Most parents have heard at least one horror story about a child whose stomachache turned out to be appendicitis, requiring a rush to the hospital and emergency surgery. Appendicitis, or inflammation of the appendix, can be a life-threatening problem and requires immediate medical attention. While you shouldn't panic every time your child says his tummy hurts, you should familiarize yourself with the signs of appendicitis.

Food poisoning, also known as food-borne illness, can strike children and adults alike. Symptoms of food poisoning, such as vomiting and diarrhea, typically start around eight hours after contaminated food is consumed, although some types of food poisoning, such as salmonella, can have an incubation period of up to three days. Food poisoning typically resolves after 48 hours. When treating your child's bout of food poisoning, preventing dehydration is the most important task.

Nausea and vomiting aren't conditions -- they're symptoms suggesting that something is afoot in your child's gastrointestinal tract. A vomiting child likely won't be able to summon up a healthy appetite soon after he throws up, but getting him back on solids is essential for good health. The American Academy of Pediatrics, or AAP, advises you to withhold solid foods while your child is still vomiting -- however, make sure he continues to receive fluids to prevent dehydration.

Like acne and dandruff, oily hair is a problem that most moms don't expect for their children to have to deal with before their teenage years. So when you notice your child's once-shiny hair is taking a turn for the greasy, it's a relief to know that oily hair in children is perfectly normal and simple to treat.

Unlike an older child, your baby can't tell you what is bothering him, but certain symptoms can alert you to the presence of seasonal allergies. An allergist can also use medical tests to help determine which allergens are responsible for your infant's symptoms. Limiting his exposure to the suspect allergens, as well as providing certain medications, may help minimize your baby's symptoms.

Fevers go hand-in-hand with an illness and are a sign that your body's immune system is fighting an infection. This doesn't make it any easier to watch your little one suffering with a fever, though. By taking proper care of her when she's sick, you can ensure that she'll be playing again in no time.

While some of your child's aches and pains have a clear and obvious cause, because children are often active and injury prone, others may not be as easy to discern. Your child may experience cramping in his feet for a variety of reasons. Determining the cause of his cramps can help you treat his condition and ease his discomfort.

When your child is sick with diarrhea, you want to do anything to make him feel better. Certain foods are better at stopping diarrhea than others. Try to take things slow when offering new foods for diarrhea, and pay attention to how your child responds to each one. Fortunately, diarrhea typically only lasts a few days, so he should be feeling better in no time. If it lasts longer than that, contact his doctor.

Seeing your child's face streaked with red from a nosebleed can be a terrifying experience -- and it gets scarier when it occurs frequently. Knowing how to deal with the immediate nosebleed and prevent the problems causing it can help make nosebleeds a little less frightening for you and your child.

Like older children and adults, toddlers too experience dry and itchy scalp conditions. Determining the origin of the problem is the first step in treating the condition. While your toddler may not be able to verbalize his symptoms, examining his scalp can help you determine if his condition requires a trip to your pediatrician's office.