Infectious Diseases that often occur in schools

Schoolchildren often contract the disease suffered by their classmates. Being together in a classroom and sitting close to a sick child makes your child more susceptible to infectious diseases. Mother, know infectious diseases that often occur in schools and their prevention so that your child doesn't get sick easily.

Children are more at risk for infectious diseases. This is because children do not have a strong immune system like adults. They also may not have healthy habits or should always be reminded by adults, such as the habit of washing hands before eating.

Diseases that Must Be Watched for in School

Your mother may have found your child home with a state of fever, lethargy, coughing, or complaining of a sore throat. Cough and sore throat is indeed an infectious disease that often occurs in schools, but there are several other infectious diseases that must also be watched, namely:

Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI)

ARI is an infectious disease caused by infection in the respiratory tract which is often caused by a virus, but can also be caused by bacteria. Influenza is one of the causes of ARI. The virus that causes ARI attacks the respiratory system, so that symptoms that arise in the form of a stuffy nose, sneezing, coughing, and sore throat. Children will also experience high fever for several days, weakness, headaches, and muscle aches. In more severe cases, this condition can develop into pneumonia.

How to treat flu is done with rest, enough to eat and drink water to prevent dehydration. Mother can provide child flu medicine which is widely sold in the market according to the symptoms experienced by the Little One. Immunization is also important as a step to prevent ARI.

Chicken pox

Chickenpox becomes a common infectious disease affecting children under 12 years. Chickenpox is very easily transmitted through the air (sneezing and coughing), direct contact with the patient's saliva, or the liquid from a broken smallpox lump. This disease is characterized by fever, sore throat, dizziness, or abdominal pain followed by the appearance of a skin rash and small lumps containing clear fluid. When infected with smallpox, your little one will feel itchy. But scratching a lump will cause scars if infected with bacteria. Smallpox can be prevented by varicella vaccination.

Conjunctivitis (red eye)

Red eyes include an infectious disease caused by a viral or bacterial infection. Red eyes occur due to inflammation of the conjunctiva, which is the tissue that lines the inside of the petals and the white part of the eye. Symptoms include watery eyes, pain when winking, swelling of the eyelids, itchy eyes, pus out of the eye if caused by bacteria. Conjunctivitis due to a viral infection can heal itself. But if due to bacteria, antibiotic treatment is needed according to the doctor's prescription.

Gastroenteritis

This infectious disease is caused by a viral infection that attacks the digestive tract. Symptoms cause diarrhea, fever, weakness, and abdominal pain. Some risk factors that can cause a child with gastroenteritis are poor sanitation and environmental hygiene, contact with diarrhea sufferers, or eating food and beverages contaminated with viruses and bacteria.

Measles

Rubella is another infectious disease which is quite common in schools. This disease is caused by a viral infection, measles symptoms can include fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, and red eyes, and a rash appears all over the body. This disease spreads through the air, and children can get infected when breathing air near measles sufferers who are coughing or sneezing.

Lice

Head lice are parasites that live by sucking blood from the human scalp. Although not dangerous, head lice are very annoying because they cause itching and irritation to the scalp. Head lice are very easily transmitted through contact with patients, for example sitting side by side or playing with other children who have head lice. Head lice are also easy to move when sharing clothes, combs, and hats, a habit that is often done by children during school.

Scabies

Scabies, or better known as scabies, is the condition of infiltration of mites into the outer layer of the skin. Symptoms include itching especially at night and a small reddish lump. Mites that cause scabies are so small that they are not visible to the naked eye.

This disease is very easily transmitted through physical contact or clothing worn by the patient. For example shaking hands, hanging clothes near the patient's clothes, or sleeping on a bed with a bed. No wonder if scabies becomes a disease that often affects children who live in boarding schools.

Ringworm

Ringworm is an infectious disease caused by fungi. Symptoms include the appearance of scaly, itchy red spots. Children are prone to ringworm if they live in a humid environment, bathe in a public bathroom, use a public swimming pool, or share equipment with other people who have ringworm. Ringworm treatment is done by applying an antifungal cream.

Mumps

Mumps are known for the swollen characteristics of the cheeks, neck and jaw. This condition occurs due to swelling of the salivary glands due to viral infection. Viruses can spread through sneezing, coughing, using eating utensils alternately, or contact with patients. Mumps are usually followed by other symptoms such as fever, weakness, loss of appetite, headaches, and muscle aches. Infectious diseases that commonly occur in this school do not require special treatment and can recover within a few weeks. Mumps can be prevented by MMR vaccination.

How to Prevent Affected by Infectious Diseases in Schools

Children are more susceptible to contracting because they tend to make physical contact close to each other and share personal items with friends. So that your little one doesn't get sick easily, do the following prevention and healthy habits:

Teach Your Child the right hand washing habits.

Give vaccinations on schedule.

Teach children not to share personal items with their friends. If the child lives in a dormitory, equip him with enough personal items, such as sheets, cutlery, and towels, so that he does not need to borrow from another child.

Keep your home and school environment clean, especially food and toilet cleanliness.

When a child has an infectious disease, let him rest at home so as not to infect his classmates. If you get the flu, for example, the child is advised not to go to school at least one day until the fever subsides and symptoms improve.

Give Your Child a balanced nutritious food, including vegetables and fruits. A healthy food menu can increase endurance so it is not easy to contract the disease. If necessary, consult your child's health condition with a pediatrician.