Lacey Higginson, 6, missed 20 days of school last year. It wasn’t a chronic illness: It was chronic colds, one after the other.
Her mom, Laurie, expected kindergarten to be a time of adjustments, but this was ridiculous. “It was difficult,” says the mother of three from Loxahatchee, Fla. “It seems like the minute we got over one cold, a new one would hit.”
Lacey’s experience is not unusual, especially for children attending school for the first time. On average, most kids have six to eight colds a year, lasting from a couple of days to two weeks. Most colds and flu make their misery between September and March. But taking a few simple measures this winter can boost your family’s immune system, giving you the edge to fight off everything from a stuffy nose to more serious influenza viruses.
1. Scrub up.
Washing your hands regularly is – hands down – the best way to prevent illness. More than 100 viruses cause the common cold and all are transmitted through coughing, sneezing and touching contaminated surfaces such as doorknobs.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends frequently scrubbing hands with soap and water for 15 seconds. Use liquid soap, not bar soap, which can harbor germs. Use paper towels instead of cloth for the same reason.
Hand sanitizers kill 99 percent of germs. Contrary to suburban legend, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports such gels cannot cause bacteria to become resistant; they’re antiseptics, not antibiotics.
Learn more ways to power up your family’s immune system in the current issue of Family Energy!
