Originally Published by Atrium Health
Buying school supplies. Shopping for new clothes. Adjusting to new routines. As you prepare your children for the new school year, battling an illness is the last thing you want to add to your to-do list.
Each back-to-school season, pediatricians and primary care doctors see a spike in office visits for bacterial and viral illnesses.
“Let’s face it – going to school exposes kids to an abundance of germs,” says Dr. Ana Vega, pediatrician with Atrium Health Levine Children’s Piedmont Pediatrics. “While there’s no way to completely prevent them from picking up a bug, you can reduce their chances of getting and spreading common illnesses.”
Atrium Health experts can help you safeguard your family’s well-being with proven health and hygiene tips. Tess James, family nurse practitioner with Atrium Health Transition Clinic/Primary Care Union West, shares recommendations to help strengthen the immune system and reduce your family’s risk of getting sick.
Common back-to-school illnesses
“Many viral illnesses, including the common cold, sore throat viruses, stomach viruses, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and flu, start spreading soon after school begins and when the weather starts to cool down,” explains Dr. Rita Chen, pediatrician with Levine Children’s Shelby Children’s Clinic. “We also see strep throat, a common bacterial infection, pick up when school starts.”
Chen offers words of wisdom to parents of young children who are frequently sick with common illnesses.
“Many children entering school or day care for the first time get sick a lot,” she says. “It can feel like every month for some families. Your child’s immune system is being exposed to viruses it’s never seen before. Rest assured, their immune system and overall health will improve during the second school year.”
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