Childhood Diseases That Spread Through Physical Contact

Heard of the English proverb,“Health is wealth”? To lead a good life, it is important that one stays in pink of health. Especially for children, if the health is not maintained properly, it could result in loss of concentration, lack of memory, lack of immunity, and much more that may not only affect their academic progress but also their overall physical and psychological development. Since children are still in their growing phase and have their immunity still developing, they tend to catch infections more easily than adults. It this article below, we will be shedding light on some of the most common infections/diseases that commonly spread among children. Knowing about them can help you keep your kids, as well as other children, protected from catching them.

Common Cold

One of the most common diseases that spread like wildfire among children is the common cold. It is basically an upper respiratory tract infection and is a virus-borne disease. Symptoms include sore throat, mild fever, and runny nose. It spreads when children come in contact with virus-infected airborne droplets which may get transmitted through openly coughing or sneezing.

Conjunctivitis

Conjunctivitis, which denotes the inflammation of the conjunctiva of the eye, is another common disease that commonly spreads during monsoons or the seasonal cross overs. Children with conjunctivitis suffer from reddish, itchy eyes, and may also feel a slight pain in the eyes. It can be bacterial or viral, and is, in most cases, highly contagious. Though conjunctivitis is a minor infection but may turn to a severe one of proper care is not taken.

Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease

A mild yet highly contagious viral infection that is particularly very common among young kids is the hand-foot-and-mouth disease. The infection is caused by coxsackievirus and is characterized by pink soars on hands, ears, feet, and mouth. Many children may also experience high fever, sore throat, and loss of appetite when suffering from hand-foot-and-mouth disease. Children suffering from the hands-foot-and-mouth disease should be kept from other children to avoid the further spreading of the disease.

Head Lice

Head lice cannot be categorized as a disease as such but is surely a severe problem that can lead to serious scalp infections if not controlled in time. Head lice are small ectoparasites that feed on human blood. They mostly affect children and spread through direct head to head contact. With proper hygiene and few precautions, one can stay away from catching head lice infestation.

Flu or Influenza

Also known as influenza, flu is a highly contagious viral infection. Though the symptoms may look more or less similar to the common cold, flu is more serious in nature. Symptoms include stuffy nose, sore throat, muscle ache, headache, high fever, and tiredness. Many people also get nausea and vomiting when suffering from the flu. Symptoms generally last for about 5 days to a week, but the feeling of tiredness may remain for an even longer time.

Measles

Measles is known to be one of the most contagious diseases of all. It is caused by the rubeola virus.It comes with fever and eruptions on the skin that makes it worse. Measles may also be accompanied with cough, runny nose, or conjunctivitis. Symptoms generally appear later in the course of the disease and is most common in young kids.

We, at JP International School, one among the leading CBSE Schools in Greater Noida, have always given the health and well-being of our pupils the same weight as we give to their development in academics and the co-curricular spheres. After all, good health is the prime necessity for growth in all areas of life. At JP International, we have hence developed two infirmaries to not only look after the general medical needs of children but to also endow them with comprehensive healthcare facilities. We have a full-time nurse and a visiting doctor in both our infirmaries to provide the students with immediate medical facilities whenever required. Though we, at JPIS, have the necessary arrangement to provide the students with the initial level of treatment, we request the parents to avoid sending their children to school if they are found suffering from any of the above or any other contagious diseases. Letting the kids take rest when unwell is not only best for them but also for the rest of the children as well.

- JP International School