From excessive drooling to a severe sore throat – the 4 signs your child needs to see a doctor in the next FIVE minutes
AS a parent, it can be hard to know when you actually need to take your child to the doctor, and when you're overreacting.
Thankfully, an ex-paramedic has shared the warning signs of a serious condition that warrants an immediate trip to A&E.
"It's one that should be taken seriously because of how quickly it can close off your child's airway," she explained.
Read more on first aid
Call 999 for an if you think you or your child has epiglottitis, the NHS says.
These four key symptoms to watch out for:
- Excessive drooling
- Fever
- Severe sore throat
- Difficulty swallowing
The NHS advises parents to try to remain calm while waiting for the ambulance to arrive.
They should not attempt to examine their child's throat, place anything inside their mouth, or lay them on their back as this may make it worse.
Parents must also try and keep their child calm so they do not get distressed.
The condition is often caused by a bacterial infection and spreads in the same way a cold or flu virus does.
Epiglottitis is quite rare in the UK, due to the success of the Hib (the bacteria which causes the condition) vaccination of children.
According to the NHS, deaths occur in around one in 100 cases.