No Time for a Sick Day! {Keeping Kids Healthy During Cold/Allergy Season}

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No Time for a Sick Day!School is well underway, which means that the inevitable sick day may be making its way to your home. The Center for Disease Control states that children experience 8-10 viral colds during each school year. However, there are a few simple ways to keep your kids healthy and safe as we enter allergy and cold season. Dr. Robert Weiss, of the CT Center for Advanced ENT Care, had this to share:

Keep Kiddos Home

This may seem counterintuitive, but don’t send your child to school if they are sick. You may be placing other children at risk. Keep your kiddo homebound if they have a fever, cough, malaise and copious amounts of nasal discharge, pain or discomfort. With so many varieties of illness, there is no tell-tale sign to know if your child is still contagious. It is best to check with a doctor and ask when it is “safe” for the child to return to normal activities. With bacterial infections, the general rule of thumb is after 48 hours on the medication, the child will most likely no longer be contagious.

Hygiene and Hand Washing

Parents should emphasize the importance of hygiene and hand washing to children. A tip for younger children is to have them wash their hands with soap while singing the “ABC” song. When the song ends, they can dry their hands. This is a good way to show them how long a proper hand washing should take.

Keep Hydrated

Even as the weather cools, hydration is something that shouldn’t be overlooked. Water helps keep body temperature constant, and it transports nutrients and oxygen to all cells-essential for brain function and physical activity. Water also helps lubricate mucous membranes of the nose, mouth and lips. These mucous membrane-lined surfaces depend on hydration to carry out the immune system’s first line of defense: transport of foreign particles, viruses, bacteria out of the host. Proper hydration can actually help your child avoid colds. Make sure kids carry a water bottle in their backpack and fill up multiple times throughout the day.

Never Underestimate the Power of Sleep

Most students need at least 9 hours per night to perform at their best. Poor sleep can be a sign of enlarged tonsils and adenoids causing Obstructive Sleep Apnea. This can have a great impact on school performance and should be promptly evaluated if suspected.

Allergies or the Common Cold?

Autumn is ragweed season. According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, in 2012, 6.6 million kids were diagnosed with hay fever.

8 Ways to Tell The Difference Between a Cold And Allergies:

1. Fever- Allergy attacks NEVER include fever as part of their presentation. Colds often involve low- grade fever (below 101) and can run higher depending on how aggressive the virus is. Keep in mind allergy is a risk factor for the development of a bacterial sinus infection, which can result in fever.

2. Cough- Common colds and especially the Flu often involve some form of cough while allergy patients may never cough during an attack. Some allergy patients, especially asthmatics, can experience wheezing and cough as part of their presentation.

3. Sneezing- Frequent and multiple sneezes are a hallmark of the allergy attack- especially in a patient that is not that “sick”.

4. Runny/Stuffy nose- Nasal congestion is a common symptom for both allergy and cold. It results from increased blood flow to the internal mucous membranes of the nose and sinus cavities as the immune system is reacting to the process at hand. Generally, allergic mucous is clear and watery, while infection imparts a thick, colored mucous. Contrary to popular belief, the color of the nasal mucous does not distinguish whether or not the infection is bacterial vs. viral.

5. Headache/Facial pressure- Often this congestion can cause a feeling of pain or pressure within the sinuses which patients refer to as a “sinus headache.”  This can occur in both allergy as well as colds. A warning sign that a potentially more serious bacterial sinus infection is in play is the development of localized or one-sided symptoms.

6. Itchy eyes/ears/throat- Itching in these areas almost always favors an allergic cause of the symptom.

7. Sore throat- Both cold and allergy can result in a sore throat. However, allergy patients describe the throat as more “scratchy” while colds can produce a more severe, “sharp” sore throat. Of course, sore throats can have lots of causes including gastroesophageal reflux.

8. Swollen Glands- Reactive lymphadenopathy (swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck and under the chin) frequently accompanies the common cold and will resolve on its own. Allergy almost never produces swollen glands.

ABOUT DR. ROBERT WEISS

Board-certified Otolaryngologist-Head and Neck Surgeon, Dr. Robert Weiss is the founder of CT Center for Advanced ENT Care (CT ENT) in Norwalk. He is an active staff member of Norwalk Hospital and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Weiss treats all aspects of ear, nose, and throat problems in children and has distinguished his practice utilizing the latest technology for better outcomes and safety. For more information please visit http://www.ct-ent.com/ or call 203-652-8424.

This post was prepared in partnership with Dr. Robert Weiss and the CT Center for Advanced ENT Care (CT ENT) in Norwalk.

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