In Cold Season, Hands Off!

‘Tis the season to cough and sneeze. During this time of year, a lot of sick kids show up at school, spreading their germs. Is there anything you can do to keep yourself healthy?

The most important step you can take to protect yourself is easy: “Wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands,” advises Donald Shifrin, a professor and kids’ doctor at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

Germs can invade your body when you rub your eyes or touch your nose or mouth. By keeping your hands clean, you can get rid of some of the germs. Doctors advise washing your hands before you eat, after using the bathroom and whenever you’ve been around a sick person.

Sometimes, of course, you can’t get to a sink, especially at school. Using one of the antibacterial hand sanitizers is “better than nothing,” says Daphne Wong, a kids’ doctor at UCLA.

Other keys to staying healthy include getting enough sleep and sticking to a nutritious diet with a variety of fruits and vegetables. If you eat at least five fruits and vegetables each day, you will get a good supply of natural vitamins.

Some adults rely on vitamin pills, but Wong stresses that kids should not take big doses of vitamins. If your doctor wants you to take a once-a-day children’s vitamin, that’s fine. But you should never take megadoses of vitamins. “An overdose of vitamins can be bad for you,” Wong emphasizes.

Using common sense is another way to help stay healthy. If your friends are sick, don’t hug them or share their lunches. And don’t let the entire basketball team drink from your water bottle.

When someone is sneezing and coughing, the best thing you can do is “try to move away from them,” Shifrin suggests.

If you do end up getting sick, stay home while you have a fever and are feeling really yucky. Once you’re well enough to return to the land of the living, be considerate of others. Don’t sneeze on them, and wash your hands often, especially after wiping your nose and coughing.

And don’t freak out if you do get sick. “Most kids will have an average of four to six colds a year,” Wong says. “Some kids will have up to 10 colds. That’s normal.”

Normal, but not fun. Pass the tissues.

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Kids and other readers can reach Emily Dwass at emilydwass@yahoo.com.