When flu season hits, it is very common for children to catch it. When this happens, you need to do everything in your power to keep it from spreading throughout your household. The following guide walks you through a few tips to use to ensure that the flu affects your family as little as possible this flu season:
Properly Prepare For Flu Season Before It Hits
It is important to take the time to prepare for flu season before it arrives. Be sure to have a thermometer readily available for you to use to monitor your child’s temperature. Test it to make sure that the batteries do not need to be replaced.
Stock up on flu essentials such as fever reducers, electrolyte drinks, soup, and anything else your child may need when they become sick. You want to be sure that you do not have to go to the store when your child is sick, because you want them to be able to stay in bed rather than having to travel to and from the store with you.
Know When To Take Your Child To The Doctor
It is important to do some research to find out how long does the flu last before your child becomes ill. This allows you to learn a few facts about the flu so that you can know when your child’s fever is too high, tips for how to make your child more comfortable, and signs when you need to take your child to the doctor to seek medical care.
Most cases of flu take a few days to pass through the system, but if you notice that your child is vomiting immensely, is not able to eat anything for days, and is having a hard time urinating, it may be time to take them to the doctor. The doctor may be able to give them medications to make the symptoms less severe and help speed up their recovery.
Keep Your Child Confined To Their Room As Much As Possible
If you do not want to risk the flu spreading throughout your house, it is best to keep your child confined to their room until they are feeling better. This allows them to have time to relax and rest so that their body can recover and keeps them from spreading the flu to everyone else because the exposure will be so limited.
Sanitize Your House From Top To Bottom
At the first sign of the flu, it is important to take the time to sanitize your home. You will need to wipe down any handles that your child may have touched, including door handles, refrigerator handles, and sink handles to decrease the chances of the virus affecting others. Be sure to wash any blankets that they used and the clothes that they have worn recently to ensure that someone else does not catch it from exposure to these items.
Your child should be able to overcome the illness over time. It is important to provide them with things that make them feel comfortable such as coloring books and movies that they enjoy looking at. Once your child has overcome the flu, wash his or her sheets, blankets, and pillow cases right away to reduce the chances of them getting sick again through exposure to the flu. It will not take a lot of time to do and will save the flu from possibly spreading throughout the entire family.
