Every year, I get this question!
It is not always easy to tell the difference between the two....Strep throat and pneumonia may feel like the flu and an illness that seems like a cold, may turn out to be the flu!
The following is a guide to help you...
Questions??? FLU
1) Symptoms come on suddenly? YES
2) High Fever? YES (may have mild fever w. cold)
3) Energy level Low? YES
4) Head achy? YES
5) Low appetite? YES
6) Muscles achy? YES
7) Chills? YES
What Should You Do?
Those under 5yo or with asthma, may have a harder time with the flu. Always seek medical attention if your child's symptoms are getting worse, they have trouble breathing, high fever, bad headache, sore throat or seem confused. Most of the time, treatment consists of plenty of rest, fluids, and comfort. In some cases, your doctor may prescribe an antiviral medication to help speed recovery (only effective if given within 48 hours of start of symptoms).
***Prevention is always the best medicine. Reinforce healthy hygiene habits at home and encourage frequent and effective hand-washing. '
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to me at (973) 697-4777 ext 5535.
Monday, February 25, 2019
Cold/Flu Season At Cozy Lake
This winter is flying by! I cant believe we enter the month of March at the end of the week! Okay, so I know this is no consolation to those of you who have experienced illness this winter, but I am surprisingly happy to report that Cozy Lake has maintained relatively low absences due to illness for this time of year (knock on wood!).
That said, though, our first grade population seems to have gotten hit a bit harder than second. The worst week by far was the last week in January when we saw higher than average absences in the first grade. When this occurs, we report any pockets of similar symptoms to our cleaning crew, who step up their sanitation/disinfecting procedures as needed. In addition, we remind the students of the importance of healthy hygiene habits with a focus on consistent and effective hand-washing. Please help support our efforts by reinforcing good hand-washing habits at home, as well as, keeping your child home if they exhibit illness symptoms in the morning.
Good news, the month of February has been relatively calm with only a handful of students out for illness reasons on any given day. I am hopeful that Spring in right around the corner and we will be seeing the healthy effects of a brighter sun, warmer weather, and fresh air!
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to me at (973) 697-4777 ext. 5535.
That said, though, our first grade population seems to have gotten hit a bit harder than second. The worst week by far was the last week in January when we saw higher than average absences in the first grade. When this occurs, we report any pockets of similar symptoms to our cleaning crew, who step up their sanitation/disinfecting procedures as needed. In addition, we remind the students of the importance of healthy hygiene habits with a focus on consistent and effective hand-washing. Please help support our efforts by reinforcing good hand-washing habits at home, as well as, keeping your child home if they exhibit illness symptoms in the morning.
Good news, the month of February has been relatively calm with only a handful of students out for illness reasons on any given day. I am hopeful that Spring in right around the corner and we will be seeing the healthy effects of a brighter sun, warmer weather, and fresh air!
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to me at (973) 697-4777 ext. 5535.
Thursday, February 7, 2019
Friday's Theme of the Day: Sleep
Students frequently come to the nurse's office in the morning with the complaint of being tired.
School age kids need 10-11 hours of sleep a night. Bedtime problems can start at this age for a variety of reasons. Homework, sports and after-school activities, computers, TVs, mobile devices, and hectic family schedules all can contribute to kids not getting the sleep they need.
Sleep-deprived kids can become hyper or irritable, and may have a hard time paying attention in school.
It is important to have a consistent bedtime, especially on school nights. Leave enough technology-free time before bed to allow your child to unwind before lights-out. A good rule of thumb is switching off the electronics at least one hour before bed and keep TVs, computers, and mobile devices out of kids' bedrooms.
Thank you all for actively participating in Wellness Week 2019. Be sure to consistently review and reinforce with your children the many ways they can take care of their bodies so we can all stay happy and healthy all year long.
School age kids need 10-11 hours of sleep a night. Bedtime problems can start at this age for a variety of reasons. Homework, sports and after-school activities, computers, TVs, mobile devices, and hectic family schedules all can contribute to kids not getting the sleep they need.
Sleep-deprived kids can become hyper or irritable, and may have a hard time paying attention in school.
It is important to have a consistent bedtime, especially on school nights. Leave enough technology-free time before bed to allow your child to unwind before lights-out. A good rule of thumb is switching off the electronics at least one hour before bed and keep TVs, computers, and mobile devices out of kids' bedrooms.
Thank you all for actively participating in Wellness Week 2019. Be sure to consistently review and reinforce with your children the many ways they can take care of their bodies so we can all stay happy and healthy all year long.
Thursday Theme of the Day: Handwashing
Today, for Wellness Week, we focus on the importance of washing our hands.
Please reinforce and review the following with your children...
Washing your hands is the best way to stop germs from spreading. Think about all the things you touched today-from the telephone to the toilet. Maybe you blew your nose in a tissue and then went outside to play in the yard.
Whatever you did today, you came into contact with germs. It is easy for a germ on your hand to end up in your mouth. Think about how many foods you eat with your hands.
You cant wear rubber gloves all day long, but you can wash your hands so those germs don't get a chance to make you or someone else sick!
So when should you wash your hands:
Please reinforce and review the following with your children...
Washing your hands is the best way to stop germs from spreading. Think about all the things you touched today-from the telephone to the toilet. Maybe you blew your nose in a tissue and then went outside to play in the yard.
Whatever you did today, you came into contact with germs. It is easy for a germ on your hand to end up in your mouth. Think about how many foods you eat with your hands.
You cant wear rubber gloves all day long, but you can wash your hands so those germs don't get a chance to make you or someone else sick!
So when should you wash your hands:
- when your hands are dirty
- before eating or touching food
- after using the bathroom
- after blowing your nose or coughing
- after touching pets
- after playing outdoors
- before and after visiting a sick relative or friend
So how do you effectively wash those hands? Remember to GIVE ME 5 and the 5 steps of hand washing...
- WET
- SOAP
- SCRUB FOR 20 SECONDS!!!
- RINSE
- DRY
Parents, please remember that enforcing effective and frequent hand washing is the number one thing you can do to prevent your child from getting sick this winter!
Wednesday, February 6, 2019
Wednesday's Theme of the Day: Eat a Rainbow!
Why are they so many songs about rainbows??? Because they are amazing and beautiful-not just in the sky, but also on the dining table! "Eating a rainbow" helps your body get a complete range of nutrients.
What does it mean to "eat a rainbow"?
Choose a variety of different-colored whole foods throughout the day and week. The more naturally occurring colors on your plate at each meal or snack, the better. It DOES NOT mean making a rainbow with artificially colored foods like Gummy Snack, Popsicles, or Soda.
Fruits and vegetables get their color from naturally occurring micronutrients-such as vitamins and phytonutrients-which are essential for good health. One key function of these nutrients is antioxidants, which include beta-carotene, lutein, lycopene, and vitamins A, C, and E. Not all antioxidants have color, but eating a colorful range of food helps you get them all.
Tuesday's Theme of the Day: Staying Hydrated
Tuesday, during Wellness Week, we focused on the importance of staying hydrated.
We tend not to drink as much water in the Winter. We don't sweat as much and don't get as thirsty, but it is very important that we continue to drink between 5-8 glasses of water each day to stay hydrated. Please review and reinforce the following with your children....
It seems like we're always hearing about how important it is to drink a lot of water. Our bodies need water to preform the many jobs our bodies do every day. Our bodies constantly lose water-when we breathe, sweat, and go to the bathroom-so we need to replace it. When it's warm out, when you're exercising, or when you're sick, it's important to drink extra water.
Some of the fluid we need comes from food other than water. So the liquid we consume does not have to be water, but WATER IS ONE OF THE BEST THINGS TO DRINK. For one thing, water contains no calories or sugar. Orange and other 100% fruit juices can be a good source of vitamin C, but they also contain calories and sugar that you may not need. It is very important to avoid drinks like Coke, Sprite, Mountain Dew, Gatorade and Sports Drinks. They contain excess sugar and even added caffeine.
Be sure to stop by the Nurse's office this month to view the Wellness Bulletin Board. During the month of February, the theme is RETHINK YOUR DRINK. It is a great visual that helps us all be more aware of the amount of sugar in the drinks we choose.
Monday, February 4, 2019
Monday's Theme of the Day: Exercise
We kicked off our Wellness Week here at Cozy with an exciting, interactive and informative visit from MR. SLIM GOODBODY. Be sure to ask your children about the assembly and hear all the amazing things they learned about our wonderful bodies.
Today our theme is the importance of exercise. Please reinforce the following with your children at home....
Kids exercise all the time without even thinking of it. They run around outside, play kickball at school, play sports, dance...even walking the dog is considered exercise!
When we exercise and stay active, we make our bodies stronger. It feels good to have strong, flexible bodies that can do all the things we enjoy.
Exercising can also put you in a better mood. When we exercise, our brains release chemicals that make you feel happier. It's just another reason why exercise is a good idea.
Most importantly, when we exercise, we make our heart happy. Your heart is a muscle. It works hard pumping blood every day. When you exercise, your heart has to work even harder. This gives the heart a workout and your heart gets stronger.
These are just some of the many reasons why it is important to exercise every day. We should all aim to get at least 60 minutes of exercise each day.
For more information about Cozy Lake Wellness Week Theme Days or our Wellness Week Challenge, be sure to check out the previous posts.
Stay tuned, tomorrow I will be posting information about Tuesday's Theme of the Day: Staying Hydrated!
As always, if you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out to me at (973) 697-4777 ext. 5535.
Today our theme is the importance of exercise. Please reinforce the following with your children at home....
Kids exercise all the time without even thinking of it. They run around outside, play kickball at school, play sports, dance...even walking the dog is considered exercise!
When we exercise and stay active, we make our bodies stronger. It feels good to have strong, flexible bodies that can do all the things we enjoy.
Exercising can also put you in a better mood. When we exercise, our brains release chemicals that make you feel happier. It's just another reason why exercise is a good idea.
Most importantly, when we exercise, we make our heart happy. Your heart is a muscle. It works hard pumping blood every day. When you exercise, your heart has to work even harder. This gives the heart a workout and your heart gets stronger.
These are just some of the many reasons why it is important to exercise every day. We should all aim to get at least 60 minutes of exercise each day.
For more information about Cozy Lake Wellness Week Theme Days or our Wellness Week Challenge, be sure to check out the previous posts.
Stay tuned, tomorrow I will be posting information about Tuesday's Theme of the Day: Staying Hydrated!
As always, if you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out to me at (973) 697-4777 ext. 5535.
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