Taking care of the child’s immunity is one of the primary tasks of parents. Frequent illnesses, susceptibility to viral diseases in schoolchildren are all signs that the immune system is failing and needs to be improved. Some parents are struggling with this on their own with home methods, others immediately use medication. For better results, many factors must be taken into account.
Why strengthen your child’s immune system?
Immunity is the ability of a child’s body to resist foreign bodies, negative external influences. The children’s body has not yet had time to strengthen, it is subject to constant attacks of microbes, so the immune system needs constant support. There are several signs that signal that the child’s immunity needs to be boosted. First of all, these are complications after colds – pneumonia, bronchitis and others. Frequent herpes, hair loss, recurrent sore throat are also warning signs for a child. Low immunity in schoolchildren is often characterized by digestive problems such as diarrhea and constipation. It is worth paying attention to other symptoms – sleep problems, rapid overwork, colds more than 5 times a year. All these are signs that something needs to be done in order to boost and strengthen children’s immunity.
What affects the health of the child?
There are a number of factors that help increase children’s immunity, especially when it comes to schoolchildren – the well-being of a very young child completely depends on home conditions, but older children are more susceptible to the influence of the external environment. Weak immunity in schoolchildren is often a consequence of low-quality vitamins, poor sleep, and constant psychological stress. Let’s consider these factors.
Psychological state and children’s immunity
A positive psychological microclimate at home is an important condition for children’s well-being. You should not yell at the child, make comments too often – this causes stress, because of which it is difficult to raise the student’s immunity to fight viruses. In addition, high levels of stress at home can increase the production of cortisol, which attacks immune cells. The best ways to stabilize the psychological state of a student are meeting with friends, engaging in favorite hobbies, having a pleasant time with their parents watching movies, playing games, and traveling.
Healthy sleep and daily routine
The body of schoolchildren adjusts to certain rhythms, so it is extremely important to alternate periods of sleep and wakefulness, increase the time for eating, playing, walking, finding time to exercise. To improve immunity, it is better to accustom the child to the regimen from an early age. For different ages, there is a recommended time to get up in the morning, lunch, do homework, go to bed. A child of primary school age needs to go to bed at 9 pm and get up at 7 am, older students can go to bed later – at 10-11 pm. A full day’s rest has a positive effect on immunity. During sleep, the metabolism in the child’s body is faster, so children grow better during these hours.
Healthy sleep and daily routine are good habits of the child.
Fresh air
Getting enough fresh air is one surefire way to boost your immune system. Sunbathing enriches the immune system with an important vitamin D that affects the function of many organs. The child should walk in the fresh air for at least 2 hours a day. For schoolchildren, part of the walk can be the way to school and back, playing in the fresh air with peers. When walking, it is important how the child is dressed. You should not put too many layers of clothing on him/her, under which the body over-heats and sweats – this can only increase the risk of a cold. The best way to boost children’s immunity is to wear the same amount of clothing on your child as you do on yourself. Over-concern can backfire.
Hygiene
Many viruses enter the body due to poor hygiene. Teaching schoolers to wash their hands after using the restroom and before eating is only half the battle. It is also important to do regular wet cleaning in the children’s bedroom. The dust that accumulates on furniture and things can contain particles of mold, micro-mites, harmful to the child’s immunity. The correct temperature in the house prevents the spread of harmful microorganisms and has a beneficial effect on schooler’s health. It is best to keep the temperature around 72° F and the humidity at 60%. Such air normalizes breathing and prevents colds.
Recommendations of doctors
Doctors warn against using homeopathic medicines. These remedies work as follows: the patient takes small doses of a substance that in large doses causes the same symptoms as the disease. There is no scientifically proven evidence of the effectiveness of homeopathy; a weak effect may be associated with self-hypnosis. Parents of a child need to remember this before buying untested “medicines” for their child! Another option that should be treated with caution is immunomodulators, drugs that are supposedly aimed at raising the child’s immunity, curing flu and acute respiratory infections. There is still no scientific evidence of the effectiveness of these drugs. Doctors emphasize that the immune system is quite complex and needs an integrated approach; one remedy will be ineffective. An integrated approach with enough sleep, physical activity and proper nutrition can raise the weak child’s immunity.
There are many medical and natural ways to boost your child’s immunity and prevent diseases. It is important to study different tips, do not neglect the opinion of doctors and do everything possible every day to boost the child’s immune system. You should understand: if a weak immunity was raised, this does not mean that the schooler will be able to completely get rid of diseases, but if they occur, they will pass faster.
Child’s nutrition
The child’s immunity can be boosted by taking certain foods, but the first step in switching to proper nutrition is observing the culture of eating. The diet should be balanced. Breakfast, lunch, dinner should be regular and according to the schedule. Do not teach the student to have snacks on the go. The menu should contain seasonal, local products, more vitamins. Supplemental vitamin tablets or capsules should be discussed with your family doctor.
The child’s daily menu should include vegetables and fruits, dairy products, herbs, fish and meat. Honey and garlic effectively fight viruses and helps to boost immunity. Vegetables are high in folate, which is important in fighting infections. Carrots and sweet potatoes are rich in vitamin A, citrus fruits and broccoli with vitamin C, nuts rich in vitamin E, which helps fight flu and respiratory tract infections. Also, the child should eat oatmeal, avocado, flax seeds, turmeric, ginger, dark chocolate.