We all know that if your child gets sick, you have to take them to their pediatrician to figure out what’s wrong. However, there are some common illnesses that a general practitioner cannot help with; all the doctor can do is refer you to a pediatric specialist. There are some common cases where you will have to absolutely go to a specialist, and you can skip the step of going to the general practitioner.
The specialist is specifically trained in issues pertaining to certain areas or body parts. In addition, pediatric specialists are trained to follow the developing bodies of children to make a proper diagnosis. The following are some important specialists that you should keep in mind.
- Dermatologist
This is probably one of the most commonly visited pediatric specialists out there. Kids go outside and play and get their hands in everything. While this is a completely natural thing to do, it will sometimes expose them to bacteria and other things that will affect their skin.
- Allergist
While your child is growing up, you will start to learn about all the allergies or seasonal changes that affect them. Some allergies have a slow onset and don’t appear until your child is a toddler or older. An allergist is a pediatric specialist who can diagnose allergies as well as problems such as asthma.
- Ear, Nose, and Throat Doctor
The ear, nose, and throat doctor—or ENT—will be your go-to doctor whenever your child gets a sinus issue, ear infection, or a runny nose. Whenever one of these problems becomes recurrent, you will need the ENT close by in order to get the problem diagnosed and resolved as soon as possible.
- Gastroenterologist
Children have sensitive digestive tracts as their bodies start getting used to all the different foods they have to eat. It doesn’t help that children often eat things they probably shouldn’t eat in the first place. The gastroenterologist is there for problems such as chronic diarrhea as well as issues that even rarer.
- Thoracic Specialist
If your child has a breathing problem or a recurrent cough, then you will have to go to the thoracic pediatric specialist to diagnose the issue. The main problem that a thoracic specialist will help with will have to do with asthma and symptoms related to that condition.
As children grow up, they are prone to getting sick as their bodies continue to develop. Getting sick is just a natural part of growing up. If there are general symptoms involved in the illness, then you will go to a general practitioner to find out what you should do next.
However, if there are more specific symptoms that are causing your child to get sick, or they are recurrent over a long period of time, then you might be better off visiting a pediatric specialist. They will be able to better attend to your child to make sure they are well.
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