With the rise of illness in our area, due to the time of year, it is a great time to review and implement the top ten tips to keep you and yours healthy this cold and flu season.
1. Encourage no sharing. Trading and sharing food or drinks at school happens a lot and while sharing bites of food or drink between friends is fun it spreads germs.
2. Be courteous to others and keep your children home when they have a temperature greater than 101 degrees or an episode of vomiting within 24 hours of the school day.
3. Start taking a daily probiotic. A healthy and functioning gut means a better immune system. Taking a children’s daily probiotic can help! Check with your healthcare provider for appropriate dosing information per child.
4. Treat the child; not the number! Fevers happen and they happen for a reason. It is a function of the immune system and in a sense the body is ‘burning’ the germs. If your child is running a fever, but is playful, drinking and mostly happy it is okay to let the fever “ride.” If instead your child is grumpy, not drinking and complaining but only has a temperature of 99 degrees, it is ok to treat them with ibuprofen or acetaminophen. If the temperature of a school age child gets above 103.5 degrees, I encourage folks to treat that number with medication.
5. Encourage a regular sleep schedule. Getting enough sleep (school aged kids should get 9-11 hours a night) can help keep kids from getting sick and restore health when they are ill. Sticking to a routine can be an aid in promote a good sleep regimen.
6. Add a daily spoonful of honey (only to kids 1 year old or older). In particular honey has some antiviral properties and is a great treatment for post nasal drip and coughing as well. And most kids like honey’s taste!
7. Teach your kids to use their ‘cough pocket’ or ‘chicken wing’ when coughing or sneezing to prevent the spread of more illness to other people. You can do this by encouraging them to cover their nose and mouth with their bent elbow area over their face.
8. Take your vitamins. Vitamins C and D have been shown to help boost immunity in kids and adults. It is great to give extra of these two during this season. Check with your healthcare provider for appropriate dosing information per child.
9. Use hand sanitizer when soap and water is not available but avoid using sanitizer more then 3-4 times in a row as it makes the sanitizer less effective. Soap and water is always the best option.
10. Teaching your children good handwashing technique is the number ONE most impactful thing you can do to avoid sickness! Singing to themselves through the ABCs or Happy Birthday song while scrubbing their hands with soap, then rinsing and drying afterwards is a helpful rule.
By following these guidelines, your family should stay healthier with all the yuckies going around. Remember that while it is not fun when your children are sick, it does some good as well and will help their bodies recognize and fight illness better in the future. Building a strong immune system is great but sometimes kids need to be seen by a healthcare professional for help. These guidelines below are a list of reasons when your kiddo should be checked out!
WHEN TO SEEK MORE HELP FROM A PROVIDER
- Fever > 100.5 F for > 3 days/72 hours
- Fever and rash > 24 hours
- Persistent cough for 7-10 days
- Difficulty or noisy breathing
- Ear pain
- Discharge/pus in the eyes
- Severe abdominal pain
- Urinating less than 2-3 times in 24 hours
- Persistent vomiting or diarrhea
