Health Issues To Be Prepared For Now That Your Kid Is In School
Back-to-school time can be exciting for children and parents. And if this is the first year you have a child in school, you may be even more emotional about this situation. While going to school is a great and happy event, there are some health issues that you may need to be prepared for with your child. Get to know some of these health issues that your child may face in school. Then, you can be sure you are ready to face any of these health problems if they do affect your child.
Flu
The flu is a major issue among school children. One of the reasons for this is that children are just highly susceptible to communicable diseases. Another reason is that in school, children are packed in together in close proximity.
Proximity makes it easier for the flu to spread. Most doctors and epidemiologists agree that the flu is spread through droplets from sneezing, coughing, or even talking. These droplets can be directly transmitted through the air or can land on surfaces and be transferred that way. Because children use the same supplies and touch the same surfaces, this is a recipe for viral spread.
Make sure you get your child a flu shot as early in the season as possible. This will help them to avoid at least some of the strains of flu circulating around the school in the fall and winter months. And if your child does show signs of having the flu, be sure to keep them home to avoid them spreading the virus to other children.
Head Lice
Head lice are another common health issue that children will face in school. These little parasites spread from host to host through direct contact with the lice. These creatures crawl but do not fly or jump like other similar parasites. As such, the close proximity of children in school can be a breeding ground for a head lice infestation.
If your child does come home with head lice, do not freak out too much. This is not an indication of how clean your child is. Anyone can get head lice if they come into contact with them, even a person that showers and washes their hair multiple times a day.
These parasites are also relatively simple to treat. You can do it yourself or contact a head lice treatment clinic to take care of the problem for you. Generally, washing with a medicated shampoo (sometimes multiple times) and using a lice comb to remove the creatures will resolve the problem. It can be a tedious process but a simple one nonetheless. For information, contact companies like Comb It Out Lice Removal.
Now that you know a few of the health issues to be prepared for now that your child is in school, you can be sure you know how to handle any situation that comes up as well as possible with your child.