As cold and flu season approaches, you may be wondering how to keep your family healthy and comfortable during the fall and winter months. (On average, children have about one respiratory virus per month between September and AprilOpens a new window.) Don’t worry, we’re here to help. We spoke with dr. Daria Long, emergency room doctor and mother of three children, on how best to get through the cold and flu season. Here are her tips:

1. Strengthen your child’s immune system

dr. Darria: I like strategies that reduce the risk of getting the disease in the first place. As the weather begins to change, here’s how you and your children can reduce your risk:

• Stay active. Exercise helps strengthen the immune system.
• Spend time in nature. It improves the function of immune cells that attack viruses.
• Eat whole foods. A studyOpens a new window of children ages 1 to 4 with recurrent respiratory infections found that feeding more whole foods reduced the number of days with cold symptoms and antibiotic use by about half, and reduced the number of days with cough, fever, and stuffy nose. Also, drink plenty of water.
• Get enough sleep. Exhaustion can lower our threshold for infection.

2. Stock up on essentials

dr. Darria: Any good cold and flu plan includes prevention and treatment when illness occurs. I always recommend having a cold and flu first aid kit at home because the last thing you want to do when it’s 3 am and your child has a fever is go to the 24 hour pharmacy. Here’s what I have on hand:

• Thermometers suitable for every age of your child: rectal for 3 months and younger, oral for toddlers and children, and an underarm thermometer as an alternative option.
• Ibuprofen or acetaminophen for pain or fever. i love Genexa Kids Pain and feverOpens a new window because there are fewer artificial ingredients and additives.
• Medicines against colds and coughs such as Genexa cough and chest congestionOpens a new window for children older than 4 years. For children 12 years of age or younger, always give the medicine to them themselves, because they cannot yet measure the medicine or make sure they are taking the correct amount.
• Honey for children older than one year can be an effective remedy for cough. Genexa also offers a Children’s honey cough syrupOpens a new window which can be used for children 12 months and older.
• Salt sprays or irrigation and suction to remove congestion. There are various vacuuming options on the market, from basic light bulb models to electric ones.
• A cool mist humidifier that helps clear congestion. You can also use a steam shower.

3. Have them wash their hands often

dr. Darria: Whenever I am at my children’s elementary school, I am reminded that young children do not respect personal space. They tend to be “this close” to each other all the time. It feels like a losing battle, but to solve it, I remind them to wash their hands at school and at home “like a surgeon” – that is, washing up to their elbows for 30 seconds.

I also have them undress as soon as they get home. Although it may seem like such basic advice, I make sure my kids follow these practices because good hygiene is effective and you should encourage it too.

4. Get vaccinated on time

dr. Darria: During cold and flu season, I recommend that everyone over 6 months of age get a flu shot and make sure they are up to date on their other shots, including COVID-19. Although we don’t have vaccines for most respiratory viruses, getting vaccinated for the ones we do have can reduce your child’s risk of getting sick. It can also help prevent the dreaded double infection, where you get sick from more than one virus at the same time.

5. Recognize symptoms and seek appropriate care

dr. Darria: Child not getting better? I recommend taking them to the doctor if:

• Have a temperature greater than 100.4° if under 3 months of age; a temperature of 102° if they are 3 to 36 months old; a temperature of 104° or higher for older children.
• You have trouble breathing or have seizures, an unusual rash, or a stiff neck.
• You have a fever that does not improve after 3 to 5 days (or a fever that comes back).
• You have chronic health problems.
• They are lethargic or more tired than usual (even after medication has brought down their fever) or cry inconsolably.
• Or if you have a feeling. I cannot stress enough how important it is to listen to your intuition. When a parent says, “I know my child, and they’re just not acting like themselves,” I advise them to take their child to the doctor.

With a little advance preparation and knowing what signs and symptoms to look out for, you can make cold and flu season a lot easier on your child and you!

Genexa products for children can be found on WalmartOpens a new window, TargetOpens a new window, CVSOpens a new window, and AmazonOpens a new window.

dr. Darria Long is a Harvard and Yale-educated emergency physician and serves on the BabyCenter Medical Advisory Board. She is also an international TV contributor and regular on CNN, NBC, Netflix and more; author of the national bestseller Mom Hacks; and TedX speaker on the now widely popular “Emergency Doctor Who Ends Crazy Busyness” – and mother of three. dr. Long is also the founder of TrueveLab, a data-driven source of truth for your health questions, and the principal investigator of the Women’s Burnout Study.

This post is sponsored advertising content for GenexOpens a new window.