The School Newspaper of Vista Ridge High School

The Word

The School Newspaper of Vista Ridge High School

The Word

The School Newspaper of Vista Ridge High School

The Word

Share
Share Button

Stay Healthy During Flu Season

With the outbreak of swine flu last spring and the regular flu season still in swing, students are scrambling to stay healthy. Due to attendance policies, becoming sick can be a major issue for students. Nonetheless, any edge students can get over sickness is worth taking.

“I’ve probably been out six to seven times since school started because of sickness,” junior Jimmy Dodson said.

Dodson’s worst illness landed him in the hospital.

“I couldn’t even remember my name,” Dodson said.

Story continues below advertisement

Students all over the school have different techniques for staying healthy including vaccinations or just keeping clean.

 “Washing your hands is one of the most important things,” school nurse Kristy Burrington said. “Your hands are super dirty, they carry lots of germs. You need to keep them clean and away [from germy places].”

Illness can be spread in a variety of ways, and students can aid in preventing the spread of germs.

 “Stay home from school if you’re sick. Stay away from the movies. Stay away from the mall if you’re sick,” Burrington said. “If you stay home, you’re less likely to spread illness.”

From swine flu to the common cold, students can pick up illnesses from many locations. These include water fountains and doorknobs.

 “I’d have to say water fountains and faucets around the school [are the dirtiest] senior Terrence Keisling said. “A lot of people put their mouths on it, and they don’t realize there’s been a thousand people before them. So if you’re putting your mouth on that, you’re getting germs from everyone else.”

With the talk of flu, swine flu in particular, many students are more aware of any symptoms they might be experiencing. In fact, students sometimes become overly aware and overreact to symptoms they experience.

“Common illnesses at school are flu and strep and the common cold,” Burrington said. “People living in Texas get allergies a lot, and I think that a lot of times kids think they’re sicker than they are, and it’s just allergies.”

Students and health professionals both recognize the effectiveness of vaccinations in preventing illnesses like the flu.

“I know there are a lot of myths about vaccinations being bad, and they’ve done numerous studies that are well documented and reviewed,” Burrington said. “Vaccinations have proven to be safe, more safe than harmful.”

However, there are documented studies that claim vaccines can be harmful to a person.

“One rare reaction to the flu shot could be the Guillan-Barre syndrome,” HST teacher Christine Gilbert said.   

Guillan-Barre syndrome was prevalent during the swine flu vaccinations in 1976. The Center for Disease Control claims that the new H1N1 vaccine does not, however pose the same risks of the older Swine Flu vaccine from the 70’s.

There is more to staying healthy than vaccines and medicine. This includes getting good sleep, using good personal hygiene and getting exercise.

“I work out at least two times a day,” Keisling said. “I take a Vitamin C tablet every morning before I come to school. Not a lot of people know about fish oil, but that’s also good for metabolism and immune stuff. There’s many things like that.”

No matter what precautions are taken, some students are still going to get the sick. Many things can be done to ease the symptoms and limit the spread of illness.

“During sickness, you can get dehydrated from that. If you drink a lot of fluids it helps you rehydrate,” Burrington said. “Obviously if you feel like eating, eat bland foods when you’re ill. Keep your fever down by taking pain relievers, that will help. Stay out of the public so you don’t spread it.”

Share Button

Leave a Comment

Comments (0)

All The Word Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *