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Dr Shapiro completed his undergraduate education at UC San Diego earning a B S in Biochemistry and Cell Biology and a B A in Political Science He furthered his education at UCLA where he earned a Masters Degree in Public…
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Back to School...And Here Comes the Flu
Well, it isn't actually flu season just yet, so hopefully my desire to be poetic (or at least attempting to complete a simple rhyme), doesn't diminish my point that those fall and winter illnesses are fast approaching. Just in the last week in my office, I've seen a significant increase in the number of illnesses (colds, coughs, etc...) that many parents lay blame on the fact their children are being exposed to other children who are sick. And although these parents are correct in their premise, I only try to remind them their little Johnny has probably gone to school with a runny nose or cough once before as well.
But in light of the "Back to School" phenomenon we see in our pediatric offices, I thought it might be worthwhile to share a few tips on how we all can keep our children healthy now that school is back in session.
- Eat well: This means eating from all of your basic food groups...including the vegetables and fruits which supply many important nutrients to maintain a healthy immune system. I also recommend an over-the-counter (OTC) daily multivitamin to all of my patients; kind of my way in trying to round out an incomplete diet most children (and adults, for that matter) maintain.
- Get Your Rest: I realize this may be a bit difficult for the high school students in times of increased test taking or paper writing, but maintaining a good sleep schedule helps to maintain a healthy child.
- Exercise: Research has also been clear about the benefits of exercise in promoting both strong physical and mental health. I usually recommend at least 30 minutes of cardiovascular activity a day. And yes, family walks count.
- Taking the Day Off: Now I really think common sense should come into play here but as a reminder, if a fever the night before or any significant cough/runny nose or vomiting/diarrhea, best to take the day off. I also realize with the older the child, the threshold changes, but remember, not slowing down doesn't give your body a chance to deal with the illness at hand.
- Avoid Stress: Or at least keep it to a minimum. Help your child find a release as it's well known stress reduces the body's ability to deal with potential infections.
- Wash Those Hands: Just another opportunity to remind everyone of my favorite public health goal. And along these lines, if no tissue when sneezing, please teach your child to sneeze into his/her flexed elbow area and not directly into the hands.
- Have a Plan: This is in reference to those children with underlying conditions, such as asthma. It's very important that your child is compliant with any medications he/she should be using to prevent any potential exacerbations when encountering a simple "cold". For example, with my asthmatics, I may increase the preventive medication so that the "cold" doesn't trigger an asthma exacerbation.
I do hope this is more of a reminder for many of you and would love to hear from others with any further recommendations.
Have a healthy school year.
Dr. Jeremy
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I hate this time of yr.
Vitamin C here we come