Fall Time Illness and What to Know
Fall Time Illness and What to Know
By: Mckenzie Salyers-Health Services Intern
Fall time for many families can be dreadful as many navigate their children, and then themselves, falling ill. Some may ask themselves why is it in the fall we get sick, and how can we treat it? To answer this, and a few other elements pertaining to it, below are some points to prepare for the next couple of months, and the future as your children ages.
Fall-time Sickness as Clockwork -- Many associate the fall season with getting sick. We are told to get flu shots, wash our hands, and be vigilant. To investigate why this season brings this awareness, we can look deeper on a science level. Pathogens and infectious diseases are influenced by many variables, including human behavior, environment changes, and our human immune system responses. As the temperature cools, people tend to stay indoors more frequently. Improper ventilation and close contact allow for higher transmission of illness. This does not coincide with all illness, as certain ones prevail in the fall but not in the summer (1). For that, we will look at the environment on pathogens makeup.
- Humidity and especially temperature play a role in how droplets travel, how long a pathogen survives, and how many of the infectious particles exist. An example of this is influenza surviving better in low humidity due to their structure. This is due to their biological makeup and how they are structured. Some pathogens can change their structure to be better suited as well, which can explain trends in sickness (1). Finally, we will discuss the human immune system.
- There are many theories with how the immune system plays a role in falling ill. Some say it is linked to dryer mucus in our airways, which is usually meant to trap pathogens such as in the nose, leading to a better chance of spread. Others have suggested that our immune systems change with the seasons, finding different elements of it peaking in one season versus another. These included specific white blood cell counts being observed, though the total count did not change. Additionally, melatonin was studied and how its secretion affects the immune system's response. Melatonin helps to produce the white blood cells that fight infection, so this is a likely reason for better or worse response (1).
Infectious Diseases that Spike in the Fall -- Many infectious diseases can spike in the fall, some not even included here. Often these illnesses can lead to other infections occurring, so it is important to be aware and treat as you are able.
- Common Cold: A viral infection affecting the respiratory system from rhinovirus. Highly transmittable, can last a few days to few weeks, usually mild.
- Flu: Viral infection, highly transmittable, usually more severe than cold, from influenza virus. (2).
- Norovirus: Also known as stomach bug, extremely contagious, can be caught from contaminated food, water, or surfaces. Lasts 1-3 days.
- Strep Throat: Bacterial infection affecting the back of throat and tonsils, highly transmittable, can spread before symptoms have started.
- Conjunctivitis (pink eye): Contact with a contaminated person or surface spreading a viral or bacterial infection. Most contagious with eye discharge.
- Bacterial infections can be directly treated with medication unlike viral infections. (3)
Preventative Measures and Treatment -- More often than not, illness cannot be avoided. That being said, we can take preventative measures to try to ensure little transmission. Also included is seeking treatment and when to escalate situations.Preventative care comes in many forms, but one important one is annual vaccines. Vaccines work by injecting an antigen that is not fully functioning and will not cause disease into the body so that the normal immune response can occur. This looks like recognizing it with specialized cells so that when it comes into your immune system again, it will be able to respond faster. Due to underlying conditions or religious reasons, not everyone can get vaccinated. With herd immunity, these people can be safer if many people around them are vaccinated to decrease transmission (4).
Some other common skills we all do to prevent transmission of illness is washing hands frequently with soap, not touching our face, and consistently disinfecting high touch surfaces to clean away any potential pathogens. While we can take precautions, illness is not always preventable. In children especially, they are still learning effective hand washing and face covering, so it is important to do what you can (5).
When anyone in the family falls sick, there are ways to decrease the spread of illness. To do so, staying vigilant about covering sneezes and coughs is important. Isolating when sick if schedule allows for it, also helps with the spread of pathogens (5). Diagnosis can also be helpful here for effective treatment.
With pediatric care, it is good to communicate with healthcare professionals when unsure with what to do when your child is sick. Seeking care and choosing between urgent care, emergency department, or contacting a primary care is outlined below:
- Mild sickness can be treated at home. Do not always need to utilize pediatric services, but notifying primary care doctors is encouraged.
- If mild sickness worsens or persists, make an appointment with primary care (depending on severity). ● Urgent care versus ER: urgent care can be seen if your primary care is not available, as urgent cares have a certified doctor available. Can be used in more severe cases that are not emergencies (6).
- Emergency room visits include: loss of consciousness, seizure, trouble breathing, abnormal and extensive bleeding, broken bones, deep wounds, and severe burns. If not an emergency, wait times will be long as worst cases are triaged first and subject to more illness (7).
Overall, stay vigilant and safe in all seasons, and treat what you can.
1. Fares A. (2013). Factors influencing the seasonal patterns of infectious diseases. International journal of preventive medicine, 4(2), 128–132.
3. Common fall illnesses. Pediatric Center. (2022b, November 2).
4. World Health Organization. (2024). How do vaccines work? World Health Organization.