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The following are some great back to school health tips:

Tip one: Hand washing. Kids spread germs and illness because many do not wash their hands enough, and often touch their food and faces after touching someone or something full of germs. So, if you want to stay healthy this year, teach your kids to wash their hands frequently. Attach a bottle of hand sanitizer to their backpacks for quick and easy application.

Tip two: Vitamin C. Get plenty of vitamin C to help boost the immune system so that your child can fight off the various bacteria and germs that lead to the sniffles, snuffles, coughs, colds, etc. Include orange juice in their breakfast and foods rich in vitamin C throughout the day. If necessary, supplement.

Tip three: Get to bed on time. The body rejuvenates and repairs while sleeping. If your child does not get enough sleep, their health will decline. For a healthier child, proper rest is a necessity. Most school age kids need a minimum of 9 hours of rest a night. Set and enforce a realistic bedtime that allows for plenty of rest.

Tip four: Cough into the elbow. Teach your kids not to spread germs by coughing and sneezing into their elbows. If they do it into their hands, they will spread germs to the things that they touch. Elbows are a safer, and often more convenient option, such as when your hands are full of school supplies.

Tip five: Immunize. In order to help your child avoid illness, and thus be healthier, make sure to keep them up to date with their immunizations. Regular doctor visits will help your child stay healthy, and catch any problems before they arise.

Tip six: Backpack with straps. One of the biggest problems with a child’s health and school is that heavy backpacks can cause back problems. Help alleviate this by purchasing backpacks with chest straps and padding for support. You want to avoid single shoulder strap bags. This can cause back problems, misalignment, etc.

Tip seven: Eye exam. School can be tough on a child’s eyes, lots of reading, be focused for a long-time, bright commercial lighting, etc. So, make sure your child’s eyes aren’t being strained because they need glasses or contacts. Get them an eye exam every school year so that if they do need glasses, they get them before school starts.

Tip eight: Helmets. Keep your kids safe as they go to and from school by making sure they wear a helmet on their head, and pads on knees and elbows. This will keep them safe on their bikes. If they walk, be sure to talk to them daily about watching for cars, paying attention to where they are stepping, waiting for crossing guard help, etc. If they ride a bus, talk to them about sitting forward and listening to the bus driver’s instructions.

By: Beverly Frank

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Airborne pollutants and particles are the most the most common causes of allergic reactions and include everything from naturally occurring substances like pollen to synthetic chemicals such as polyvinylchloride. These reactions can be nothing more then a few sniffles or runny nose, hay fever, or a more serious reaction such as Multiple Chemical Sensitivity that can seriously debilitate its sufferer.

So what can an allergy sufferer do to reduce their reactions to these allergens? Quite a lot actually.

The first thing to do is indentify what is causing the reaction then making a plan to deal with the issue. For instance many people have reactions and symptoms from substances that are released from many different types of materials. Carpet is a major culprit in many homes so removing the carpet eliminates the source of the problem. The point is to reduce the allergic person’s exposure to those things that cause their reactions.

Another contributor to in home allergy problems is a dirty HVAC system. This is particularly true in older homes where dirt, dust, and pollen have built up in the duct system over the years. Every time the HVAC system turns on it re-circulates these substances into the air causing problems for allergy sufferers. Changing or upgrading the filters in the system and getting the ducts cleaned are the best way to deal with this issue.

An air purifier is also a good way to deal with airborne allergens and will work best when used in conjunction with removing allergy causing items from the home. The type of air cleaner needed will depend on the pollutant that needs to be filtered.

For airborne particulates such as pollen a HEPA filter or electrostatic filter are the best choices. HEPA air cleaners are very efficient removing over 99% of the particles that pass through it. Electronic filters are slightly less efficient but are easy to clean; just put it in the dishwasher once a month or rinse it off and its good to go.

For airborne chemicals that are released from synthetic materials and household cleaners a media such as activated carbon should be used. As these chemicals a drawn across the carbons surface they adhere to it leaving the re-circulated air fresh and clean. There are other compounds that are able to target more specific chemical pollutants so it is a good idea to thoroughly research which will work best.

Bacteria, viruses, spores, and other microorganisms are also contributors to allergy symptoms. These are dealt with via a UV (Ultraviolet) light filter that neutralizes or kills the organism rendering it harmless.

Combining these different air filtering technologies will render the best results in the fight against airborne allergens. These are particularly efficient when added to a homes HVAC system creating a whole-home air purification system. Doing this and removing those item that are contributing to the problem can go a long way towards relieving the symptoms of allergy sufferers.

By: Andrew Bicknell

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