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Pharmacy Care provides information about self-care, that is how to treat minor medical conditions with products available at the pharmacy. Find out how your pharmacist can help you to manage minor conditions yourself.
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Pain is your body’s way of telling you there is something wrong with it. Pain can be caused by an injury, such as a cut or burn, or by illness, such as a sore throat or ear infection. Pain can be acute, which means it started recently, or chronic, which means it has lasted for longer, such as weeks or months.
It is not always easy to know when your child is in pain, or to know the cause, as babies and young children are not able to tell you they are in pain. A child doesn’t necessarily have to be crying to indicate pain as some children can become quiet and withdrawn. Older children may be able to tell you where they are in pain, but may have difficulty describing it, such as how bad it is or when it started. A ‘faces’ pain scale can be used to report pain in younger children, whereas older children can use a numerical scale.
Signs that a baby or child is in pain may include changes in behaviour such as:
being unusually quiet or withdrawn
crying for no obvious reason
being agitated, anxious, angry or frightened
not eating or sleeping properly
tugging on their ears (often a sign of ear pain)
avoiding activities that make their pain worse
See Your Pharmacist or Medical Professional
if the child is under two years old
if you have any concerns that the pain is a sign of something more serious
if the child is floppy, pale or hard to wake up
if the child has a fit, or convulsion
if the child develops a rash or stiff neck
if the child refuses to eat for more than 24 hours, or has persistent vomiting or diarrhoea
if the child has a high fever
if the child is tugging their ears; this may be a sign of ear infection
if the pain does not get better after using pain relief medicine for 24 hours
if you think your child may have signs of meningitis, contact your doctor urgently. It is important to note that not every child will develop a rash with meningitis
Treatment Tips
pain relief medicines often work best if they are given regularly, rather than just when pain is bad. However, you should never exceed the recommended dose on the container
pain relief medicines should not be used in children for longer than a few days without medical advice
children under 12 years old must not take aspirin because it can cause Reye’s syndrome, which is a serious condition
aspirin should also be avoided in adolescents under 16 years old who have a viral illness
other methods of reducing pain include massage or using heat or ice packs
distraction, relaxation, massage and behavioural techniques can be used with medicine to provide pain relief
children with chronic (ongoing) pain need to be treated by a doctor
sometimes it is hard to avoid causing a child some pain, such as when changing a wound dressing or washing a wound, or when the child is at the doctor and is given an injection or has a blood sample taken. Ways to reduce pain for your child include explaining what is happening and why, distracting the child and allowing the child some control, such as:
letting the child help to wash a cut or put on a dressing
letting the child choose the finger or arm for a blood sample or injection
Treatment Options
always use a proper measuring device (such as an oral syringe or calibrated measuring cup) to measure the exact dose when giving children oral liquid medicines. Teaspoons vary a lot in size and should never be used to measure medicines
talk to your pharmacist if you have difficulty opening or closing containers which have child safety caps on them; alternatives are usually available
talk to your pharmacist about the best place to store your medicines
as children grow, the dosage of most medicines change. Always refer to the dosing instructions on the packet or ask your pharmacist if you are not sure how much to give. Most dosages for children are based on their ideal weight
Oral pain relief medicines (analgesics)
[PHARMACY ONLY]
e.g. paracetamol (Children’s Panadol chewable tablets, baby drops, suspension, elixir, suppositories and soluble tablets; Dymadon suspension and drops)
e.g. ibuprofen (Nurofen for Children suspension and infant drops, Dimetapp children’s range, iProfen Suspension for Children)
paracetamol is a safe choice for most children but it is important not to give more than the recommended dose
always follow the dose instructions for the age and weight of your child
paracetamol is sometimes given as suppositories if the child cannot take medicines by mouth
ibuprofen is not suitable for everyone; check with your pharmacist before giving ibuprofen to a child if they:
are dehydrated
have a history of stomach problems, such as ulcers or indigestion
have asthma; some people with asthma find their condition is made worse by this medicine
have kidney problems or a heart condition
take other medicines
always follow the dose instructions for the age and weight of your child
paracetamol and ibuprofen relieve pain and help reduce fever. Ibuprofen is an anti-inflammatory and can reduce swelling, which makes it useful for treating injuries such as sprains, or when an infection has caused swelling, such as with sore throats or ear infections
this is only available without a doctor’s prescription for children over the age of 2 years
this medicine can cause drowsiness
other medicines for more severe pain are only available on prescription
Topical treatments
[GENERAL SALE]
e.g. choline salicylate (Bonjela Mouth Ulcer Gel, Bonjela Teething Gel), lignocaine (Solarcaine, Soov Burn, Soov Cream)
[PHARMACY ONLY]
e.g. lignocaine (Seda Lotion), lignocaine + prilocaine (Emla)
Bonjela can help relieve pain from mouth ulcers or teething problems; it can only be used for infants over the age of 4 months
topical anaesthetics, such as lignocaine, can relieve skin pain caused by sunburn, bites or cuts and grazes
creams or patches containing lignocaine and prilocaine can be used to numb part of the skin before the child is given an injection or a blood sample is taken
More Information
Phone helplines
If you are concerned about your child there is a national 24-hour health advice helpline and also parenting helplines in each state and territory:
National helplines
healthdirect 24-hour health advice line: 1800 022 222
Pregnancy, Birth & Baby Helpline: 1800 882 436
State and Territory Helplines:
ACT (02) 6287 3833
NSW 1300 1300 52
NT 1300 30 1300
QLD 1300 30 1300
SA 1300 364 100
TAS 1800 808 178
VIC 13 22 89
WA 1800 654 432
For further information about meningitis, see the link in Related Health Information below.
Availability of medicines
GENERAL SALE available through pharmacies and possibly other retail outlets.
PHARMACY ONLY available for sale through pharmacies only.
PHARMACIST ONLY may only be sold by a pharmacist.
PRESCRIPTION ONLY available only with a prescription from your doctor or other health professional.
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