature, but not before they endure some illnesses. It's difficult to watch your child get sick and not feel well, but you can treat most colds and conditions at home.

However, sometimes an illness requires a trip to the urgent care for fast and efficient treatment. At Calvary Urgent Care in Humble, Texas, Dr. Joseph Goin and his team offer primary care services as well as sick visits for adults and kids.

If your child isn't improving with home care and you need expert advice, come to our urgent care facility for expert treatment and same-day appointments.

Common childhood illnesses

Kids' immune systems are still developing and maturing as they age. It's common for a child to get sick a few times a year due to coming into contact with other sick children as their immune system matures.

Most kids get a cold or the flu but kick it on their own. However, sometimes a childhood illness requires professional care and treatment.

Various illnesses affect kids from infancy to adulthood. The most prevalent illnesses children experience include:

• Allergies
• Asthma
• Common cold
• Strep throat
• Conjunctivitis
• Chickenpox
• Hand, foot, and mouth
• Ear infections
• Bronchitis
• Flu

These illnesses range in severity, but your child's immune system makes antibodies to help them fight off disease in the future. Home remedies are often enough for mild illnesses, but severe infections may need prescription medications and professional care.

Signs your child should go to urgent care

If your child is sick, you want them to get better as soon as possible. Home care and over-the-counter medications help, but what if they aren't enough?

Knowing when to take your child to an urgent care is an essential aspect of helping them improve. The following signs could indicate you should bring your child in for an urgent care evaluation:

Urinary symptoms

If your child is complaining of pain with urination or having to pee more often than usual, they may have a urinary tract infection. At our urgent care, we can test your child's urine and provide treatment.

Fever

If a fever isn't breaking with antipyretics and home care, you should bring your child in for treatment, especially if there are other cold symptoms.

Ear or eye problems

Ear infections, earaches, and pink eye are all common in children. If your child is exhibiting symptoms of ear or eye problems, bring them in for treatment to expedite the healing process.

Skin rash

A skin rash on your child could be an allergic reaction to poison ivy, oak, or sumac. A rash is a good reason to bring your child to urgent care to determine the cause and get the appropriate care.

Cold or cough

Children often develop colds or coughs, especially since school recently started. If the cough or cold appears to be getting worse, an urgent care visit is necessary for treatment.

Minor injuries

Minor injuries are another reason to head into urgent care. Although not an illness, minor injuries like lacerations, mild burns, or sports injuries can make your child feel less like themselves without treatment.

GI issues

The GI bug is common in kids and causes nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. If your child can't keep liquids down and continues vomiting, bring them in for an evaluation and treatment.

When should I go to the emergency room?

Our urgent care facility is well-equipped to handle minor illnesses and injuries; however, if your child requires more intensive care, we recommend going to the emergency room.

If you're unsure of where to go, you can call us, and we can direct you to our urgent care or the ER. You should go straight to the emergency room with your child if they have any of the following:

• Trouble breathing or shortness of breath
• Change in mental status
• Severe dehydration
• Significant pain
• Severe injuries or fractures
• High fever in infants
• Abdominal pain
• Significant bleeding

These medical problems require more intensive monitoring and tests that should happen in an emergency room setting. 

Visit our urgent care facility, conveniently located in Humble, Texas, for sick child care or use our online booking feature to request an appointment today.