How to prevent getting flu in kids?

Dr. Ajay Jain Dr. Ajay Jain Jan 10, 2019 773 0

How to prevent getting flu in kids?

Even though you don’t have a cure for flu- your kid will possibly catch in once a year. However, you do have options to reduce the risk of getting flue. Methods to prevent flu in kids is to keep them clean, boost their immune system and get recommended vaccination for seasonal flus. Here are some of the ways to prevent getting flu in kids –

  1. Keep germs away – Well, the best way to keep flu at bay is to keep the hands of your children clean. The virus which leads to flu and cold are usually transferred from your hand to your mouth or nose where the virus multiplies causing sickness. The viruses are quite sneaky so they contaminate and spread even before the symptoms come up. Thus, it is important to teach your kids to cover their mouth and nose while sneezing or coughing. You should also teach them to wash their hands after playing or coming from outside.
  • Avoid getting physical contact with an infected person. If your kids are going out to play or to day-care or school, then it may be tough to prevent them from getting in contact with everyone around. However, you can always teach them to stay at a distance from a person suffering from cold.
  • Teach them the right hand washing technique. The right way to wash your hands is to use a soap and rinse with warm water. Make sure you rub the soap for at least 15 to 20 seconds. Wash the space between your fingers, your nails and the back of your hands.
  • To avoid germs and viruses from spreading, wash your hands when you shake hands with a sick person. Wash your hands when you sneeze or blow your nose. You should also wash your hands before eating or preparing a meal.
  • Do not touch your nose, mouth or eyes. Train your kids that these are most common places from where the virus enters your body. Thus, you should not touch them without sanitizing your hands.
  • If someone in your house is sick, then make sure you use separate towels for your child. It is also important to use separate glasses and utensils.
  • If you do not have a sink around, then you can always use hand sanitizers to keep your hands clean. As per a research in New York University, sanitizers clean up to 60% of the germs when applied.
  • Clean the germ hotspots. You do not have to get rid of dirt, you have to kill the germs. Look out for the hotspot areas where germs thrive. Like your phone, door knob, toilet flush, countertops are the places where you have a lot of germs. Cart handle in malls, pens of other people and bringing toys of sick kids to your home are some of the places which have a lot of germs. Make sure you always clean your hands after using them.
  • Wipes will be a great idea to prevent transfer of bacteria from one place to another. Use every individually on just one surface and then throw it.

 

  1. Boost the immune system of your child –  Apart from the cleaning habits or getting vaccination to your child, make sure your child has a healthy immune system to fight cold or seasonal flu. Kids will have an immunity boost from following the basic healthy habits. They should eat a healthy balanced diet with proper nutrients, stay active and get sufficient sleep.You also have a lot of health drinks and syrups to boost their immune system. It is good to speak to your paediatrics about the health plan and diet chart of your child for his healthy growth.

 

  1. See the doctor – Lastly, if your child has caught flu or you fear that he may catch flu in the coming days, then you should immediately book a child paediatrician appointment to get the right medication. It is recommended to take your child to a specialist who know the right dosing details for kids of different age.

 

Feel free and share what actually your child is feeling and the problem he is suffering from. Once it is diagnosed the physician will give the medication accordingly. Your paediatrician may recommend multiple medications at one time. Thus, you should cautiously give the medications at the right time to avoid over dosage.

With healthy habits and right cleanliness patterns, you can keep your kids safe from seasonal flu and cold. Make sure your child is well-dressed as per the season. And he will be safe from these viruses.