As the school year inches closer, parents are making various preparations.
School supplies, scheduling, and lunches are among the top considerations, but it won’t be long before coughs and colds are top of the list.
Kathryn Libunau is a pharmacist at London Drugs in North Vancouver and says the start of a new school year brings with it some common questions from parents. The most popular ones are about lice.
Libunau explains that if a child has lice it’s important to check behind ears and at the base of the child’s neck for eggs.
There are a variety of treatments available, but Libunau says a child shouldn’t be treated unless he or she has lice. In some kids lice is showing resistance with conventional treatments, she notes. It may be more likely with kids who have already had multiple treatments, but there are also natural approaches that may be effective if conventional treatments aren’t.
Hand hygiene is also important for kids, especially when they start back to school. Libunau recommends washing hands and up to elbows. In general, hand sanitizers are also an option, but some kids show sensitivity to hand sanitizers because many are alcohol based. She also recommends parents regularly wipe surfaces that are used a lot, including doorknobs, phones, etc.
Start of school also brings lots of questions about coughs and colds, and Libunau notes that treatment depends on the child as some medications, such as those containing decongestants, are not suitable for kids under the age of six.
In general, parents can focus on keeping kids healthy by making sure they eat well, get plenty of rest, and get some vitamin C, such as by eating oranges.
“Keeping them hydrated is really important too,” Libunau, adding some kids forget to drink water when they get busy. Staying hydrated will help keep their energy up, she says, and warns to reduce intake of sugary drinks.
Libunau doesn’t have specific medication recommendations for parents when it comes to preparing for a new school year, but suggests being aware of flu season, which generally starts mid-October, and considering necessary medication for allergies, as well as electrolytes for kids who are vomiting or have diarrhea.
“In general just good hygiene, I think that would be the main thing,” says Libunau of tips for parents to help keep their kids healthy during the school season.
In a recent press release, London Drugs made the following suggestions for parents about preparing their medicine cabinets for back to school.
- Dispose of expired or unused medication to reduce the risk of accidental ingestion, misuse or overdose.
- Check the expiration date on all medications and on items in your first aid kit. Some medications, such as certain antibiotics, can become dangerous after expiration. Medications can be disposed of by bringing them to a pharmacy.
- Make sure you have a fully stocked first aid kit. Inspect old boxes of bandages and hygiene products as they often degrade and must be replaced do as not to compromise sterilized packages.
- Update allergy prescriptions for students with severe allergies, and have a plan in place for school response in case of emergency.
- Hand washing is particularly important when kids return to school, notes the release, adding correct hand washing involves about 30 seconds of warm water with soap all over the hand. If water and soap are not available, an alcohol-based hand sanitizer will suffice. Ensure you rub your hands until the product is dry.
