Back to School, Back to Sick Season: Protecting Your Household
Sometime between the first day of school and the first week of October, someone in your house is going to get sick. The only question is who, and how badly. That being said, there are steps families can take to minimize sickness throughout the school year.
According to Dr. Janet Engle, Vail Health pediatrician and Concierge Medicine provider, the most important way to avoid illness is to lead a healthy lifestyle.
“Kids need a daily routine that includes plenty of sleep, exercise and outdoor time, as well as regular wake-up and bedtimes,” she explains. “Our immune system works best when our schedule is predictable, and we are diligent about sleep. A healthy diet that includes fresh fruit, vegetables, protein and plenty of water, and avoids excess sugars and ultra-processed foods, is imperative for overall health.”
In addition to getting quality sleep, eating well, drinking water and exercising, Dr. Engle encourages parents to remind kids to wash their hands and change clothes when they get home. Other helpful precautions are washing faces and using nasal saline.
“Most viruses come home on clothes or hands and many replicate in the nasal passages, so cleaning those areas is important,” she says. “Teach kids to cover their cough with their elbow and to avoid coughing on others without instilling any fear of illness.”
For boosting both adult and kid immune systems, Dr. Engle notes that while maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle is number one, exercise and sunlight exposure are also essential.
“I like a vitamin D3 supplement in the winter as I find that most people, kids included, tend to be deficient in this vitamin,” she explains. “I see kids on elderberry supplements, which is fine, but most contain a lot of added sugar to make them palatable. I like vitamin D, vitamin C and zinc for healthy immune boosting.”
When the inevitable illness happens, Dr. Engle says the best way to reduce the spread is to keep sick children somewhat quarantined without making them feel bad or responsible for being sick. She adds, “This means lots of hugs and TLC but keeping drinks, food, clothing and toys separate from the other children in the house.”
Dr. Engle reiterates that when kids are sick, humidifiers and nasal saline sprays or rinses help reduce mucus and the spread of germs. She also mentions that avoiding antibiotics unless absolutely necessary, such as with strep throat or pneumonia, is essential for maintaining an overall healthy immune system.
Flu + RSV Outlook
At this point, Dr. Engle says it’s too early to know if the flu shot will be a good match for the coming flu season.
“Flu shots can be effective in limiting the most severe cases and sometimes keep people from contracting it,” she explains. “The FluMist, the nasal flu vaccine, is a good option for healthy kids who are afraid of shots. It’s usually available early in the season, throughout September and October, but is in limited supply.”
Another concern is RSV, which Dr. Engle describes as “a pediatrician’s nemesis” because it sometimes causes a mild viral cold in most kids but can cause severe illness, wheezing and breathing difficulty in the very young, the very old and the susceptible. She adds that there is now a vaccine that pregnant mothers are able to take at certain times during their pregnancy and a vaccine for young infants during RSV season, which is November to April.
A major point Dr. Engle reiterates is that “illness is part of growing up.” She says that children may contract a new virus every two weeks during the fall and winter seasons and some experience approximately 12 illnesses in a school year.
“Even though sicknesses are difficult and cause sleep and family disruption, most kids do just fine,” she explains. That being said, “if a child does not seem to recover from illnesses, has a fever that lasts more than three or four days, seems lethargic, dehydrated or has difficulty breathing, we want to see them in the office.”
Dr. Engle mentions that when she sees kids in the office and doesn’t send them home with an antibiotic or medication, parents are sometimes frustrated.
“We are happy when we don’t have to put them on medication and can reassure the parents that, although they are sick, their bodies are handling it well and will continue to grow stronger.”
Meet the Expert
Keep Your Family Healthy All Year Long
From routine wellness visits and preventive care to care when illness strikes, having a trusted provider makes it easier to keep your family healthy through every season. Vail Health offers primary care options for the whole family, with specialized pediatric care for children and personalized Concierge Medicine for adults and families seeking a more individualized approach.
