Coughs and sneezes

Did you know that when you sneeze 5,000 droplets are propelled into the air at 60 mph, reaching up to 30 feet away (the length of a London bus) - which is why "coughs and sneezes spread diseases" - because it's all too true.

With thirty children in the average UK classroom, there's no escaping the hundreds of different cold viruses. Most children can expect to catch around eight colds a year. Fortunately, they build up immunity as they age and catch fewer colds later in life.

Prevention

To minimise their chances of catching cold and flu viruses, try to encourage your child to:

• Cover their nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing
• Use disposable tissues and throw them away afterwards in a bin (most classrooms have these)
• Wash their hands regularly, especially after coughing or sneezing

Treatment

There is no treatment to eradicate cold viruses from our bodies, but you can make your child more comfortable by making sure they drink plenty of fluids and giving them liquid paracetamol if they have fever or pain.

This article was published on Thu 2 September 2010