Back to school health: a Portlaoise pharmacist’s checklist
The uniforms are bought and the copybooks are labelled. Here is the health side of the list, so the first few weeks back go a little smoother.
Every September brings the same little wave of sniffles, itchy heads and scraped knees. None of it is serious, but a bit of preparation saves you a mid week dash to the chemist.
Here is what we find families ask us about most as the new term starts, with straightforward advice you can act on today. If you are ever unsure about anything, call in and ask. That is what we are here for.
1. Head lice, before the notes come home
Head lice are a fact of school life and have nothing to do with cleanliness. They spread through head to head contact, which is exactly what happens in a busy classroom. Checking your child’s hair once a week with a fine tooth detection comb on wet, conditioned hair is the single most useful habit you can build. If you find a live louse, wet comb with conditioner every 3 to 4 days for at least 2 weeks, until you find no lice 3 times in a row. If you also use a head lice lotion or spray, follow the pack closely, as most need a second treatment 7 days later, and keep wet combing alongside it. Check everyone at home with the comb and treat anyone with live lice on the same day. There is no need to treat the whole family unless they are affected, and no need to keep a child home from school. You can read the HSE guidance on head lice here. Our step by step guide on how to get rid of head lice covers the comb, every treatment and a 2 week plan.
2. The first cold of term
Mixing with new classmates means meeting new germs, so a cold or two in the first month is completely normal and part of building immunity. For most children, rest, fluids and time are all that is needed. Paracetamol or ibuprofen suited to their age and weight can ease a fever or sore throat, and we are always happy to check the right dose with you. If your child has asthma, ask us before giving ibuprofen, as it can bring on wheezing in some children with asthma. Contact your GP urgently if a high temperature does not come down with the right dose of paracetamol or ibuprofen, comes with a rash, has not got better after 5 days, or your child is not their usual self. Call 112 or 999 if they find it hard to breathe, have a rash that does not fade when you press a glass on it, have a stiff neck, or are very drowsy and hard to wake. Keep them home from school until their temperature is back to normal without paracetamol or ibuprofen. The HSE has clear advice on the common cold.
Shop the back to school health kit
The health products from this checklist, delivered anywhere in the Republic of Ireland for €6, Monday to Saturday, or ask us in the pharmacy in Portlaoise.
Head lice treatment and combs
Lyclear Express Shampoo & Comb 200ML€19.95View product
Full Marks Solution 200ml€19.95View product
Nitty Gritty NitFree Comb€19.95View productDaily vitamins and immune support
Vivio Junior 250ml, Kids’ Vitamin Syrup, Immune Support€11.95View product
Chewy Vites Kids Multi-Vit Probio, 60 Gummies€20.95View productSun protection for the walk and yard
First aid for bumps and scrapes
3. Lunchboxes that actually get eaten
You do not need to overthink this. A good lunchbox has something from each of the main food groups: wholemeal bread or wraps, pasta or rice; some protein like chicken, eggs, tuna or beans; a dairy food like cheese or yoghurt; and a piece of fruit and a vegetable they will genuinely eat. Plain water or milk is the drink to pack. Keep sugary drinks and treats for now and then rather than every day. safefood, the all-island public body for healthy eating, has realistic lunchbox ideas on its school lunchbox page.
4. Allergies and asthma, refreshed for the year
If your child has asthma or hay fever, the return to school is a good moment to check you are set up. Make sure inhalers are in date and that the school has a copy of any action plan. Autumn brings its own triggers, mostly colds picked up back at school, along with damp, mould and colder air. Keep giving any preventer inhaler every day as prescribed, even when your child seems well, and give the school a spare reliever inhaler and spacer so it is to hand rather than scrambling for it later. If you are not sure whether an inhaler is still working or how to use the spacer properly, bring it in and we will go through it with you.
5. A small first aid kit at home
New shoes, new sports, new scrapes. A simple kit covers almost everything the first term throws at you: plasters in a few sizes, antiseptic wipes or cream, a bandage, a digital thermometer, and children’s paracetamol and ibuprofen. Keep it somewhere handy but out of little hands. That is genuinely most bumps and grazes sorted at home.
6. Getting sleep back on track
After a summer of late evenings, the early alarm is a shock to everyone. Shift bedtime earlier by fifteen minutes every few nights in the run up to term rather than all at once, keep screens out of the bedroom for the last hour, and hold wake up times steady even at weekends where you can. A well rested child copes far better with everything else on this list.
Your back to school health checklist
Tick these off as you go. Apart from asthma inhalers, nothing here needs a prescription.
Have a question about any of this, or not sure what is right for your child’s age? Call into Laois Pharmacy in Portlaoise and one of our team will talk it through with you. No appointment needed.
HSE, head lice: hse.ie
HSE, common cold: hse.ie
safefood, healthy eating and school lunches: safefood.net
This article is general health information, not medical advice. Always read the label on any medicine and speak to your GP or pharmacist about what is right for your child.
