Hi Lovelies! I’m back with responses to your most recent questions. Leave your questions and comments below and you may see it answered in a future post!
The new school year means sick children. What can families do to stay as healthy as possible and limit the cold/flu?
Proper hand washing techniques…
Washing of hands does not just mean dipping hands in water. Washing of hands should take at least twenty seconds. Singing the entire ABC’s during hand washing can help children to wash their hands for the needed period of time. Parents should teach children to scrub their palms together, between their fingers, the backs of hands and beneath their nails. Always ensure that your children’s nails are short. Long fingernails may harbor bacteria and viruses hence increasing the chances of getting sick. In school, they should be encouraged to wash hands when they make physical contact with their classmates who have a common cold, touch used handkerchiefs/tissues and personal effects, and after bathroom use. There should be no touching of their faces with dirty hands.
Healthy habits when they sneeze and cough…
The common cold is a viral disease that is spread mainly through contact with respiratory droplets. To reduce the likelihood of dispersion of infectious droplets, teach children to cover their mouths and noses with their handkerchiefs whenever they cough or sneeze. Nasal droplets have been established to move to a distance of about six feet. This is significant. If they do not have a tissue or a handkerchief teach your children to cough into their elbows (Chan et al, 2016).
Isolation of sick children or family members…
Dedicated one room or area as an isolation space if they fall ill. Equip the area with tissues, thermometers, and any other thing that they might need. Restrict contact with the sick person to reduce chances of infections, wash hands regularly after coming into contact with a sick individual, and disinfect surrounding areas as appropriate to avoid the spread of germs.
What can families do to combat environmental allergens this year?
Identify and avoid the possible allergens…
This is the most important step in the fight against allergies. Different people react to different allergens. The most common allergens in our environment include dust and pollen. If it is pollen, you could restrict visits to gardens or playgrounds where they could encounter these triggers. Once you know what your child responds to you can take the necessary precautions as listed below.
Proper ventilation…
Ensuring that the air circulating in your home is fresh and clean is a major step in minimizing air pollutants in the home. Running an air purifier on a regular basis as well as an air conditioner can help. While keeping windows open to allow fresh air into the room is helpful, research has shown that pollen is at its highest concentration in the morning. Therefore, windows should always be kept closed during those times. (Chan et al, 2016).
Allergies can be deadly. What are they symptoms of an anaphylactic reaction? What should someone do if they see someone experiencing these symptoms?
Symptoms of anaphylactic reaction…
1. The skin all over is flushed
2. Difficulty in breathing and increased rate of breathing, there could be an associated throat swelling
3. Increased heart rate
4. Feeling nauseated that can be associated with vomiting and pain in the abdomen
5. Increased nasal secretions
6. Confusion and a feeling of dizziness
7. Generalized body weakness and fatigue
What to do if experiencing the symptoms…
An anaphylactic reaction is a medical emergency! Call the emergency number (911) and put the patient in a position they are comfortable. Reassure the patient and keep calm. Unnecessary panic only worsens the situation. Wipe their nasal secretions; you could suck/suction if it is a baby. Raise their legs to increase blood supply to the brain. If you have epinephrine in the house you should give it. If the reaction is due to a sting by an insect, try to remove the stinger. If it is due to pollen or dust, move the patient away from the allergen. The patient may go into cardiac and respiratory arrest. If this happens, you can start resuscitation until the ambulance arrives (Greaves et al, 2017).Do not keep the patient at home even if they feel better after a shot of epinephrine.
References:
Chan, A. W., Chan, J. K., Tam, A. Y., Leung, T. F., & Lee, T. H. (2016). Guidelines for allergy prevention in Hong Kong. Hong Kong Med J, 22(3), 279-85.
Greaves, M. W., & Mongar, J. L. (2017, January). Mechanism of the anaphylactic reaction. In Immunopharmacology: Proceedings of the Third International Pharmacological Meeting July 24–30, 1966 (Vol. 11, p. 45). Elsevier.
Please keep in mind that the topics discussed on this platform with the Bean Squad is for informational purposes only and is not meant to replace care from your licensed practitioners or certified professionals familiar with your particular circumstance. Please discuss all health care matters with your health care provider before considering any form of treatment(s) or methods that may be discussed on this platform. Please be aware that suggestions given on this platform are just that – suggestions – and may not work or be beneficial for everyone.
Comments