Autumn comes, the school year begins, and children begin to be attacked by diseases. An important task of parents is to protect their child from viral infections. Nothing better than strengthening children's immunity has yet been invented. Doctors are confident that if a schoolchild has constant physical activity and regularly receives a portion of fresh air, he will not be affected by seasonal diseases.
In order for school-age children to be less likely to suffer from infectious diseases, they need regular walks and rest with the TV turned off. In addition, you should thoroughly ventilate the room and avoid unnecessary stress. A pediatrician shares useful information on the topic of schoolchildren's health.
No matter how strong the immune system is, the danger of dirty hands has not been canceled. Diseases are caused not only by airborne viruses, but also by bacteria that are carried on hands, hair, and clothing.
When coming into a room from the street, you must first wash your hands with soap and take off your street clothes. If a girl has long hair, it is better to wear it in a bun, ponytail or braid at school, as this reduces the likelihood of transmitting bacteria.
Doctors say that raising a schoolchild in greenhouse conditions, like mimosa, is dangerous. The child’s immunity will be weak, and he will begin to catch a cold from the slightest draft.
To eliminate this factor, it is necessary to regularly ventilate the home and classroom where children study. It is advisable to teach your child to sleep with the window slightly open even in winter, this will be a kind of hardening. To begin with, the window before going to bed opens for 10-15 minutes, but gradually the time increases until the person gets used to it.
Schoolchildren, unfortunately, do not spend as much time outside as their physiology requires. From school they go to sections and clubs, then go home to do their homework. And so on at least 5 days a week. In addition, modern children have access to various gadgets: computers, tablets, smartphones.
The child needs a constant supply of oxygen, so he should spend at least an hour a day outside, and his walks should be active.
Sitting at the computer or lying in front of the TV is not relaxation. On the contrary, the child’s brain is overloaded from the abundance of information and running pictures. According to WHO, a student in good health under the age of 12 should use electronic gadgets for no more than an hour a day. In this case, it is necessary to take breaks. A child over 12 years old can watch TV or use a tablet for 1.5-2 hours, also with rest breaks.
An important task of parents is to set a good example for their children. If adults spend all their free time in front of electronic device monitors, it is difficult to demand a different lifestyle from their younger family members.
The human intestine has a significant impact on the immune system. The diet of a growing person should consist of 80% quality products and normal dishes. Of course, it is difficult to completely eliminate fast food from the life of a modern child, but it is quite possible to reduce its consumption to a minimum.
To do this, you need to constantly prepare home-cooked food and focus on breakfast-lunch-dinner with your family.
Modern schoolchildren, unfortunately, are often attacked by stress. The school demands a lot from them - the Unified State Exam alone is worth it! Doctors strongly recommend that teachers do not intimidate their students, and parents do not put strong psychological pressure on their children because of bad grades. Adults need to build trusting relationships with them.
Correct posture is extremely important for a student. Children often sit incorrectly at their desks at school, and at home they learn their lessons in an awkward position.
How to ensure normal posture for a child? Constantly push and remind him in an irritated tone: “Straighten up, don’t slouch!” not effective. The student’s psychological barrier will simply grow and he will stop hearing comments. There is a basic exercise that teaches children to sit at the table with a straight back. A stick is “threaded” between the hands from behind, which the child holds for a certain time. With a systematic approach, the reflex to straighten his back is strengthened.
And in conclusion, we will give one more piece of advice: taking preventive courses will strengthen your child’s local immunity!
The immune system is an incredibly complex but purposeful system. Its formation depends on many factors, which in turn are subject to and beyond human control. Hundreds of thousands of clinical studies have been conducted to determine how to create immunity that can resist the greatest number of infections. The difficulty in achieving success here is that the state of immunity is mainly determined by a person’s genetic predisposition and lifestyle and only partially depends on the use of certain drugs and medications.
It is simply impossible to predict 100% the body’s reaction to an encounter with a disease pathogen, just as it is still impossible to create a pill that is guaranteed to strengthen the immune system to counteract respiratory viral diseases. Whether various means that strengthen the immune system will be effective depends not so much on their composition, but on the characteristics of the organism into which they enter.
The child’s immunity, naturally, is not fully strengthened and formed. A number of routine vaccinations protect a child at this age and in the future from dangerous infectious diseases, but whether a child will often be susceptible to seasonal influenza and ARVI depends on the parental approach to strengthening his immunity.
Formation of specific immunity through vaccination. Annual flu vaccinations are recommended for children from 6 months to 18 years of age. Before vaccination, you should consult your doctor to assess the need for vaccination. School-age children are at high risk of infection in school/public transport/entertainment facilities due to the contagiousness of the infection, so the development of specific immunity takes place.
Folk remedies to strengthen the immune system. It is necessary to accustom your child to consume the following foods that are healthy during the winter season:
- honey and propolis;
- lemon and other citrus fruits (make a fruit treat for the student from different varieties of citrus fruits);
- raspberries, viburnum, currants and other vitamin-containing berry preparations;
- ginger and brazil nut;
- onion and garlic;
- beets and pumpkin.
Taking immune stimulants and immunotropic drugs. This is again a reason to consult a doctor. As was said earlier, parents should not console themselves with the thought that there are pills that can guarantee their child’s protection from infection with ARVI or influenza. You must be aware that taking medications of this kind will be completely useless if this preventive method is the only one, and all others are ignored. No magic pill will help a child resist the virus if he has open contact with sick people, constantly stays in a stuffy room, does not walk enough in the fresh air, does not take vitamins, etc.
Taking vitamins and vitamin complexes. Like the previously mentioned drugs, they are effective in proper combination with other means of immunoprophylaxis. It is necessary to strengthen the child’s body with tableted vitamins all year round. It is necessary to understand that with all the diversity of the diet, our body does not always receive all the necessary substances, what it lacks, your pediatrician will help you determine. In any case, during the cold season, it will not be superfluous to take vitamin C - it is an indispensable immunomodulator and antioxidant.
Frequent walks in the fresh air and physical activity. In any weather and at any time of the year, do not limit your child’s time in the fresh air. Walking in the cold will bring more benefits than traveling on public transport. Make sure that the student is dressed in accordance with the weather, so that clothes do not get wet, and that a sweaty child is not outside. Monitor the time your child spends outside - it is better to organize several half-hour walks than one long one. Don’t limit your baby’s activity - let it give him an outlet for energy both simply on the street and in sports activities, which undoubtedly strengthen the overall health of the body.
At the end of August, it is important for every parent to pay attention to strengthening their child’s immunity. With the beginning of the school year, the problem of frequent colds in children often arises - the culprit is a weakened body, softened by the summer sun and warmth. A child may begin to sniffle, cough and complain of ear pain after starting school in cold classrooms.
The immune system cannot yet fully protect against seasonal colds, since it is finally formed only by the age of 12, which is why younger schoolchildren get sick so often in the fall. To prevent any ailments, you should follow a few simple principles:
1. Add physical activity
Immunologists recommend teaching your child to regularly do morning exercises in order to activate the body's defenses. It is also worth devoting more time to sports, especially outdoors - cycling and roller skating, running, volleyball, badminton, football, frisbee or table tennis. The main thing is to captivate the child so that he also enjoys it.
2. Use herbal preparations
At the end of summer, you can successfully use the gifts of nature to strengthen the immune system - medicinal herbs and fruits, which are much more effective and safer for the child’s body than synthetic vitamins. The best way to increase the body's resistance to bacteria and viruses is echinacea tincture, chamomile tea, tincture of rose hips and currant leaves, linden tea with honey and lemon. Do not neglect proven home antiseptics - onions and garlic.
3. Do hardening
Hardening is the simplest and most reliable way to protect a child from colds. This kind of prevention, according to doctors, effectively increases the child’s body’s resistance to seasonal colds. The process itself should be gradual and regular. You can start by jogging in the morning dew, swimming in water at a slightly lower temperature than usual, and gradually prepare your body for the cold season.
4. Review the child's menu
The digestive system and diet play an important role in the process of developing immunity. The gastrointestinal tract contains more than 70% of all immune cells, which is why it is so important to provide the child with proper nutrition. The diet needs to include more proteins and complex carbohydrates, minerals and vitamin C - meat, fish, salads from fresh vegetables and herbs, side dishes from cereals.
5. Take a course of probiotics
Probiotics ensure healthy intestinal function, which means they strengthen the child’s immune system. The good state of microflora will be supported by yoghurts, starter cultures, kefir and fermented baked milk. You can take a course of probiotics in capsules.
6. Maintain proper sleep and wakefulness
Irregular sleep can seriously undermine a child's immunity. With regular lack of sleep, immune cells are suppressed, which is very dangerous even for an adult. It is quite natural that after the summer holidays it is very difficult to persuade your son or daughter to go to bed early, but by the beginning of the school year the routine should be established!
7. Get preventive vaccinations
Timely vaccinations will protect the child's body from infectious diseases as much as possible. At school there is often a risk of developing a flu epidemic, so it is worth getting vaccinated to keep your child healthy. Unscheduled vaccinations against infectious diseases are done 1.5-2 months before the expected epidemic.
8. Psychological attitude towards health
A student’s immunity often suffers due to stress and anxiety, especially in first grade. That is why the main task of parents is to psychologically prepare their child for school, prepare them for the load and teach them to react correctly to any problems. The child must be in a positive mood and not afraid of school difficulties.
Stress is not always physical fatigue, it is also psychological pressure. Proceed from the principle: “It is better to praise than to scold.” It’s clear that in first grade, where they don’t give grades yet, there seems to be nothing to scold. If your first-grader is not making obvious progress or is not praised by the teacher, do not show that you are disappointed. On the contrary, say that you believe in your child. Don't greet him with the question, "How's school going?" or “Have you done your homework?” It’s better to ask how he spent his day, what he liked. A day spent at school is not only about lessons and assignments, but also about conversations, friends, and games. Let your child feel that you are more interested in him and not in his successes.
Restful sleep
Any teacher will tell you that by a student’s behavior it is easy to identify a family with the correct daily routine and vice versa. In order for a child to be active and attentive in class, he must come to school well-slept and rested. To do this, turn off the computer and TV at least an hour before bedtime. Modern parents are sorely short of time, and few can resist the formula “Do your homework and you can play on the computer.” Despite your busy schedule, spend some of your precious time with your child. You can play a board game, get some fresh air, read a book, tell a story. Help him relax, leaving behind the worries of the past day.
Good mood in the morning
Start your day with a smile and get ready for school without haste. Organize everything so that the child has breakfast in peace. For any person, especially for a small one, family and home are a zone of comfort and safety. Respect your child's personality and personal space. If you're in a bad mood, don't let it out. A careless or rude word can ruin a child’s mood for the whole day. Arrive at school early so that you can lay out your notebooks and pens before class.
Create a positive attitude. Rejoice yourself. Try to cheer up or make your child laugh in the morning. A laughing person is relaxed, not aggressive. Laughter normalizes breathing and lowers blood pressure, improving overall well-being. Five minutes of laughter are replaced by 40 minutes of rest, during which time the level of antibodies and the activity of leukocytes increases, and with them the immune system is strengthened.
Natural vitamins
Apples, pears, grapes, plums, watermelon are much more accessible and healthier than any vitamin complex in tablets. Of course, it’s easier to buy a pack of chips in a store than a kilogram of apples at the market, but should a child suffer because of parental laziness? For a person to be strong, he must eat fresh fruits and vegetables. Vitamins are best absorbed in their natural form. All red and yellow vegetables contain beta-carotene, which is converted into vitamin A: carrots, red peppers, tomatoes, pumpkin. This vitamin is responsible for the strength of the immune response. In order for vitamins A, D and E to be absorbed by the body, fats are needed. Add a spoonful of sour cream or butter to carrot or tomato salad. If you give your child yogurt, do not use low-fat yogurt.
The source of vitamin C is everything sour: rose hips, black currants, lemon, citrus fruits, sauerkraut. This vitamin is responsible for the production of immune cells. B vitamins - seeds, wholemeal bread, nuts, buckwheat, legumes, mushrooms, cheese. The body receives the antioxidant vitamin E from nuts, seeds, sprouted grains, and unrefined vegetable oil. Mineral-rich plant foods - nuts, legumes, seeds, whole grains, dark chocolate. Include broccoli, strawberries, kiwi, salmon, turkey, zucchini and squash in your diet as often as possible.
Healthy eating
Just because a child has gone to school is not a reason to fill his backpack with candy bars and packets of cookies. If your student needs a snack, give him a bottle of water, a cereal cracker, an apple (cut in half and remove the seeds), carrots, nuts, and raisins. When it comes to homemade food, remove everything artificial and you will have healthy food. It is necessary to exclude bars, cakes, candies, sweet cookies, soda, packaged juices, chips, hamburgers and other food waste. Explain to your child that this food does not contain vitamins, is harmful and causes obesity.
Sweets can be replaced with berries, fruits, dried apricots, raisins, dates, honey. Instead of sweet cheeses - regular cottage cheese. The fact is that the preservatives, dyes, stabilizers, and emulsifiers contained in sweets not only reduce immunity, but are also almost not excreted from the body, leading to serious disorders, weakened immunity and excess weight. Otherwise, every mother knows that a person needs proteins, that is, meat and fish, vegetables and fruits, dairy products, potassium (baked potatoes, apricots, nuts, buckwheat, oatmeal), probiotics (onions, garlic, banana) and fresh herbs. There is not always time to run to the market or prepare a healthy meal, which means that for the sake of the child it is necessary to properly organize your regime and avoid the temptation of quick snacks and sugar-containing surrogates.
Loads and overloads
Modern parents take a radical approach to education: English from the cradle, dancing from kindergarten, extra classes and sports clubs at school. The greater the mental load at school, the stronger the counterbalance to the physical load is built. A first-grader who strives to meet the expectations of his parents cannot always say that classes are a burden to him. Tiredness may cause a child to lose interest in activities. The point is not that training and sections are harmful, but that every person has a limit of endurance. Excessive exercise reduces immunity. The mother should carefully look at the child and, noticing severe fatigue or apathy, offer him a break. Remember, did you ever dream of getting sick as a child? The sick person is treated attentively and carefully, they bring tea to bed, you can read, draw, do what you like. It is better to miss a couple of classes and resume them with pleasure than to bring your child to chronic fatigue.
Outdoor games
The child needs to be in the fresh air more often. If there is an opportunity, use it; if there is no opportunity, find it. For example, a walk. Not to the grocery store, but a little further - to the park, to the forest, for a picnic. You can ride bicycles and play badminton. Many courtyards have table tennis tables. Buy rackets and go ahead. In the evening or morning, you can run to the sports ground on the horizontal bars. Invite your friends over the weekend and play football. Go to a museum, wander around the beautiful places of your hometown. This is the most difficult point for parents, because due to lack of time we rarely listen to our children. Ask, talk, tell. Believe me, a child will remember for the rest of his life the moments when mom or dad reveal an unfamiliar side, even during a football match or a walk.
Free time
Each person should have personal time, which he manages in his own way. When planning educational activities, leave your child alone for at least a couple of evenings. He has the right to relax or do things that interest him, just do nothing. It only seems to you that he is not busy with anything; in fact, he is thinking about something important. In general, idleness is unusual for children. They look for and find something to do on their own. A girl may want to learn how to sew dresses for dolls or bake cookies. Boy - hammer nails, build or break something. If he wants to learn how to draw a little man or a dog, show him how it’s done and don’t drag him straight into an art studio. There are checkers, chess, board games. Not every type of activity should have a professional orientation; something can be done for the soul - without contests and competitions. Support any cause that gives your child pleasure. Unlike a computer or TV, such an activity brings emotional satisfaction to the child.
Natural remedies
In nature, there are many remedies that increase immunity: echinacea, ginseng, licorice, eleutherococcus, lemongrass. You can make apple, orange and lemon teas. A decoction of rose hips is useful. It can be mixed with tea, add honey and drink cooled, like compote. You can make berry juice, or you can quickly mash frozen cranberries or currants with a spoon and add them to tea.
When you have a cold or for prevention, you need to drink herbal teas. Raspberry leaves and twigs, chamomile, rose hips, linden, black currant and strawberry leaves, Sudanese rose (hibiscus), mint, eucalyptus - each herb has healing properties. Natural remedies will help the body better than pills.
It is impossible to prevent a child from getting sick at all. Two or three colds a year is not much. If you think that your child needs immunostimulants, be sure to consult your local doctor.
Parents try to actively strengthen their child’s immunity at any age. Adolescence is a time when children's bodies undergo restructuring. In order for them to grow up without experiencing problems, children must have the correct diet and diet, an abundance of vitamins and microelements, a healthy lifestyle, and a desire to improve their physical fitness.
Biologically, immunity does not have time to develop in accordance with the growth of the body. The melon factor characterizes the peculiarities of adolescent development, surges and falls in the stimulation of internal reserves. Protection and resistance to disease is weakened more than once. Parents should be aware of this spiral in order to respond in time to the stages of weakened immunity.
The decline in the production of immune cells necessary for the production of antibodies against diseases and infections in adolescents begins with the onset of puberty. The body is experiencing a hormonal revolution, which negatively affects its defenses. Girls experience a surge in the production of sex hormones from the age of 12-13, boys - from the age of 14-15.
During this period, parents should closely monitor the child’s nutrition, behavior, and preferences. If you want a teenager to become a healthy young man/girl by the age of 17, help him in this, strengthen his immune system by all available means. Immune decline will pass without consequences if the teenager follows a diet, a regimen of exercise and rest, plays sports, and does not fall victim to bad habits.
Advice from immunologists! Parents and children should experience moments of immunity crisis as a natural process. There is no need to panic, but efforts must be made to overcome them safely.
Symptoms of weakened immunity in teenagers
Strong immunity in a teenager means resistance to diseases, a reduced risk of contracting infections, and a positive emotional status. Anomalies are considered signs of a decline in immune defense:
- the teenager gets sick often, cold epidemics do not pass without a trace for him;
- he gets tired with little exertion;
- visually looks and feels weaker than peers;
- he exhibits drowsiness and depression;
- the skin becomes problematic, peeling appears.
Having noticed such changes in a teenager, parents need to take measures to strengthen the immune system. To do this according to the rules, use the following recommendations from doctors.
How to strengthen teenage immunity
Please note that there are several methods available for each. The teenager needs to be explained that immunity and health are interconnected concepts. If he doesn’t want to get sick, then let him go in for sports, watch his diet, eat high-calorie healthy foods rich in vitamins, fiber, and microelements. His well-being, growth, and timely maturation of the body depend on this.
His independent choice in favor of a healthy lifestyle is the key to strong immunity and health in adulthood. Teenagers who have realized this truth refuse chips, fast food, and energy drinks. They become regulars at fitness rooms and sports clubs.
We increase the immunity of a teenager at 15 years old
Organization of home life, family habits, assortment of food in the refrigerator are factors influencing the formation of a healthy lifestyle for adolescents. Fifteen-year-old boys and girls should be prepared for adulthood and not provoked by an abundance of chocolate, carbonated drinks, fast food, and processed foods.
An important component of strengthening the immune system of adolescents is personal hygiene. The task of parents is to teach children to rinse the nasopharynx, take care of the skin, and keep the genitals clean. Mothers and fathers should talk to their growing children about the dangers of casual sexual relationships.
Vitamins to strengthen a teenager's immune system
Vitamins A, Group B, K, PP, P, C, D, H contribute to the improvement of the body's defenses. Among pharmacy vitamin complexes, choose the following:
- Multitabs, Teen, Sana Sol in the form of chewable tablets (11-17 years);
- Pikovit-forte 7+, Alphabet-schoolboy - children 12-14 years old;
- Supradin Junior - 13-15 years old.
Each drug comes with instructions, following which you will know exactly how many tablets to take according to your age.
Diet correction. Main menu
Recommendations for changing the diet of adolescents are related to the process of puberty. During this period, hormonal levels are unstable, immune reactions are weakened, and resistance to diseases is reduced. An important way to fuel the defense system is to eat healthy foods.
Children's diet should include:
- meat products from beef, veal, chicken - sources of animal proteins;
- legumes to feed the body with vegetable proteins;
- dairy products - fermented milk (sour cream, cottage cheese), cheese, but not processed cheese, necessary for enriching with calcium and improving digestion;
- fish and seafood containing iodine, phosphorus, magnesium, other trace elements and vitamins;
- eggs are an easily digestible protein;
- cereals, coarse bread, vegetables - sources of fiber;
- carbohydrates in the form of honey and fruits.
Drinks that strengthen the immune system include teas based on herbs and fruits - rose hips, viburnum, pine needles. For rosehip tea leaves, use 2 tablespoons of berries per half liter of boiling water; this is an excellent source of vitamin C. Infuse in a thermos, drink half a glass of tea with honey 2 to three times a day.
Viburnum berries are crushed in a glass, the mass should be 1/3 of the container. Then boiling water is poured in and after 10 minutes the drink is ready. For sweetness, add honey (0.5 tsp). You can brew the berries twice, drink all the liquid from the glass, and throw away the remaining mixture.
Sport
Physical education for teenagers means strengthening bone and muscle structure, developing body beauty, and supporting immunity. Coaches advise growing boys and girls to do active sports exercises:
- bicycle racing;
- swimming;
- game types - football, basketball, volleyball.
Homeopathic medicines for teenage immunity
At the age of 15, doctors advise using homeopathic remedies if the immune system is weakened. Echinacea Compositum, Angiston, Galium are common drugs with immunological and therapeutic effects. The first removes toxins, the second accelerates the treatment of viral infections and prevents the development of inflammatory complications, the third is used to prevent viral and bacterial invasions.
Psychology
The psychological aspect of strengthening immunity is explaining to the child the importance of taking care of health. From the age of 12, children already understand that the responsibility for how they grow up lies with them. They strive for a beautiful figure and appearance and devote considerable time to this. Parents can only suggest the right ways to achieve the desired result. This is called a health mindset that your children will thank you for their entire lives.
When to visit an immunologist
If recurrent viral and bacterial infections are detected, a visit to an immunologist is required. Signs of the need to consult a doctor are fatigue, restless sleep, irritability, and skin abnormalities.
If a teenager is prone to colds, then during epidemics he needs medical care along with proper nutrition and taking vitamins. The doctor will prescribe preventive medications to help cope with the disease. Do not forget about vaccination if adolescents have weak immunity.
Conclusion.
Beauty and health depend on immunity. Teenagers should take extra care of it, since during this period, due to the restructuring of the body, the defenses are weakened. Help your child with useful advice.