Health Services
Cold & Flu Season
If you have any questions, please contact the Health Office at (630) 907-5008 or email us.
Prevention:
During conversations with your child, please reinforce proper nutrition, adequate fluid intake, appropriate sleep, and frequent hand washing. If you feel that your child's nutritional habits have little possibility of improving, you may want to recommend and provide a multivitamin for him/her to take daily.
Remember to drink 8 - 10 glasses of water daily!
Get 8 - 10 hours of sleep a night!
FOOD GROUPS on a daily basis:
Bread, Cereal, Rice, and Pasta: 6 to 11 servings
Milk, Cheese, and Yogurt: 2 to 3 servings
Vegetables: 3 to 5 servings
Fruits: 2 to 4 servings
Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs, and Nuts: 2 to 3 servings
Fats, Oils, and Sweets: use sparingly
Comfort:
Supplies which students should have on hand to keep them comfortable and to provide symptomatic relief include:
- Facial tissues
- Salt (warm salt water gargles can soothe a sore throat)
- Nasal decongestant (such as Sudafed)
- Cough suppressant and expectorant (such as Robitussin DM)
- Throat lozenges (such as Chloraseptic)
- Pain relievers: acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) or ibuprofen (such as Advil) - not aspirin due to the risk of Reye's Syndrome
- Vaporizer (extra humidity is especially important for comfort, to moisten mucous membranes in the nose and throat, and to loosen secretions)
While these suggestions can improve cold and flu symptoms, they do not cure or shorten the duration of the illness.
We hope that with your support, in terms of encouragement and supplies, your child will be able to remain functional and comfortable during this cold and flu season. Thank you for your concern and your help!