Back-to-School Bugs

Returning to school in the fall gives children a chance to share many things with their schoolmates: vacation souvenirs, tales of camp adventures — and germs. Illness-causing viruses and bacteria spread quickly in classrooms. In fact, kids catch as many as eight colds a year. Here’s a list of the most common bugs your family may face this year:

• Influenza. At first sneeze, it may seem like a cold, but symptoms of a flu virus are more severe and include sore throat, runny nose, cough, fever, chills, head and muscle aches, fatigue, dizziness, nausea and vomiting.
• Viral gastroenteritis. The so-called “stomach flu” causes diarrhea, abdominal cramps and pain, nausea, vomiting, muscle aches or headaches. The usual culprits are the rotavirus or norovirus. Symptoms typically appear in one to three days after becoming infected. Relief begins in a day or two, but call your pediatrician if symptoms persist or worsen or you see signs of dehydration.
• Pinkeye (conjunctivitis). The pain, itching, redness and discharge that glues the eyelids shut overnight is hard to miss and highly contagious. When pinkeye is caused by the adenovirus — the most common cause — it usually clears up without treatment. But if a bacterium is at work, your pediatrician will prescribe antibiotic eye drops or ointment.
• Strep throat. A sore throat could be the beginning of a cold, but if in about three days, your child also develops red and white patches in the throat, enlarged tonsils, difficulty swallowing, fever, headache, nausea or rash, he or she may have a Group A streptococcal infection. Strep throat is treated with antibiotics.

Keeping Germs at Bay

You can help your family stay healthy with these steps:

• Teach them to wash their hands frequently, especially before eating and after using the bathroom.
• Have them use a tissue to cover sneezes and coughs or teach them to use the crook of their elbow.
• Get them immunized with annual flu shots. Healthy kids over age 2 can receive the no-needle, nasal-mist version. Kids ages 11 and older need the MCV4 vaccine to prevent meningococcal disease, too.
• Make them stay home when they’re sick. Kids won’t learn much when they’re not feeling well.
• Cover their cuts and scrapes. Clean any wounds with soap and water. Apply antibiotic ointment and cover the cut with a bandage.

Time for your child’s check-up?

Make an appointment with OMH Medical Group – Pediatrics.  Our Pediatrics team will get your child ready for back-to-school, and they’ll be there if bugs strike!