Kids Are Back to School, and So Are Germs: 5 Ways to Keep Your Health Optimal in Columbia, SC
With summer officially behind us, kids are heading back to school, diving into new learning experiences and meeting new friends. Both children and parents eagerly anticipate this time of year, as routines return to normal after a season filled with adventures and travel.
As kids flock back into the bustling hallways and classrooms, there’s a palpable excitement in preparing for the school year ahead. While many parents and children prioritize shopping for new supplies and clothes—which is certainly important—one crucial aspect often gets overlooked: health.
As children return to school, they also bring back germs. Unsuspecting students can easily spread viruses that may impact their well-being. As responsible parents and caregivers, it's essential to ensure their bodies are ready to face whatever the new school season may bring.
Allergy Season in Columbia, South Carolina
The city of Columbia in South Carolina boasts a mild climate with an abundance and variation of plant life. For anyone who enjoys spending time outdoors, this is wonderful news. For allergy sufferers, however, this is a bit of bad news.
Because of the city’s diverse plant life, this leads to high counts of pollen from various plants, grasses, trees, and weeds that exasperate allergy conditions, making it difficult for allergy sufferers to thrive during allergy season.
In Columbia, allergy season starts as early as February and lasts until November. This means allergy sufferers can only enjoy a brief pause during winter months.
Due to its location in the center of South Carolina’s midland region, ragweed pollen is one of the most common allergens that affect many allergy sufferers in the area. Other common allergens people should be aware of include pine trees, cedar trees, ryegrass, bermuda grass, marsh elder, and Russian thistle to name a few.
Allergy sufferers who live in Columbia need to be constantly aware of pollen counts. Peak allergy seasons often occur during the months of April, June, and September.
How to Keep Children in Optimal Health and Ready for School
Part of getting kids ready for a new school season is getting their health in the best shape possible. Here are 5 easy ways you can keep your kids healthy for school:
1. Ensure kids are up-to-date with their vaccines
One of the best ways to keep your kids healthy and immune from disease-causing diseases is to ensure their vaccines are up to date before school starts. Flu, COVID, and RSV shots are some of the basic ones and you should start looking into these first with your family physician.
Additionally, if you’re especially concerned about allergy seasons and how they can affect your child in school, consider getting an allergy test conducted by an allergist. The test will confirm whether your child has existing allergies and what can trigger allergic reactions.
2. Make frequent handwashing a habit
Frequent handwashing is a simple yet effective way to keep children healthy while they spend most of their time in school. This helps get rid of germs and viruses that can impair their health.
The correct way to wash hands is to do it for at least 20 seconds. Make this fun for kids by telling them to wash their hands while singing two “Happy Birthday” songs from start to finish. Children should be washing their hands before and after eating, after recess, and after using the bathroom.
3. Always check pollen counts
For allergy sufferers, it’s mandatory to be constantly checking pollen counts before they go out for the day. If pollen counts are especially high, it is advisable to counter allergy effects by taking allergy medication to suppress the reactions.
Additionally, if your child can, keep them indoors instead of going out. This will help prevent contact with allergy-causing pollen and prevent reactions from taking place in the first place.
If children have school on days with especially high pollen counts, take a proactive step and send them out with masks. While they’re not a 100% way to prevent allergies, they may help lessen the effects of allergies on your child’s health.
4. Get kids in the bath and change their clothes immediately after getting home
When kids get home from school, get them in the shower immediately. Wash their school clothes immediately after taking them off too. This will help wash away all the allergens, dust, and pollen they’ve picked up while at school and outdoors. This will also wash away any germs and viruses they might have picked up from school as well.
Doing this proactive step will prevent children from spreading anything they’ve picked up to the rest of our home.
5. Strengthen their immunity
Lastly, strengthen your child’s immunity to help them fight off diseases as they spend more time at school and with other people.
Ensure that your child is on a healthy diet of proteins, vegetables, and fresh fruits. Hydration is also important for building a strong immunity so make sure they drink enough water throughout the day.
Additionally, getting enough sleep will boost their defenses against diseases. Follow these recommended hours of sleep:
- 10 to 13 hours for 3 to 5-year-olds
- 9 to 12 hours for 6 to 12-year-olds
- 8 to 10 hours for 13 to 18-year-olds
Conclusion: Protect Your Kids as They Head Back to School
As children spend more time in school learning new things and meeting new people, they also become more susceptible to catching germs and viruses that can negatively affect their overall health. Allergies are also a huge concern for many parents as they can affect how their child performs in school.
It’s not nearly enough to provide children with all the best school supplies to get them through a new school year. Remember, keeping children in optimal health will ensure they are in their best condition to learn!