Cold and Flu Tips for Parents: HealthAmerica(R) and HealthAssurance(R) Offer Tips for Keeping Your Family Healthy This Flu Season.HARRISBURG & PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- Every child gets sick from time to time. When your child isn't feeling well, you'll want to know how to recognize the symptoms, how to help, and when to call the doctor. Here are some quick and easy tips to keep the winter sniffles snif·fle intr.v. snif·fled, snif·fling, snif·fles 1. To breathe audibly through a runny or congested nose. 2. To weep or whimper lightly with spasmodic congestion of the nose. n. 1. and coughs from taking over your family this season. Think Prevention To keep germs in their place, practice these habits with your family: * Wash your hands thoroughly and often. * Avoid sharing drinking and eating utensils This is a list of eating and serving utensils.
* Avoid picking up used tissues, but if you must, wash your hands immediately. * Avoid crowds during a flu epidemic. * Cover your cough: Grab a tissue and cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing To verbally tell somebody about a new and interesting Web site. See viral marketing. - this helps prevent germs from becoming airborne. Cheat Sheet for Parents - Symptoms and Indications: It is highly unlikely that someone in the family will not feel a little under the weather at some point this season. Use this quick guide from HealthAmerica to spot the symptoms of the common cold vs. the flu:
Flu <
Cold
Was your child's onset of illness... sudden? <
slow?
Does your child have... high fever? <
no (or mild) fever?
Is your child's exhaustion level... severe? <
mild?
Is your child's cough... dry? <
severe or hacking?
Is your child's throat... fine? <
sore?
Is your child's head... achy? <
headache-free?
Is your child's appetite... decreased? <
normal?
Are your child's muscles... achy? <
fine?
Does your child have... chills? <
no chills?
If most of your answers fall into the first category, chances are your child has the flu. If most of your answers belong in the second category, it's most likely a cold. What's The Best Medicine for the Common Cold? "Time cures all - that may not always be true, but in the case of the common cold, it's pretty close," said Josh Bennett, M.D., vice president of quality and cost management at HealthAmerica and HealthAssurance. "During the duration of a cold, children should avoid vigorous activity and get plenty of rest." When treating the symptoms of a cold, Dr. Bennett recommends these helpful treatments: * Use salt water drops in the nostrils to relieve nasal congestion nasal congestion ENT Difficulty in nasal breathing, due to an ↑ vascular thickness of nasal mucosa. See Nasal stuffiness. . * Use a cool-mist humidifier humidifier, n a device for adding moisture to dry air inside the home to help counteract the reduction in saliva that often occurs as a result of hyposalivation, radiation therapy, or other treatments that cause xerostomia. to increase air moisture. * Put petroleum jelly petroleum jelly n. A colorless-to-amber semisolid mixture of hydrocarbons obtained from petroleum and used in medicinal ointments. Also called petrolatum. on the skin under the nose to soothe rawness. * Offer an older child hard candy or cough drops to suck on to relieve sore throat Sore Throat Definition Sore throat, also called pharyngitis, is a painful inflammation of the mucous membranes lining the pharynx. It is a symptom of many conditions, but most often is associated with colds or influenza. pain. * Consume plenty of extra fluids - juice, water, and carbonated beverages. What to Do If Your Child Gets the Flu * Offer plenty of fluids. * If your child is tired of drinking plain water, try ice pops, icy drinks mixed in a blender, and soft fruits (like melons or grapes) to keep him or her hydrated hy·drat·ed adj. Chemically combined with water, especially existing in the form of a hydrate. Adj. 1. hydrated - containing combined water (especially water of crystallization as in a hydrate) hydrous . * Encourage bed rest with a supply of magazines, books, quiet music, and perhaps a favorite movie. * Provide acetaminophen acetaminophen (əsēt'əmĭn`əfĭn), an analgesic and fever-reducing medicine similar in effect to aspirin. It is an active ingredient in many over-the-counter medicines, including Tylenol and Midol. for your child's aches and pains. * Dress your child in layers. When your child feels warm, you can peel a layer or two, and when he or she feels chilly, layers can be added easily. * A phone call from a close relative or far-away friend can help lift your child's spirits. * Another way to care for your child is to take care of yourself and the other people in your family. * If you haven't done so, ask your doctor whether you (and other family members) would benefit from a flu shot. * Also, wash your hands thoroughly and often, especially after picking up used tissues. When to Call Your Child's Doctor Call your doctor whenever your child has a "cold" that lasts for more than 10 days, or for symptoms of "allergies" that don't clear with the usual allergy medication. Use the cheat sheet of symptoms (above) and don't be too quick to brush off your child's illness as just another cold. The important thing to remember is that flu symptoms can vary from child to child (and they can change as the illness progresses), so if you suspect the flu, call your child's doctor. For more information or other articles relating to relating to relate prep → concernant relating to relate prep → bezüglich +gen, mit Bezug auf +acc the cold and flu, visit www.healthamericakidshealth.com and look for these related articles: Chilling Out With Colds Tips for Treating the Flu What to Do if You Get the Flu Who Needs a Flu Shot? About HealthAmerica and HealthAssurance HealthAmerica Pennsylvania, Inc., has a 30-year record of providing health care benefits. HealthAmerica, HealthAssurance Pennsylvania, Inc., and affiliate companies cover over 700,000 members in Pennsylvania and Ohio through PPO PPO abbr. preferred provider organization PPO Managed care Preferred provider organization, see there Infectious disease Pleuropneumonia-like organism, see there , POS (1) See point of sale and packet over SONET. (2) "Parent over shoulder." See digispeak. POS - point of sale , HMO HMO health maintenance organization. HMO n. A corporation that is financed by insurance premiums and has member physicians and professional staff who provide curative and preventive medicine within certain financial, , Medicaid, and Medicare Advantage plans. In addition, HealthAmerica offers a product for individuals and families who are not eligible for employer-sponsored health care benefits, Medicare, or Medicaid, called HealthAmericaOne. HealthAmerica earned an "Excellent" Accreditation for its HMO plan and HealthAssurance earned an "Excellent" Accreditation for the HealthAssurance POS by the National Committee for Quality Assurance National Committee for Quality Assurance Medical practice A private, not-for-profit organization which has become the leading accreditor of managed care plans; in site visits, NCQA reviewers evaluate a managed care plan in terms of quality management, physicians' , an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to measuring the quality of America's health care. With corporate offices in Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, HealthAmerica and HealthAssurance provide managed health care products and services to approximately 12,000 employers in Pennsylvania and Ohio. HealthAmerica and its affiliates employ over 2,200 people in Pennsylvania. For more information, visit HealthAmerica's website at www.healthamerica.cvty.com. |
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