IN SHORT
Back-to-school is a time when ENT infections are particularly common.
Good hygiene habits can help prevent them from spreading, but you should always be able to recognize the main types of infections: colds, ear infections, pharyngitis, and laryngitis.
Why Do Children Often Catch Infections During Back-to-School Season?
It’s well known that children are more likely to fall ill in the weeks following the start of a new school year.
This is because the beginning of the school year brings together two factors that can contribute to the spread of illness: large groups of people gathering in the same places and less effective immune systems.
Indeed, children’s immune systems are still developing, which means they have less experience in dealing with infectious agents.
Nasopharyngitis (Common Cold)
Nasopharyngitis is a very common back-to-school infection. It can cause a range of symptoms, including:
- Blocked nose
- Sore throat
- Fatigue
- Sneezing and coughing
Generally, a cold lasts around 7 to 10 days and may mean that your child has to miss one or more days of school.
You can reduce the risks of nasopharyngitis by teaching your child the importance of washing their hands regularly and avoiding contact with other sick children as much as possible.
However, it’s unrealistic to expect a child to completely avoid contracting nasopharyngitis throughout the entire school year.
Acute Otitis
Often a consequence of a cold in children, acute otitis or ear infection is a very common condition among young children due to their developing anatomy.
It manifests as a sharp pain in the ear and may cause a fever in the child. It develops rapidly and may require consulting an ENT specialist if it persists for more than 48 hours or if the pain or fever is particularly severe.
Possible Complications in Cases of Recurrent Ear Infections
Some children are predisposed to recurrent ear infections. This predisposition may be anatomical or immune-related, but it always tends to manifest in the same way: frequent ear infections, which recur almost every time a child has a cold and sometimes develop independently, even without a cold.
Episodes of acute ear infections can lead to serous otitis. Serous otitis is a condition in which fluid accumulates in the middle ear, impairing sound transmission even in the absence of an active infection.
Serous otitis usually heals on its own, but if you notice that your child is having difficulty hearing, it’s always worth seeking medical advice to assess the situation.
Tonsillitis and Pharyngitis
Tonsillitis and pharyngitis are two ENT infections to watch out for during back-to-school time. Often caused by bacterial or viral infections, these two throat infections can spread easily at school.
Pharyngitis usually affects the throat and presents pain when swallowing. It’s often linked to the common cold or other viruses.
Tonsillitis is similar to pharyngitis, but it mainly affects the tonsils.
Generally, it’s not necessary to seek medical advice for these ENT conditions. However, if your child has symptoms that persist for more than 72 hours or is experiencing particularly severe pain, don’t hesitate to contact a healthcare professional.
Laryngitis
Laryngitis is an infection of the respiratory tract affecting the larynx and surrounding areas. Like most infections to watch out for in children at the beginning of the school year, it often follows a cold.
Laryngitis causes several symptoms, including the following:
- Sore throat or dysphagia
- Hoarse voice
- Severe cough
- Wheezing
- Fever
- Symptoms similar to those of a cold
It’s important to ensure your child stays well hydrated while they have laryngitis. In particular, cold water can help to temporarily relieve the pain.
Laryngitis usually lasts between 2 and 5 days, but it’s recommended to seek medical advice if your child suffers from difficulty breathing.
Good Hygiene Habits: Protect Your Child’s Health
As you may have noticed, most common back-to-school infections have one common cause: the cold.
The common cold is a viral infection that can lead to a number of complications, especially in children, since their immune systems are less developed.
Consequently, simple good hygiene habits such as washing hands frequently and limiting close contact with people who are visibly ill can contribute to preventing many problems.
Of course, it’s quite impossible to completely protect your child against illness during the school year, but limiting the number of infections can also reduce the risk of potential complications.
When to Seek Medical Advice and Where to Go in Montreal
If your child develops an ENT infection during back-to-school period, you don’t necessarily have to seek medical advice right away.
However, don’t hesitate to visit a doctor if your child seems to be having difficulty breathing, has unbearable pain, or if symptoms persist.
When it’s time to seek medical advice for voice, swallowing, or hearing concerns, you can count on our team of professionals at Clinique ORL 1851, in the heart of Montreal’s Plateau-Mont-Royal borough.
