Need something else?
We stock over 1086 treatments for 89 conditions
Back To School: How To Avoid Common Health Worries
Scott McDougall
MPharm GPhC 2079324
Director & Registered Manager
As the summer holidays come to an end, it’s time to start getting ready for the new school year. Along with new uniforms, lunch boxes and books, it can also help to prepare your child to stay healthy as they head back into the classroom.
Sitting in a classroom or school hall with dozens of other children means that your child’s risk of picking up illness is much higher than when they were at home. And if you’ve got a school-aged child already, you’re probably no stranger to back-to-school bugs.
Fortunately, there are things that you can do both to prepare your child and keep them as healthy as possible, and effective treatments if they and your family are unlucky enough to be affected.
Key Takeaway 1
Going back to school increases the risk of your child picking up an illness.
Key Takeaway 2
There are steps you can take to optimise their health and reduce this risk.
Key Takeaway 3
And there are treatments available to help if you are affected.
Start With Good Hygiene Habits
Good health starts with good hygiene habits, and it’s never too early to teach or remind children of the best ways to protect themselves and the people around them from germs.
Handwashing is the most obvious and easiest place to begin as it can reduce the spread of illness and infection by as much as 40%. Remind your child to wash their hands regularly, especially after they go to the toilet, and before they eat. Show them how to wash them properly, including front, back and between their fingers.
If there is hand sanitiser available, encourage your child to use this whenever possible.
Hand washing (and discouraging nail biting) is also one of the most effective ways of avoiding a particularly unpleasant common childhood problem - threadworms. Threadworms are tiny, white, worm-like parasites that are spread when threadworm eggs are swallowed, often through hand-to-mouth contact after touching contaminated surfaces like bedding or toys, or after scratching the anal area. This is because threadworms come out in their faeces. The most common symptom is intense anal itching, so if your child is complaining of an itchy bottom, it’s worth checking their bowel movements for any signs of threadworms.
If they do have threadworms, you’ll need to treat the whole family since they are highly transmissible.
Ovex Tablets & Suspension
Buying Ovex is quick and discreet. Just choose the treatment you prefer, and we’ll send it straight to your home in discreet packaging. Don’t put up with the itchiness of threadworms anymore, banish them today for good.
Coping With Coughs And Colds
And if they develop a cough or cold, explain the importance of coughing or sneezing into a tissue, or the crook of their elbow or hands, and why they should wash their hands after if possible.
If they do become unwell, there are plenty of treatments that can help, including child-friendly pain medications.
Calpol SixPlus Fastmelts
Calpol Sixplus Fastmelts are a dissolve-in-the-mouth tablet to provide on-the-go pain relief for kids 6 years and over, effectively combating the source of mild-moderate pain caused by headaches, toothaches, joint and muscle pain.
Keep Head Lice At Bay
Head lice are arguably the worst fear of many parents of primary-school age children. These tiny, parasitic insects live in human hair and feed on scalp blood, causing small red bumps and moderate to severe itching. Unfortunately, head lice are very easily transmitted through direct head to head contact, meaning that if one child in the class has them, anyone who gets close to them could be at risk.
We recommend that you carry out regular checks on your child’s hair, looking for signs of either tiny white eggs (known as nits) or live lice. Live lice are usually light brown in colour, which can make spotting them in dark hair particularly tricky.
If your child has long hair, tie it up when they are at school to reduce the risk of it touching others, and advise them not to share brushes, combs or other hair accessories with their classmates.
If you’re unlucky enough to find head lice, there are treatments that can help.
Full Marks Head Lice Solution
Get fast, effective treatment for head lice that takes just 5 minutes. Full Marks Head Lice Solution is odourless, gentle on the scalp and contains no traditional pesticides.
Manage Allergies
Summer may be drawing to a close, but that doesn’t mean that if your child has allergies, they will just disappear. Some, like dust mites and pet dander, last all year, and the symptoms they cause such as headaches, sneezing and tiredness, can affect your child’s ability to pay attention and concentrate in the classroom.
Thankfully there are targeted treatments that can help keep your child comfortable when allergy symptoms strike. Be sure to choose an antihistamine that’s suitable for your child’s age, and if you’re unsure, speak to a member of our clinical team for more advice and support.
Going back to school doesn’t have to mean the anticipation of common childhood health problems. With the right preparation, you can help your child stay healthy and happy throughout the school year.
Scott is one of the two founders of The Independent Pharmacy. He is a registered pharmacist and the registered manager of our service with the CQC.
Dan is an experienced pharmacist having spent time working in both primary and secondary care. He currently supports our clinical team by providing robust clinical governance review of our internal processes and information.