Oct. 12--It's that time of the year where children share space at class, church and at athletic events. They can also share diseases, and not just with other children.
"What we learned last year with influenza is that kids tend to be the vector or host for that because they are in the classrooms and sporting events," said Robin Iszler, administrator of Central Valley Health District.
Children oftentimes don't know any better than to cover a sneeze, wash their hands or wipe down surfaces, Iszler said. They then take the sickness back home where they expose their parents, who can spread the sickness at their workplaces.
"If they could control the illnesses in the childhood population, they can affect the rest of us," Iszler said.
October through June is the best time to control illnesses because this is the time when most of them spread, said Marcia Bollingberg, director of nursing at Central Valley Health.
"This year we are involved with the local schools and we will be doing school-based flu clinics in all of the schools in our service area in Stutsman and Logan counties," Bollingberg said.
Consent forms can be found at the schools or at www.centralvalleyhealth.org under the school nursing tab. The vaccine was purchased by the North Dakota Department of Health and the cost for the shots goes to those who administer them.
Anyone else can also stop by the clinic located at 122 Second St. N.W. and receive a flu shot for $30.
But preventative measures at home are some of the easiest practices to keep from getting sick, Iszler said.
Those are simple things like being sure to wash hands, cover your mouth during a sneeze, throwing away tissues, wiping door knobs, not sharing drinking glasses or water bottles and getting plenty of rest. Bollingberg said for schoolchildren that should be between eight and 10 hours of sleep at night.
"It doesn't hurt to take a multi-vitamin either, because none of us eat completely healthy," Iszler said. Vitamin C tablets and zinc tablets also work well to prevent illnesses.
Because each disease is different and affects people differently, it's important to follow simple steps and seek medical help if it's needed, she said.
"A person could die very quickly if they don't come in," Iszler said.
Part of that is because common bugs like a fever, cold or flu can lead to pneumonia, which can eventually cause death, she said. The immune system is weakened over time and because of respiratory problems the host has trouble breathing and can't fight off infections, Bollingberg said.
The immune system can be strengthened by good everyday activities, like a healthy diet, exercise and not smoking, Iszler said. Those coupled along with common sense tips can go a long way in staying healthy this season.
"If you start these practices now, when we get heavier (into the time of year where illnesses spike) they'll be in place," she said.
Sun reporter Ben Rodgers can be reached at 701-952-8455
or by e-mail at brodgers@jamestownsun.com
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