Thursday, Nov. 05, 2009

School nurse dispenses tips for good health

From the moment the doors of Ocean Bay Elementary school open each morning at 7:30, Larissa Connell, the school nurse, is on her toes and running.

She's constantly busy, but it's obvious just how much she cares about the children.

Asked what she is seeing the most of right now in her office, Connell was quick to say she is seeing a lot of sore throats, headaches, fevers, and upset stomachs.

With all of the germs floating around this time of year, we all want to do what we can to avoid them.

Connell said that the No. 1 preventive measure is taking the time to do the basics. These days, our lives are lived in motion.

We are running from one activity to the next, and we don't always take the steps we need to in order to keep our immune system as strong as it could be. Sleep is first on the list.

Connell said that "children in elementary school require between 9 and 11 hours of sleep each night in order to stay healthy."

So getting to bed a little earlier can make a big difference in how children feel and in how well they are able to fight off infection.

Nutrition is also high on her list. She made it a point to say, "Pop Tarts and Mountain Dew are not a healthy breakfast." Just like our cars require fuel to run, our children require proper nutrition.

Filling kids with junk is a little like pouring sugar into a gas tank.

They are sluggish throughout the day, and their bodies cannot fight the many germs they encounter in a day.

After we get our kids to bed a little earlier and then out the door with a healthy breakfast, Connell said we need to "get them outside and exercise!"

Too many hours in front of the TV or video games and not enough time outside exercising in the fresh air also weakens the body's immune system.

A healthy immune system requires exercise, and not just at school for recess.

Connell said that "even 30 minutes of physical activity and fresh air each day can make the biggest of differences."

And her last piece of advice is familiar to germaphobes everywhere: Wash your hands often!

Hand sanitizers are great, but keep in mind that you can't use them exclusively.

You need to combine them with washing in warm water with soap every third time or you are not killing the germs. So wash those hands, wash them often, and keep them away from your face, where germs enter your body.

Lastly, if your child is exhibiting flulike symptoms, or if running a fever, please keep him or her home from school.

A sick child is not going to be able to perform at their optimum level, and they will be sharing those germs with all of their classmates, teachers and staff, making it all too easy for them to become re-infected themselves.