With school season just starting, both kids and moms everywhere are excited for a year filled with lessons, friends, and activities. But did you know that more than all the wonderful things they learn from class, school can also give your kids some terrible sicknesses? Think about it, mom—kids play together in close proximity, they share baon, and they stay together in one classroom for hours on end. School can definitely be a hotspot for different viruses and bacteria, so be extra prepared to protect your kids from these common school sicknesses.
1. The Flu
One of the most common illnesses your child can come home with is the flu. Watch out for high fevers (39 degrees or higher!), decreased appetites, cough, sore throat, and headaches. However, a lot of other, more serious sicknesses like pneumonia can have flu-like symptoms, so make sure to consult your pediatrician if your little one exhibits these symptoms.
Tip: Make sure to always remind your child to wash their hands before they eat, after they go to the bathroom, and if even when they sneeze or cough. Teach them to also be careful when sharing utensils or water jugs at school!
2. Colds
Hundreds of viruses cause the common cold, but the most likely culprit is the rhinovirus. Kids can get an average of almost six colds in a year! Symptoms of a cold include sneezing, coughing, a runny nose, and a sore throat.
Tip: Sneezing and coughing is what makes the cold so easy to spread, especially if your kid touches their eyes or mouth after being in contact with contaminated surfaces. Teach your children to wash their hands often if someone in the classroom is sneezing or coughing and to avoid touching their face.
3. Strep Throat
An extremely infectious disease, strep throat is a painful throat fever that can also come with nausea, headaches, rashes, or swollen lymph nodes. It could get so severe that your kid can even have problems swallowing or talking! Make sure you consult your doctor ASAP if you suspect that your child may have strep throat to prevent it from getting worse.
Tip: Strep throat primarily spread via coughing and sneezing, but your child can also catch it if he plays with an infected toy or is in contact with an infected surface. Teach your kid to avoid close contact with people that are sick and to avoid water fountains as much as possible.
4. Pinkeye
Pinkeye, or sore eyes, is one illness that no one wants to get. Stop it in its tracks by spotting the symptoms as soon as you can. Watch for redness in the whites of the eyes, thick yellow crusts around the eyes, itchiness or burning of the eye area, and discharge.
Tip: To avoid the spreading of this illness, make sure you change your child’s pillowcase often and teach them to not reuse handkerchiefs or towels too much, especially if a sick or contaminated person has used it.
5. Leptospirosis
Rainy season in the Philippines can bring about a whole slew of sicknesses, and one of the most common one is leptospirosis. Being in contact with water or soil contaminated with animal urine is the main cause of leptospirosis, so kids who enjoy playing in the rain or swimming in unchlorinated water are especially at risk.Symptoms of leptospirosis include high fevers, headaches, chills, muscle aches, and vomiting.
Tip: When it rains, remind your children to never jump in puddles or wade in flooded areas. Make sure they’re always prepared with protective gear like rain boots and see to it that any open wounds your child might have are properly covered with waterproof dressings.
With proper preparation and care, you can make sure that your kid stays healthy, happy, and strong all school-year round!
Let us know if any of our tips helped you, or if you have any other tips you want to share with us. Just like us on Facebook and send us a message! A happy school year to you and your kid!
