When your children get out of school for winter break and you all head off to a big extended family holiday celebration, the last thing any of you are probably thinking about is the possibility that your child will fall ill over the holidays. However, when your child is finally able to relax on their winter break, and you get together with a large group of people, there is a higher than normal probability that they will get sick. In order to best handle your child's illness if it occurs over the holidays, you should get to know when you need to take your sick child to urgent care over the holidays.  

Vomiting and Diarrhea without Successful Rehydration

Gastroenteritis, or what you likely refer to as the stomach flu, can be a commonly spread viral infection over the holidays. As such, there is a possibility that your child will suffer from diarrhea or vomiting during the season.

While these symptoms on their own do not require you to take them to an urgent care clinic or doctor's office over the holidays, other factors may influence your decision. For example, if your child cannot keep down clear fluids at all and continue to vomit or have diarrhea, you may need to take them in to prevent serious complications due to dehydration.

A high fever along with the vomiting or symptoms that persist for more than a couple days also indicate that you should take your child in for medical care. There could be something more than a viral infection going on and your child will be at risk of other issues and complications if the vomiting and diarrhea continue.

Rash or Hives After a Family Meal

When you and your extended family get together and eat, there is always a chance that your child will eat something that does not completely agree with them. However, sometimes this lack of agreement can indicate an allergic reaction to the food they consumed rather than just simple stomach upset.

If your child suddenly develops a bright red and extensive skin rash or swollen hives when eating or immediately after they eat, you may want to take them to the urgent care clinic or a general practitioner to be examined. While the rash may have occurred for another reason, your child may be allergic to a food they ate and need antihistamines and other medications to clear up their skin reaction.

Sometimes an allergic reaction can become more severe as well including an inability to breath, throat tightening, and other digestive and cardiovascular issues. Because of this, you should take the rash and hives seriously to prevent further trouble.

Now that you have a few ideas of how to handle certain signs of illness during the holidays with your child, you can provide them with better care over their vacation and ensure that they and you, have a happy and safe holiday.