Back To School: 6 Common School Diseases & How To Treat Them

August 22, 2015

Though you are extra cautious each year and make sure your children are up-to-date with all the vaccinations before school starts, you find that there are still infections and diseases that they may bring home from school or get affected with nonetheless.

Here are a few common childhood diseases or conditions that your kids may experience at school and how you can treat them at home.

1. Head Lice
Head lice is a common problem that makes all parents scratch their heads. And now that there’s news of them becoming resistant to over-the-counter treatments, it’s all the more difficult to get rid of them. Lice stick to a child’s hair and can transfer to another’s head, where they lay eggs that produce more lice and cause a lot of itching.

How To Manage It

In a bowl, mix your child’s shampoo and conditioner, some cooking oil, green tea, lemon extract and fresh garlic juice.
Make a thick paste and apply to your child’s scalp and hair. Keep it on for an hour. Wash off with shampoo and repeat once a week for two months.
Use a lice comb to comb through your child’s hair and pull out all the dead or stunned lice.

2. Hand Foot And Mouth Disease (HFMD)
HFMD is a viral infection that is contagious and spreads through sneezing or coughing. It is most common during the spring and fall. It initially starts off as a fever, followed by a red rash, which can appear on the child’s tongue, gums, mouth, palms, bottoms and even soles and turn into blisters.

How To Manage It

In most cases, the rashes disappear on their own within a week . However, get your child examined by a doctor if you suspect he has caught the infection.
Give your child something cold to eat such as ice cream to relieve any discomfort caused by mouth sores.
Avoid giving acidic drinks or spicy foods as they may aggravate the pain. If your child still has fever, consult your doctor.

3. Chickenpox
Chickenpox is caused by the virus varicella zoster and spreads through direct contact with the infected person. Symptoms appear as red rashes on the child’s face, arms, legs, chest, back and most parts of the body, which can be itchy.

How To Manage It

There is no cure for chickenpox and you have to apply the wait and watch rule, until all the crusts fall off. However, if your child has fever, check with your doctor.
Crush a handful of Indian lilac (neem or margosa) and apply them on the scabs. You can also add neem leaves to the bath water. Neem helps reduce itching and curbs the spread of infection. Buy it here.
Carrots and coriander contain antioxidants that speed up the healing process. Make a soup by boiling a cup each of carrots and coriander leaves in water till it is reduced to half. Let it cool and give a spoonful to your child every day for a month.

4. Influenza
Caused by a viral infection, influenza is a contagious disease that can easily spread when a sick child coughs or sneezes. Some symptoms of influenza are high fever, throat pain, bodyache, nausea, stomach pain and fatigue.

How To Manage It

Your child’s doctor may prescribe antiviral medicines to stop the spread of infection. However, the best way to prevent influenza is to get vaccinated. Check with your child’s doctor about it.
Add a few drops of lemon to a cup of warm water and let your child drink this two to three times a day to reduce the cough and cold.
Boil 1tbsp fenugreek seeds in half a liter of water till the water reduces to half and add a few drops of honey to it. Add a dash of freshly squeezed ginger and let your child sip it through the day.

5. Allergies
If your child suffers from food, insect or dust allergies, make sure you provide your child’s medical history to the school. When your child has an allergic reaction, the body mistakes an outside object as a threat and produces antibodies that release a chemical in the blood stream, known as histamines. Your child could suffer from a mild or severe reaction, depending on the body’s immune system. Symptoms may either kick in immediately or after a few hours.

How To Manage It

If your child has suffered from a food allergy earlier, make sure you teach him to stay away from the foods he’s allergic to and also inform the school about it.
Some of the most common food allergies are triggered after eating foods that contain peanuts, milk (lactose intolerance), nuts, fish and eggs.
Ask your child to refrain from trying out new foods at school, especially if they contain any of the above ingredients that your child has not had earlier.

6. Norovirus Infection
Norovirus is a group of viruses that can affect your child through contaminated or under-cooked food, by touching infected surfaces or shaking hands with someone who has it. It leads to an inflammation of the stomach and the lining of the large intestine. Vomiting, pain in the stomach and diarrhea are some of the symptoms.

How To Manage It

Symptoms usually go away on their own, so the best way to keep your child safe is to prevent the outbreak.
Help your child stay hydrated by drinking lots of water and fluids. In cases of severe diarrhea, ask your doctor about any oral rehydration solutions that you may give your child. Cut off all sugary drinks and foods as these can worsen diarrhea.
Make sure your child follows good hygiene and always washes their hands before and after meals.

For more interesting stories, visit our Health page. Read more about Diseases & Conditions here.

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