Pediatrician on how underlying health issues can be revealed in school

As students return to the classroom it's important for them to get their health checked to see if anything prevents your child from learning.

There's always the common cold, flu and strep throat as students return from vacation and traveling around, but The Hospitals of Providence wants parents to know about the underlying issues that get revealed in class.

Dr. Vanessa Ruiz says annual exams are important for making sure that your child's height and weight are normal, even if they seem healthy. 

They can detect any fluctuations in weight and height patterns, or if they need to be screened for diabetes. 

It can be important in case your child needs assistance with monitoring their diet and insulin dose schedule during school.

Vision and hearing screenings are also priorities to make sure it doesn't impair their learning.

"They're not able to see the boards and not able to identify the letters, and they might think that they might have a learning disability or or dyslexia," says Ruiz. "They start realizing their normal was not normal. So it's very important, especially if they're taking notes in class that their vision gets tested. We also do hearing tests as well."

Ruiz says staying up to date with vaccines can help prevent diseases from spreading. 

Before you start training for the try-outs, make sure you're in tip-top shape and get a sports physical. 

The pediatrician says the number one thing is knowing if your family has a history of cardiac illnesses, sudden death due to a cardiac condition before a certain age, or if your child has ever had any concussions or felt any chest pain and dizziness.

A doctor will also check your blood pressure, vision and look for any heart murmurs — which Ruiz says can often go undetected.

But don't be discouraged — it doesn't mean you won't be able to play sports even if your doctor finds something wrong.

"It's not necessarily that they should not join the athletic teams, but making sure their condition is diagnosed or making sure that they're stable enough to be able to be cleared to join the sports," says Ruiz.

She also says sleep is a huge factor to stay healthy during school, at least 8-9 hours of sleep is needed.