Health Page

Welcome to Tekamah-Herman Schools Health Services

The Health Services Program contributes to the educational success of each student by promoting a safe and healthy environment for learning. This is accomplished by:

Health screening
First Aid and medication administration
Immunization monitoring
Communicable disease control
Responding to medical emergencies
Health education
Management of chronic health conditions

For further information please contact the school nurse assigned to your student's school or the Health Services Coordinator at 374-2154, 374-2156, or 456-7404

Tis the Season!

This is the season when illness and absenteeism increase. To protect your family's health and assure good school attendance, here are steps you can take:

Eat well and drink plenty of fluids
Take care of your skin with frequent handwashing and keeping skin moisturized
Teach children to cover their nose/mouth with a tissue or their sleeve when they cough or sneeze.
Dont touch your eyes with your hands.
Get adequate rest - most kids need at least 8-9 hours of sleep each night to perform at their best.

In case your student becomes ill during the school day, it is essential that phone numbers and emergency contact are kept up-to-date! Please notify your school of any changes. If you keep your student home due to illness, be sure to notify the school office. Contact the school nurse if you have questions about your child's return to school following illness.

Influenza
What is influenza?
Influenza, or flu, is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. There are three types of influenza viruses. Influenza A can affect human and other animals while influenza B and C infect humans. The flu is a respiratory disease and not a stomach or intestinal disease even though many people use the term “stomach flu” to describe illnesses with nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. These symptoms can be caused by other viruses or bacteria.

Is influenza contagious?
Flu viruses spread in respiratory droplets caused by coughing and sneezing from person to person, although sometimes people become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it, and then touching their mouth or nose. When people inhale the virus, the virus enters the nose, throat or lungs and begins to multiply, causing symptoms of influenza. Most healthy adults are able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 5 days after becoming sick. To keep yourself or others from getting the flu follow these suggestions:

Avoid close contact
Stay home when you are sick
Cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing
Wash your hands often
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth

What are the signs and symptoms of influenza?
Symptoms of flu include fever (usually high), headache, extreme tiredness, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose and muscle aches. Stomach symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, also can occur but are more common in children than adults. Most people will recover in 1-2 weeks, but some people will develop complications, such as bacterial pneumonia, dehydration, bronchitis, sinus and ear infections or worsening of chronic medical conditions, such as congestive heart failure, asthma or diabetes.

How is influenza treated?
Influenza is caused by a virus, so antibiotics don’t work to cure it. The best way to prevent the flu is to get an influenza vaccine each fall, before flu season. The things you should do once you’ve contracted the flu follow:

Rest
Drink plenty of liquids
Avoid using alcohol and tobacco
Take medication to relieve the symptoms of flu
Children or teenagers should take medicines that contain no aspirin to relieve symptoms

(U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

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