Health Issues When Starting Back To School
Back-to-School Health Issues All Parents Should Worry About
INTRODUCTION
Back to school used to be a lot simpler in the olden days. Parents bought a couple of new outfits and notebooks, handed the kids a brown bag lunch and their book strap, and off they went. These days, going back to school is a combination of "keeping up with the Joneses" and military maneuvers to make sure all the academic and health bases are covered.
The health bases are the most important, of course, because a healthy child is a happy one who is ready to learn. This includes physical and mental health, and prevention of illness whenever possible. It can also mean immunizations, hearing and vision tests, and special instructions for the school nurse if your child has any particular health issues such as asthma or a severe allergy.
In this guide, you will find a range of important health issues all parents should think about before sending their child back to school. Let’s look first at the steps you can take to prevent illness from arising in the first place.
SECTION 1 - PREVENTIVE HEALTH CARE
Children up to the age of 18 are constantly growing, and need to follow a balanced lifestyle in order to stay healthy and grow normally. The cornerstone of good health at any age are diet, exercise and sleep.
Diet
We are what we eat, and children need a balanced diet full of nutrition. Learning what the nutritional requirements are for the ages of your children, and planning meals around them, can keep them fit and health and able to deal with the hard work and stress of all the demands placed upon them at school.
There are many free resources available online that can help you plan meals that are delicious and nutritious, such as the USDA’s http://www.choosemyplate.gov/, and the U.S. government sponsored site https://www.nutrition.gov/life-stages/children/food-nutrition.
We can’t completely control what our kids eat when they are not right under our watchful eye, but there are a few strategies to keep them on the right track. The first is to send them off every morning with a solid breakfast. Aim for whole grain cereals like oatmeal and steer clear of sugary ones with lots of food coloring. Make your own breakfast burritos so you can be sure of exactly what’s in them. Wrap them in wax paper, heat in the microwave, and they can even take them with them.
The school lunch program will probably be the most economical choice for feeding them at lunchtime. It also has the added advantage of offering them a hot meal with a view to balanced nutrition, and they can socialize with their friends in a supervised setting.
In terms of snacks between meals or after school, try your own homemade nutrition bars - peanut butter and jelly if they are not allergic to nuts, string cheese and crackers, or your own homemade trail mix. All of these can be taken anywhere without the need for refrigeration.
In terms of beverages, we all need water every day. If your child doesn’t like plain water, add a couple of ounces of fruit juice to a 16-ounce bottle. Most children need milk for sturdy bones and teeth. Aim for skim, and also consider soy and nut milks for variety and for the extra vitamins and minerals these fortified beverages provide.
Milk in all its forms is the ideal base for a healthy smoothie. If you struggle to get your kids to eat their fruits and vegetables, smuggling them into a delicious shake is your best option. Most kids love the sweetness of fruit such as berries and peaches, and the taste is strong enough to disguise vegetables. Try a green smoothie as well; fruit juice and milk with broccoli, spinach and so on. Chances are they will never know just how healthy they are for them.
In relation to dinner, studies have shown that families who eat around the table together each night tend to be a lot closer, and the children are less prone to activities like smoking, drinking, and having underage sex. You can not only see exactly what they’re eating, you can also check in on their day and enjoy interesting conversations.
Avoid nagging or threatening, which can make the dinner table turn into what feels like a trap or cage. Encourage them to eat, but don’t make dinner a battleground. Serve simple, tasty, homemade recipes. If you’re really busy most nights of the week or can’t always be there when the children get home, consider cooking once a week at the weekends and making a range of make and freeze meals that just need to be heated in the microwave.
Also try the roast dinner spinner method of cooking. Roast a chicken, turkey or pork loin for Sunday dinner, for example, with lots of side dishes, and then pack up the leftovers into homemade TV dinners. Reserve about 3 ounces of meat per person as well to put into other dishes, such as stir fries, soups and stews. You can also use a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket if you really don’t have time to cook one from scratch yourself.
In terms of desserts, try to make them at home yourself. They are easy and healthy, and the kids will love helping you make things - even if they are not too crazy about helping you clean up. When the items are cool, portion them out into zippered storage bags and freeze them. Defrost as needed, or put in their schoolbag for a delicious, healthy treat. Try applesauce cookies, oatmeal raisin, and other healthy cookies the whole family will love.
Exercise
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/children/
children should have 60 minutes of exercise a day, or more. This might sound like a lot, but remember that most kids have a lot of energy to burn and find it hard to keep still.
It can be done easily if you vary the activities. The three types of activities they should engage in are:
* Aerobics
* Muscle building
* Bone building
Aerobics is any activity that causes the heart rate to increase. This can include walking quickly, jogging, swimming, playing soccer or tennis, or cycling.
Muscle building can be any activity that develops physical strength, such as calisthenics, push-ups, and sit-ups. Yoga can build muscle quickly and most kids find it fun.
Bone building exercises can also be termed weight-bearing exercises, in which the weight of their body is used during the workout. Walking, jogging and yoga all use body weight to work out naturally, with no fancy equipment.
Sleep
Sleep is essential to rest and rejuvenate body and mind. It is also important for healing the wear and tear on the muscles after working out. In addition, it keeps the immune system strong so your child will be able to ward off the many germs they will be exposed to each day at school.
The Sleep Foundation, https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-news/how-much-sleep-do-babies-and-kids-need recommends the following number of hours of sleep for children based on their age:
* Preschoolers - 3 to 5 years: 10 to 13 hours
* School-aged children - 6 to 13 years: 9 to 11 hours
* Teenagers - 14 to 17 years: 8 to 10 hours
* Young adults - 18 to 25 years: 7 to 9 hours
This might seem impossible given all their homework as they get older, as well as other demands on their time. However, sleep deprivation (that is, lack of sleep) can leave them feeling run down and much more prone to illness.
Limit the media they are exposed to and don’t allow TVs, DVDs and so on in their bedrooms. The bedroom should be an environment focused on sleep. Have a set bedtime and routine, such as brushing teeth, washing face and getting into pajamas. A bedtime story is up to the child and a good way to help them nod off.
A good diet, exercise and sleep can be difficult to enforce, especially if you are not on top of these areas in your own life, but they are the foundations of good health no matter what your age. So too are vaccinations. Let’s look at this topic in the next section.
SECTION 2 - VACCINATIONS
There has been a great deal of controversy surrounding vaccinations in recent years regarding concerns that they may trigger certain health issues, in particular autism. Countless studies have now revealed that the causes are derived from both the mother and the father prior to the child ever being born. The link was assumed because children start to show signs of autism around the age at which they start their regular course of vaccinations.
Many parents decided to opt out of vaccinating their children, but recent outbreaks of preventable childhood diseases such as mumps and whooping cough have resulted in the school health authorities taking a hard line on the subject and refusing to enroll any student without an immunization record.
The CDC has a very handy page with age-related details, from infant to adult (yes, you need vaccinations too!), on http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/ The charts show what is recommended, and what is needed if they are in a "catch up" position regarding being immunized.
The recommendations are updated regularly. Don’t forget to consider optional seasonal vaccinations as well, such as the flu shot. Some flu shots works better than others from year to year and depending on the severity of the strain of flu, but generally speaking, 50% effective means a lot less cases of flu that can be spread.
This brings us to our next topic, common-sense care to fight disease.
SECTION 3 - COMMON-SENSE CARE
Dealing with Allergies
If you suspect your child suffers from allergies, be proactive and get them tested. This will help you determine the best course of action in relation to their more troublesome symptoms. Hay fever, allergies that trigger asthma attacks, peanut and egg allergies are the most common, and can be life-threatening. Bee sting allergy can be as well. Children should have their medicine in school with the nurse, and/or with them if they are allowed to carry their inhaler or EpiPen in case of emergencies.
Another allergy that appears to be on the rise is to glutens; that is, protein found in certain grains such as wheat and rye. Going gluten-free is easier than ever thanks to growing awareness of this issue. You can bake your own gluten-free goodies for your child to take to school, and see what a difference it makes to their health.
What to Do If Your Child Is Sick
There may not be much we can do about colds and flu once we are ill, but there is a lot we can do to prevent ourselves and our children from catching them in the first place, or spreading them once we do have them. There’s nothing worse than an entire family coming down with the same bug and all trying to care for themselves and each other when they are so sick.
Wash Your Hands
The CDC has a great page on when you should wash your hands, and how to do it:
http://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/when-how-handwashing.html and a range of posters to encourage children to pay more attention to washing their hands: http://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/posters.html
The most important times to wash your hands are after blowing your nose, and before and after eating.
The World Health Organization has a step-by-step illustrated poster you can put up near any sink:
http://www.who.int/gpsc/5may/How_To_HandWash_Poster.pdf
Use Hand Sanitizer
If there is no running water, hand sanitizer will kill many germs. Just be careful not to overuse it, as it can dry out skin and make it cracked and therefore open to infection.
Keep Things Clean
There are a wide range of cleaning products these days that make it easy to keep things clean, such as sanitizing wipes. They can be purchased relatively cheaply in bulk at warehouse stores like Costco. Put some in a zippered bag to take with you anywhere.
It's particularly important to keep your kitchen and bathrooms scrupulously clean. And if you are ill, don’t prepare meals for other people or wash the dishes.
Discourage Sharing
We teach our kids to be cooperative and share, but shared toys and food are two of the main ways that kids can pick up or spread germs. Cut their sandwiches into strips or small squares so they can offer them to others. Also, teach them to handle their food as little as possible, and never put it directly down on any surface such as their desk, lunch room table, or picnic table. Give them paper towels, hand wipes or sanitizer, and napkins to keep things clean.
Cover Your Coughs
Recent years have seen a campaign to get people to cover their coughs safely so as to try to prevent the spread of germs. People used to be told to cough into their hand or a hankie, but that meant easy transfer of the germs to anything they touched. Cold and flu germs can survive on surfaces hours after they have been transferred, and infect others. Remember, flu can kill.
The new advice from the CDC is to cough into your upper arm. http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/covercough.htm illustrates what to do to keep others safe. You can also print off posters to remind everyone of what to do.
If your child has a cold or flu, keep them home a day or two to rest and to avoid spreading the germs. This can be tough if you are working full time and have child-care issues. However, it is important to note that the pandemics that have occurred in recent years result from people not staying away from others (quarantine) when they are ill. The H1N1 flu was spread all over the US by, in part, a group of young people back from a school trip abroad.
Of course, colds and flu are not the only school-related health concerns. Let’s look at some of the most common nasties children can be exposed to when they are back at school.
SECTION 4 - WATCH OUT FOR COMMON SCHOOL-RELATED HEALTH CONCERNS
These health issues are among the most common in school-aged children:
* Conjunctivitis (pink eye)
* Head lice
* Impetigo
* Ringworm and other fungal infections
* Strep throat
Let’s look at each of these in turn.
Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye)
Conjunctivitis is an infection of the eye that can be caused by a virus, bacteria, or allergies. It can result from cold germs getting into the eye, or by sharing an item used by an infected person, such as a towel or toy. Typical symptoms include redness (hence the name pink eye), extreme itching, discharge from the eye, a bloodshot look to the eye, crusts that form along the eyelid overnight, and/or increased tear production.
It is highly contagious. Warm compresses on the eye can help relieve any itchiness. Viral conjunctivitis will go away when the cold is over, or the allergy is treated. Bacterial conjunctivitis will have to be treated with antibiotic eye drops. Since it is hard to tell the exact cause, the most sensible thing to do is to consult a doctor and follow all instructions carefully.
The best way to prevent conjunctivitis is proper hand washing and discouraging children from touching their face, and especially not rubbing their eyes.
Head Lice
Lice are tiny parasites that live off the blood in scalps. The American Academy of Pediatrics has stated that lice do not spread disease, and children have already been contagious by the time the severe itching starts so there’s no reason for infected kids to stay home from school.
Lice crawl from head to head, so anyone close to an infected person can catch it. The symptoms are a very itchy scalp, small, unhatched eggs (nits), and brown bugs the size of a sesame seed. The bugs are usually found in the hair behind the ears and at the nape of the neck.
Head lice can be treated with special shampoos that kill lice and their eggs. If the shampoo doesn’t work, your doctor can give you a prescription for something stronger. All these treatments for lice will use pesticides, so it is essential to use them exactly as directed.
Make sure to wash exposed bedding and recently worn clothing in hot water and tumble dry on high heat to kill off bugs and their eggs. Change pillowcases and don’t share pillows. Vacuum beds, sofas, stuffed animals, and car seats. Soak combs and brushes in very hot water for ten minutes.
Impetigo
Impetigo is one of the most common skin infections among children. It usually produces blisters or sores on the face, neck, hands, and diaper area. It is highly contagious and caused by one of two bacteria: Staphylococcus aureus or Streptococcus pyogenes (the same bacteria that causes strep throat).
A child may be more likely to develop impetigo if the skin has already been irritated by other skin problems, such as eczema, poison ivy, insect bites, and cuts or scrapes, since they all leave them open to infection. Routinely washing the face and hands can help prevent impetigo. So too can discouraging scratching.
The two types of impetigo are non-bullous (crusted) and bullous (large blisters). Crusted impetigo is the most common, starting with tiny blisters that burst and leave small wet patches of red skin that may ooze liquid. It will gradually go dark and crust over.
Bullous impetigo is caused by the S. aureus bacteria releasing toxins that cause large, fluid-containing blisters to form. They are more likely to stay longer on the skin without bursting. Both kinds are treated with antibiotics.
Ringworm, Jock Itch, Athlete’s Foot and Other Fungal Infections
All these fungi can pass from skin-to-skin contact or through infected towels, clothes, or surfaces. They all thrive in warm, humid environments such as indoor pool decks and locker rooms. Ringworm (also known as tinea corporis) is an itchy rash on the skin that tends to be clear in the center and spread outward, creating a ring. Jock itch (or tinea cruris) shows up in the skin folds of the groin as itching red, scaly patches that may blister and ooze. Athlete’s foot (tinea pedis) is characterized by itchy, cracked, red skin around the toes.
Over-the-counter antifungal medications are the first line of attack, but if they fail, stronger prescription medications may be used.
These infections can be prevented though avoiding contact with infected skin, wearing shower clogs in shared showers, and keeping the insides of shoes dry and treated with preventive powder. Wash all gym clothes and socks well. Avoid sharing towels and bath mats if anyone in the house has an active infection.
Strep Throat
Strep throat is an infection of the throat caused by group A streptococcus bacteria. Kids catch it from a contagious person’s coughs and sneezes, and through shared cups and utensils. Typical symptoms are a very painful throat, often accompanied by a fever that can be quite high, but no nasal symptoms. If your child feels like they can’t swallow, head to the doctor for some antibiotics to treat the infection and avoid potential complications, which can include scarlet fever, rheumatic fever or kidney damage. They should start feeling better and no longer be contagious within two days of starting antibiotic treatment.
CONCLUSION
You might already have enough to worry about if your child is nervous about the first day back at school, but a little prevention can be worth a pound of cure when it comes to stopping the spread of sickness due to contagious kids at school. Good self-care will ensure your child does not get run down either, so they can maintain a healthy immune system and stay well no matter what bugs are making the rounds.
INTRODUCTION
Back to school used to be a lot simpler in the olden days. Parents bought a couple of new outfits and notebooks, handed the kids a brown bag lunch and their book strap, and off they went. These days, going back to school is a combination of "keeping up with the Joneses" and military maneuvers to make sure all the academic and health bases are covered.
The health bases are the most important, of course, because a healthy child is a happy one who is ready to learn. This includes physical and mental health, and prevention of illness whenever possible. It can also mean immunizations, hearing and vision tests, and special instructions for the school nurse if your child has any particular health issues such as asthma or a severe allergy.
In this guide, you will find a range of important health issues all parents should think about before sending their child back to school. Let’s look first at the steps you can take to prevent illness from arising in the first place.
SECTION 1 - PREVENTIVE HEALTH CARE
Children up to the age of 18 are constantly growing, and need to follow a balanced lifestyle in order to stay healthy and grow normally. The cornerstone of good health at any age are diet, exercise and sleep.
Diet
We are what we eat, and children need a balanced diet full of nutrition. Learning what the nutritional requirements are for the ages of your children, and planning meals around them, can keep them fit and health and able to deal with the hard work and stress of all the demands placed upon them at school.
There are many free resources available online that can help you plan meals that are delicious and nutritious, such as the USDA’s http://www.choosemyplate.gov/, and the U.S. government sponsored site https://www.nutrition.gov/life-stages/children/food-nutrition.
We can’t completely control what our kids eat when they are not right under our watchful eye, but there are a few strategies to keep them on the right track. The first is to send them off every morning with a solid breakfast. Aim for whole grain cereals like oatmeal and steer clear of sugary ones with lots of food coloring. Make your own breakfast burritos so you can be sure of exactly what’s in them. Wrap them in wax paper, heat in the microwave, and they can even take them with them.
The school lunch program will probably be the most economical choice for feeding them at lunchtime. It also has the added advantage of offering them a hot meal with a view to balanced nutrition, and they can socialize with their friends in a supervised setting.
In terms of snacks between meals or after school, try your own homemade nutrition bars - peanut butter and jelly if they are not allergic to nuts, string cheese and crackers, or your own homemade trail mix. All of these can be taken anywhere without the need for refrigeration.
In terms of beverages, we all need water every day. If your child doesn’t like plain water, add a couple of ounces of fruit juice to a 16-ounce bottle. Most children need milk for sturdy bones and teeth. Aim for skim, and also consider soy and nut milks for variety and for the extra vitamins and minerals these fortified beverages provide.
Milk in all its forms is the ideal base for a healthy smoothie. If you struggle to get your kids to eat their fruits and vegetables, smuggling them into a delicious shake is your best option. Most kids love the sweetness of fruit such as berries and peaches, and the taste is strong enough to disguise vegetables. Try a green smoothie as well; fruit juice and milk with broccoli, spinach and so on. Chances are they will never know just how healthy they are for them.
In relation to dinner, studies have shown that families who eat around the table together each night tend to be a lot closer, and the children are less prone to activities like smoking, drinking, and having underage sex. You can not only see exactly what they’re eating, you can also check in on their day and enjoy interesting conversations.
Avoid nagging or threatening, which can make the dinner table turn into what feels like a trap or cage. Encourage them to eat, but don’t make dinner a battleground. Serve simple, tasty, homemade recipes. If you’re really busy most nights of the week or can’t always be there when the children get home, consider cooking once a week at the weekends and making a range of make and freeze meals that just need to be heated in the microwave.
Also try the roast dinner spinner method of cooking. Roast a chicken, turkey or pork loin for Sunday dinner, for example, with lots of side dishes, and then pack up the leftovers into homemade TV dinners. Reserve about 3 ounces of meat per person as well to put into other dishes, such as stir fries, soups and stews. You can also use a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket if you really don’t have time to cook one from scratch yourself.
In terms of desserts, try to make them at home yourself. They are easy and healthy, and the kids will love helping you make things - even if they are not too crazy about helping you clean up. When the items are cool, portion them out into zippered storage bags and freeze them. Defrost as needed, or put in their schoolbag for a delicious, healthy treat. Try applesauce cookies, oatmeal raisin, and other healthy cookies the whole family will love.
Exercise
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/children/
children should have 60 minutes of exercise a day, or more. This might sound like a lot, but remember that most kids have a lot of energy to burn and find it hard to keep still.
It can be done easily if you vary the activities. The three types of activities they should engage in are:
* Aerobics
* Muscle building
* Bone building
Aerobics is any activity that causes the heart rate to increase. This can include walking quickly, jogging, swimming, playing soccer or tennis, or cycling.
Muscle building can be any activity that develops physical strength, such as calisthenics, push-ups, and sit-ups. Yoga can build muscle quickly and most kids find it fun.
Bone building exercises can also be termed weight-bearing exercises, in which the weight of their body is used during the workout. Walking, jogging and yoga all use body weight to work out naturally, with no fancy equipment.
Sleep
Sleep is essential to rest and rejuvenate body and mind. It is also important for healing the wear and tear on the muscles after working out. In addition, it keeps the immune system strong so your child will be able to ward off the many germs they will be exposed to each day at school.
The Sleep Foundation, https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-news/how-much-sleep-do-babies-and-kids-need recommends the following number of hours of sleep for children based on their age:
* Preschoolers - 3 to 5 years: 10 to 13 hours
* School-aged children - 6 to 13 years: 9 to 11 hours
* Teenagers - 14 to 17 years: 8 to 10 hours
* Young adults - 18 to 25 years: 7 to 9 hours
This might seem impossible given all their homework as they get older, as well as other demands on their time. However, sleep deprivation (that is, lack of sleep) can leave them feeling run down and much more prone to illness.
Limit the media they are exposed to and don’t allow TVs, DVDs and so on in their bedrooms. The bedroom should be an environment focused on sleep. Have a set bedtime and routine, such as brushing teeth, washing face and getting into pajamas. A bedtime story is up to the child and a good way to help them nod off.
A good diet, exercise and sleep can be difficult to enforce, especially if you are not on top of these areas in your own life, but they are the foundations of good health no matter what your age. So too are vaccinations. Let’s look at this topic in the next section.
SECTION 2 - VACCINATIONS
There has been a great deal of controversy surrounding vaccinations in recent years regarding concerns that they may trigger certain health issues, in particular autism. Countless studies have now revealed that the causes are derived from both the mother and the father prior to the child ever being born. The link was assumed because children start to show signs of autism around the age at which they start their regular course of vaccinations.
Many parents decided to opt out of vaccinating their children, but recent outbreaks of preventable childhood diseases such as mumps and whooping cough have resulted in the school health authorities taking a hard line on the subject and refusing to enroll any student without an immunization record.
The CDC has a very handy page with age-related details, from infant to adult (yes, you need vaccinations too!), on http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/ The charts show what is recommended, and what is needed if they are in a "catch up" position regarding being immunized.
The recommendations are updated regularly. Don’t forget to consider optional seasonal vaccinations as well, such as the flu shot. Some flu shots works better than others from year to year and depending on the severity of the strain of flu, but generally speaking, 50% effective means a lot less cases of flu that can be spread.
This brings us to our next topic, common-sense care to fight disease.
SECTION 3 - COMMON-SENSE CARE
Dealing with Allergies
If you suspect your child suffers from allergies, be proactive and get them tested. This will help you determine the best course of action in relation to their more troublesome symptoms. Hay fever, allergies that trigger asthma attacks, peanut and egg allergies are the most common, and can be life-threatening. Bee sting allergy can be as well. Children should have their medicine in school with the nurse, and/or with them if they are allowed to carry their inhaler or EpiPen in case of emergencies.
Another allergy that appears to be on the rise is to glutens; that is, protein found in certain grains such as wheat and rye. Going gluten-free is easier than ever thanks to growing awareness of this issue. You can bake your own gluten-free goodies for your child to take to school, and see what a difference it makes to their health.
What to Do If Your Child Is Sick
There may not be much we can do about colds and flu once we are ill, but there is a lot we can do to prevent ourselves and our children from catching them in the first place, or spreading them once we do have them. There’s nothing worse than an entire family coming down with the same bug and all trying to care for themselves and each other when they are so sick.
Wash Your Hands
The CDC has a great page on when you should wash your hands, and how to do it:
http://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/when-how-handwashing.html and a range of posters to encourage children to pay more attention to washing their hands: http://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/posters.html
The most important times to wash your hands are after blowing your nose, and before and after eating.
The World Health Organization has a step-by-step illustrated poster you can put up near any sink:
http://www.who.int/gpsc/5may/How_To_HandWash_Poster.pdf
Use Hand Sanitizer
If there is no running water, hand sanitizer will kill many germs. Just be careful not to overuse it, as it can dry out skin and make it cracked and therefore open to infection.
Keep Things Clean
There are a wide range of cleaning products these days that make it easy to keep things clean, such as sanitizing wipes. They can be purchased relatively cheaply in bulk at warehouse stores like Costco. Put some in a zippered bag to take with you anywhere.
It's particularly important to keep your kitchen and bathrooms scrupulously clean. And if you are ill, don’t prepare meals for other people or wash the dishes.
Discourage Sharing
We teach our kids to be cooperative and share, but shared toys and food are two of the main ways that kids can pick up or spread germs. Cut their sandwiches into strips or small squares so they can offer them to others. Also, teach them to handle their food as little as possible, and never put it directly down on any surface such as their desk, lunch room table, or picnic table. Give them paper towels, hand wipes or sanitizer, and napkins to keep things clean.
Cover Your Coughs
Recent years have seen a campaign to get people to cover their coughs safely so as to try to prevent the spread of germs. People used to be told to cough into their hand or a hankie, but that meant easy transfer of the germs to anything they touched. Cold and flu germs can survive on surfaces hours after they have been transferred, and infect others. Remember, flu can kill.
The new advice from the CDC is to cough into your upper arm. http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/covercough.htm illustrates what to do to keep others safe. You can also print off posters to remind everyone of what to do.
If your child has a cold or flu, keep them home a day or two to rest and to avoid spreading the germs. This can be tough if you are working full time and have child-care issues. However, it is important to note that the pandemics that have occurred in recent years result from people not staying away from others (quarantine) when they are ill. The H1N1 flu was spread all over the US by, in part, a group of young people back from a school trip abroad.
Of course, colds and flu are not the only school-related health concerns. Let’s look at some of the most common nasties children can be exposed to when they are back at school.
SECTION 4 - WATCH OUT FOR COMMON SCHOOL-RELATED HEALTH CONCERNS
These health issues are among the most common in school-aged children:
* Conjunctivitis (pink eye)
* Head lice
* Impetigo
* Ringworm and other fungal infections
* Strep throat
Let’s look at each of these in turn.
Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye)
Conjunctivitis is an infection of the eye that can be caused by a virus, bacteria, or allergies. It can result from cold germs getting into the eye, or by sharing an item used by an infected person, such as a towel or toy. Typical symptoms include redness (hence the name pink eye), extreme itching, discharge from the eye, a bloodshot look to the eye, crusts that form along the eyelid overnight, and/or increased tear production.
It is highly contagious. Warm compresses on the eye can help relieve any itchiness. Viral conjunctivitis will go away when the cold is over, or the allergy is treated. Bacterial conjunctivitis will have to be treated with antibiotic eye drops. Since it is hard to tell the exact cause, the most sensible thing to do is to consult a doctor and follow all instructions carefully.
The best way to prevent conjunctivitis is proper hand washing and discouraging children from touching their face, and especially not rubbing their eyes.
Head Lice
Lice are tiny parasites that live off the blood in scalps. The American Academy of Pediatrics has stated that lice do not spread disease, and children have already been contagious by the time the severe itching starts so there’s no reason for infected kids to stay home from school.
Lice crawl from head to head, so anyone close to an infected person can catch it. The symptoms are a very itchy scalp, small, unhatched eggs (nits), and brown bugs the size of a sesame seed. The bugs are usually found in the hair behind the ears and at the nape of the neck.
Head lice can be treated with special shampoos that kill lice and their eggs. If the shampoo doesn’t work, your doctor can give you a prescription for something stronger. All these treatments for lice will use pesticides, so it is essential to use them exactly as directed.
Make sure to wash exposed bedding and recently worn clothing in hot water and tumble dry on high heat to kill off bugs and their eggs. Change pillowcases and don’t share pillows. Vacuum beds, sofas, stuffed animals, and car seats. Soak combs and brushes in very hot water for ten minutes.
Impetigo
Impetigo is one of the most common skin infections among children. It usually produces blisters or sores on the face, neck, hands, and diaper area. It is highly contagious and caused by one of two bacteria: Staphylococcus aureus or Streptococcus pyogenes (the same bacteria that causes strep throat).
A child may be more likely to develop impetigo if the skin has already been irritated by other skin problems, such as eczema, poison ivy, insect bites, and cuts or scrapes, since they all leave them open to infection. Routinely washing the face and hands can help prevent impetigo. So too can discouraging scratching.
The two types of impetigo are non-bullous (crusted) and bullous (large blisters). Crusted impetigo is the most common, starting with tiny blisters that burst and leave small wet patches of red skin that may ooze liquid. It will gradually go dark and crust over.
Bullous impetigo is caused by the S. aureus bacteria releasing toxins that cause large, fluid-containing blisters to form. They are more likely to stay longer on the skin without bursting. Both kinds are treated with antibiotics.
Ringworm, Jock Itch, Athlete’s Foot and Other Fungal Infections
All these fungi can pass from skin-to-skin contact or through infected towels, clothes, or surfaces. They all thrive in warm, humid environments such as indoor pool decks and locker rooms. Ringworm (also known as tinea corporis) is an itchy rash on the skin that tends to be clear in the center and spread outward, creating a ring. Jock itch (or tinea cruris) shows up in the skin folds of the groin as itching red, scaly patches that may blister and ooze. Athlete’s foot (tinea pedis) is characterized by itchy, cracked, red skin around the toes.
Over-the-counter antifungal medications are the first line of attack, but if they fail, stronger prescription medications may be used.
These infections can be prevented though avoiding contact with infected skin, wearing shower clogs in shared showers, and keeping the insides of shoes dry and treated with preventive powder. Wash all gym clothes and socks well. Avoid sharing towels and bath mats if anyone in the house has an active infection.
Strep Throat
Strep throat is an infection of the throat caused by group A streptococcus bacteria. Kids catch it from a contagious person’s coughs and sneezes, and through shared cups and utensils. Typical symptoms are a very painful throat, often accompanied by a fever that can be quite high, but no nasal symptoms. If your child feels like they can’t swallow, head to the doctor for some antibiotics to treat the infection and avoid potential complications, which can include scarlet fever, rheumatic fever or kidney damage. They should start feeling better and no longer be contagious within two days of starting antibiotic treatment.
CONCLUSION
You might already have enough to worry about if your child is nervous about the first day back at school, but a little prevention can be worth a pound of cure when it comes to stopping the spread of sickness due to contagious kids at school. Good self-care will ensure your child does not get run down either, so they can maintain a healthy immune system and stay well no matter what bugs are making the rounds.
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