College Health

Part of the "Surviving College" series

College students, due to time constraints and stress, are sometimes the most vulnerable to illness and injury. We don't eat right because we simply don't have time to wait for good nutrition, we stay up too late studying or crapping out papers/assignments, and we usually walk everywhere instead of driving (especially if living on-campus).

All of these mental, physical, and emotional stressors open us up to more colds, stomach bugs, and even worse diseases like the flu and meningitis. What's worse, these diseases can not only make you miss a few classes, but might incapacitate you so much that you cannot even leave your dorm room.

It is important to stay on top of your health during college. Even if you don't think you have time to visit the doctor, your body will make you make time if you don't treat your symptoms appropriately (i.e., you get yourself landed in a hospital for three weeks instead of going to the doctor early and taking antibiotics for 7 days).

Here are some quick tips for college health:

• Keep a first-aid kit in your dorm room for cuts, scratches, and other minor injuries. Click the link for what a first-aid kit should have in it.
• Wash your hands after every visit to the bathroom, after serving yourself from a cafeteria buffet and before eating food (especially from campus cafeteria), after visiting campus computer labs, and after going to class. This will prevent many colds and flu bugs from getting to you.
• Clean your dorm room/apartment regularly--sweep the floor or vacuum, keep trash in trash bags, and air the room out if possible. This will keep roaches and other pests away, as well as keeping the environment cleaner in your room.
• If you feel like you are getting sick, keep a list of your symptoms, and check websites like WebMD or FamilyDoctor for possible explanations.

  IMPORTANT: College students living in dorms are very susceptible to meningitis, a disease of which there are two types--viral and bacterial. The viral kind is easier to cure, but you still need to get checked out by a doctor. The bacterial kind is very dangerous--some strains of it have caused death within 48 to 72 hours of first symptoms appearing.

  If you have a fever, severe/persistent headache, and a stiff/painful neck (where you cannot touch your chin to your chest), GET TO A DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY. These are the hallmark symptoms of meningitis.

• Take a multivitamin every day if possible--if you can't remember to take one every day (like me), then start taking one every day after you first feel like you are getting sick. This will help boost your immune system.
• Get adequate rest, especially during stressful times like finals. If you pull all-nighters and do not eat right, your body's immunity will be significantly weakened as a result. This can lead to getting sick much more easily, and you generally won't feel good anyway. Even if you don't feel like you can spare the time to sleep, even just a 1 or 2-hour nap can help you feel a bit more refreshed, and might even help you think better so you can finish that assignment!