School Daze

Kids all over the country are heading back to school. Some have already started, and some are going to be in the classroom soon over the next couple of weeks based on what the schedule calls for on their individual district calendar. Teachers are busy with lesson plans, classroom management, meetings with administration and staff, parent-teacher conferences and a host of other activities.

Summer is just about over, and with the Labor Day holiday looming ahead soon at the end of this month, the time for getting appointments for back to school healthcare checks is fast approaching the final days before your time as a parent may be too busy to schedule just due to all the academic and extracurricular activities about to go into full action mode.

As many parents know, schools are pretty much germ factories, especially in the younger grades. Children have no conscious awareness of how to protect themselves from germs and other illness causing conditions. They wipe thier runny noses and then touch all the surfaces around them, and that causes other children who are doing the same thing to share their own collection of germs. It is a vicious cycle. That is one reason that there are so many students who get sick within the first few weeks of school.

According to the Houston Methodist Hospital (https://www.houstonmethodist.org/blog/articles/2023/aug/how-to-prevent-back-to-school-illnesses/), the illnesses that kids frequently bring home from school are caused by infectious microbes — usually viruses, though bacteria make the list, too. Some of the most common ones to spread as kids go back to school include:

• Colds

• Stomach flu, also called viral gastroenteritis

• Pink eye

• Strep throat

The tricky thing about germs is that, while you can't see them, they're essentially everywhere — in the air, on surfaces and more. You'll want to explain this to your child, and you'll also likely need to periodically remind them. The frequently touched surfaces and items that can be loaded with germs include:

• Door handles

• Light switches

• Toilets

• Handrails

• Countertops

• Handheld electronics

• Shared toys

However, there are ways to help protect your kids from getting sick at school according to the St. Louis Children's Hospital. Whether your kids are attending kindergarten this year or they are off to college, there are some little, but important things that you can do to help prevent them from getting illnesses like the H1N1 virus, more commonly known as swine flu. The key is good preparation.

Keep Vaccinations Up-to-Date: Prior to school starting make sure your children are up-to-date on their vaccinations and health physicals. Check to see if your child needs a health physical this year for school. Checkups are valuable because they allow the health care provider to look at the child's growth and development, perform tests, and give shots (vaccines), if necessary. Don’t forget to make a copy of your child’s physical form that was provided from your child’s checkup to send to school. Keep the original on hand if needed to make more copies for sports or camps. If a student requires a prescribed medication (inhalers, ADHD meds) during the school day talk to your health care provider about this. The following must be in place at most schools:

• The medication in the original container (so ask your physician for an additional inhaler that can be kept at school and one that can be kept at home)

• Written consent of the parent/guardian for the school personnel to administer the medication

• Physician’s order or the current prescription label on the container.

Prepare for Medical Care Away from Home: For those college freshman make sure they know where to seek medical care at college and how to get a refill of a medication if needed while away at school. Provide them with their own copy of your insurance card if they need to seek medical care at college. Remember for a lot of them this might be their first visit to a medical provider without you present.

Write down any important health information they may need to know if seeking medical care, such as allergies, current medications and health history. The Meningococcal vaccine is recommended for unvaccinated college freshmen living in dormitories. Most all colleges do not allow entrance or attendance in classes until you have provided proof of vaccination prior to enrollment. That's especially true of athletes where there is a lot of physical contact during practice or active participation in athletic events.

Keep Germs at Bay: Preventing your children from illnesses once back in school, is important. Illnesses are caused by viruses, bacteria, parasites and fungi that are transmitted from one person to another. Droplets from a cough or sneeze of an infected person goes through the air and lands on a surface like a desk. Germs are easily spread when someone touches the object that has been contaminated with germs and then touch their eyes, nose or mouth. Keeping the hands away from the nose and mouth are the most helpful steps in prevention. Teach your kids to cover their mouth and nose when they cough or sneeze. Remind them to use a tissue to help them control a runny nose.

School age children average five or six colds a year and adolescents approximately four colds a year. In addition children can have diarrhea illnesses with or without vomiting two to three times per year. The main cause of frequent colds or illness is your child being exposed to new viruses. Viruses increase in the wintertime, when you spend more time crowded together indoors or in locations with high volumes of people traffic such as stores or other retail areas. If your child gets invited to birthday parties, invariably someone there might have a cold, so be prepared. Don't be afraid to allow your child to attend, but watch for signs of illness within a day or so.

Practice Good Hand Hygiene: Good hand-washing is the most effective way to prevent the spread of colds, the flu, and viruses. Washing your hands after using the bathroom, blowing your nose, handling trash, touching animals, and prior to touching food will help eliminate germs. Soap and water can be used for 20 seconds to their hands to wash away those germs. Using alcohol-based hand cleaners is also effective. So when purchasing those school supplies, pick up some alcohol-based hand cleanser for your child’s classroom to put next to the Kleenex box. For those college students pick up some Clorox wipes that they can wipe bathroom surfaces quickly.

Help Your Immune System: An unhealthy diet and not enough sleep can also affect the immune system and lower their resistance to illnesses. Normally your body can help fight off organisms before you get sick. However, staying up late, cramming for an exam or eating too many cheeseburgers and fries can wear your body down. Poor nutrition and not getting good rest can weaken the immune system. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can prevent health problems. REMEMBER: Healthy snacks rule! Drinking water helps prevent dehydration and helps flush out the body. Sleep is crucial to maintaining your child’s health. Sleep is the body’s time to repair and rejuvenate itself.

Continue to exercise during the school year as well. Exercise is good for you physically and mentally. Exercise helps with anxiety, stress and we sleep better too. Exercise gives us a higher energy level and can promote better concentration in school. Stress is the body's normal response to troubling situations. Children can experience stress such as entering a new grade, a new school, or worrying about an upcoming test at school. So preparing your child ahead of time can help reduce stress. Tour that new school or meet your child’s teacher before school starts. Encourage your child to study each evening versus cramming the night before a test.

Stay Home if You’re Sick: You can take many actions that can help guard children’s bodies against these infections and build up their immune systems to make them strong and resistant to illness. However, if they do get sick remember to keep them home until they have been symptom-free for 24 hours. It is typical when a child runs a fever that the fever is elevated in the evening and lower in the morning. So if they had a fever (100.4 or higher) prior to going to bed that evening, they should probably stay home the next day from school. This is to keep from infecting others and spreading the illness further.

Kids get tired, too, and they need plenty of rest according to Children's Health (https://www.childrens.com/health-wellness/preventing-back-to-school-sickness)

Research shows that getting enough sleep is one of the best ways to strengthen your child's immune system. But how much sleep does a child need? The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends these times to keep your kid from physically and mentally wearing out:

• Preschoolers: 10 to 13 hours daily (including naps)

• Children ages 6 to 12: 9 to 12 hours daily

• Teens: 8 to 10 hours daily

  
  

Tips for helping your child get enough sleep:

• Start slowly adjusting their bedtime (if needed) before the start of school.

• Make sure their bedroom is cool, dark and screen-free.

• Use a bedtime routine for younger children. This might include a bath, story time, stretching or listening to relaxing music together.

One great tool to help manage illness, especially if your child gets sick after hours is a good telemedicine plan, which is a sure fire way to minimize the risk of your kid getting sicker because your doctor is not available when you need him/her. Plus, unless it’s an emergency, you can save time and money by avoiding urgent care or the hospital ER.  There are extreme occasions when you need to go there. However, most of the time you only need a consultation with a licensed physician and possibly a prescription. Telemedicine is your call to action if you can't see your family healthcare provider.

Remember to keep your kids as healthy as possible. It's a lot of work, but worth every minute to have happy, healthy children. There are many online resources for you to research, including those few mentioned in this material. At the end of the day it's all about making sure you follow some simple guidelines to keep your children well. For more information about having healthy kids, check out resources on this website: https://www.careingdentalgroup.com/healthy-kids. You can also contact me for more information and solutions for products and services for your children.