.health through the college years.

The Myths and Facts About Acne

janessac — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 17:07:49 +0000

We all have it and we all hate it! Some may have acne worse than others however, it is a common problem amongst college aged people. Here are a couple myths about acne from My Student Health Zone:

Tanning clears up skin: Though a tan may make it appear like there is less acne it is just masking what may actualoly be there. The sun may actually lead to irritation and drying of the skin leading to more breakouts. There is no link between sun exposure and and acne prevention. However there is a link between sun exposure and skin aging and skin cancer.
Chocolate and greasy foods cause acne: We all know that eating too much sugar and high fatty foods is bad for our health and should be limited studies have shown that there is no connection with specific foods and cause of acne. Everybody is different and may find foods that increase their own specific breakouts. If you find a certain food triggering acne in you try and cut that food out of your diet
The more you wash your face, the fewer breakouts you will have: It is true that washing your face will help remove dirt and oil from your pores however, over washing your face can lead to irritation of the skin and more breakouts. As a rule you should gently wash your face twice a day with a mild cleanser.

Now that we have cleared up the myths, here are a few facts from My Student Health Zone about how to control and prevent acne:

Wash your face twice a day. (No more)
Don’t pop pimples.
Avoid touching your face with your fingers.
If you wear sunglasses or glasses make sure you clean them regularly.
If you get acne on your body try not to wear tight clothes.
If you wear makeup remove it before going to bed.
Keep hair clean and out of your face
Protect your skin from the sun

Acne is an annoying part of life that most of us have to deal with. Try your best to avoid and prevent acne by following these few tips and hopefully you can relive the appearance and occurrence of acne.

Eating Disorders in College Students

janessac — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 16:40:22 +0000

College life can be very stressful. Students may fell like they have so much pressure placed on them form professors, parents, friends, dating relationships and themselves. These feelings of pressure lead to students feeling like they have no control over their lives. A need for control can lead to eating disorders because many feel what they eat is the only thing they have control over in their lives. Eating disorders are very serious and if left untreated can often be fatal. They have an impact on both mental and physical health. The most common types of eating disorders among college students are:

Anorexia Nervosa: Self imposed starving
Bulimia Nervosa: Out of control eating followed by vomiting, using laxatives or over exercising
Binge Eating Disorder: Compulsive Overeating

According to collegetips.com anorexia is the most common amongst college students. Here are a few warning signs and symptoms of anorexia according to the college tips website:

Student’s body image is distorted. They are thin but feel fat
Student complains about feeling full or sick, even when eating small or normal amounts of food
Student is thin and continues to lose weight (more than 15% of ideal body weight)
Student checks their weight often
Student restricts foods from their diet even though they are already thin
Student denies being hungry
Student starts to loose hair or hair starts to thin
Student exercises at a level of obsession
Female students stop menstruating

Eating disoreders are very serious. If you or somebody you know may be suffering from an eating disorder get help! For moreinformation on eating disorders please visit the following sites:

Road Tripping

janessac — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 16:13:43 +0000

As spring and summer semesters approach students will be driving long hours to go home, visit friends and to take vacations. According to the CDC the leading cause of death among people 15-34 years of age is unintentional injuries, this includes car accidents. Whether you are driving cross country or just a few miles across town if you are in the drivers seat you should be prepared. Mystudenthealthzone.com suggest a few tips for cautious and safe driving:

Stay focus on your driving: Don’t let passengers or cell phones distract you.
Watch your speed: Speeding not only plays a huge role in accidents but it also invites tickets.
Know the rules: If you are driving through states that you are unfamiliar with make sure you know its specific laws.
Plan your trip ahead of time so you can concentrate on the road, not the map
Wear your seatbelt!

Road trips with friends can be so much fun and is a great way to enjoy the freedoms that spring and summer can bring. Make sure to be safe so that you will have a great time and not a devastating experience.

The Common Cold

janessac — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 23:11:03 +0000

According to Brown University, in the United States aproximatley 1 billion people suffer from the common cold each year. Adults average about 2 to 4 colds a year. Women aged 20 to 30 typically have more colds than men. The common cold is a inflammation of the upper respiratory tract often caused by one of more than 100 rhinovirus. Typically a cold will last for 3-7 days but some symptoms can last up to 2 weeks. Symptoms of the common cold usually are noticiable 2-3 days after infection. Symptoms include: runny or stuffed nose, sore or scratchy throat, hoarseness, headaches, muscle aches, blocked and popping feeling in ears, cough, postnasal drip, watery eyes, decreased appetite, fatigue and low grade fever. Unfortunately there are no cures for the cold and the only treatment is symptom management. If you find yourself with a cold make sure you take care of yourself. Brown University health education website suggests a few tips for taking care of yourself when you have a cold. They include: keeping hydrated, get at least 8 hours of sleep each night, use lozenges, cough drops and sore throat sprays to coat and soothe the throat, humidify the air to help with congestion symptoms and vitamin C can also help relieve symptoms of the flu. Here are a few tips from medicinenet.com to help prevent the common cold: wash your hands often, avoid touching your face, don’t smoke, use disposable items if someone you live with is infected, keep household surfaces clean, use paper towels, throw tissues away after use, maintain a healthy lifestyle and control stress. Be smart and put your health first when you are feeling ill so that you can get better faster.

Depression

janessac — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 21:19:53 +0000

According to a 2008 American College Health Association survey, within the last 12 months 30% of students reported feeling so depressed that it was difficult to function. According to the American Psychiatric Association Depression is a serious medical disorder that negatively effects how you feel. There are many symptoms of depression. A few of the symptoms are: a deep feeling of sadness, a marked loss of interest, change in appetite that can lead to both weight loss or gain unrelated to dieting, insomnia or oversleeping, loss of energy or fatigue, restlessness of irritability, feelings of worthlessness or inappropriate guilt, difficulty thinking, concentrating, or making decisions and thoughts of death or suicide or attempts at suicide. According to the American Psychiatric Association depression is very common and effects approximately one out of ten adults. Depression can strike at anytime but most commonly appears in the late teens to mid-twenties. There are many factors that contribute to the onset of depression. Biochemistry , genetics, personality and environmental factors all play a role in the onset of depression. Fortunately depression is amongst the most treatable of mental disorders. For more information about depression please visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

Stress

janessac — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 20:02:11 +0000

Believe it or not finals are just around the corner! During the weeks leading to finals there is so much to do and so little time. Final projects, papers and tests linger in the minds of every student and can often cause feelings of anxiety. For me and many other college students this mean stress!

Effects of Stress:

According the the American Institute of Stress, stress is difficult to define because it is a highly subjective phenomenon for much of us. Things that are stressful for one person may be enjoyable to another. Also each person responds to stress in different ways. Although stress is very subjective the American Institute of Stress states that there are many signs and symptoms of stress that we all share. Visit their website for a list of 50 sings and symptoms of stress. Stress can have a wide range of effects on emotions, mood and behavior. The American Institute of Stress says, “There are numerous emotional and physical disorders that have been linked to stress including depression, anxiety, heart attacks, stroke, hypertension, immune system disturbances that increase susceptibility to infections, a host of viral linked disorders ranging from the common cold and herpes to AIDS and certain cancers, as well as autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. In addition stress can have direct effects on the skin (rashes, hives, atopic dermatitis, the gastrointestinal system (GERD, peptic ulcer, irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis) and can contribute to insomnia and degenerative neurological disorders like Parkinson’s disease.”

Stress Reduction:

Here are a few recommendations The American Institute of Stress recommends to reduce stress:

Jogging or other aerobic exercise
Mediation and prayer
Yoga
Deep breathing
Listening to music
Hobbies
Volunteer work
Keeping a journal of daily activities
laughter
Getting enough sleep
Eating a proper diet
Avoid excess caffeine

For more tips on how to reduce and prevent stress visit The American Institute of Stress website. Stress has a huge impact on our bodies and minds, as we approach finals we should all try our best to handle and relive our stress.

Skin Cancer

janessac — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 19:16:15 +0000

For most college students spring break is near… which for many means soaking up the sun!! But before you head out to the beach or the pool you may want to reach for the SPF. Skin cancer is the most common of cancers in the United States. There are three different types of skin cancers: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. Basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas are the most common and are highly curable. Melanoma however is very dangerous and is a serious problem amongst young adults. According to the CDC 65-90% of melanoma cases are caused by exposure to the suns UV rays. Here are a few recommendations from the CDC of how to protect yourself from the damaging rays of the sun:

Use sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher and both UVA and UVB protection.
Wear clothing to protect the exposed skin.
Wear a hat with a wide brim to shade the face, head, neck and ears.
Wear sunglasses that wrap around and block as close to 100% of both UVA and UVB rays as possible.
Seek shade especially among the midday hours

Spending time in the sun with friends and family is a fun activity, just make sure you take the necessary precautions to ensure your health and safety!

Incorporating Exercise Into Your Life

janessac — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 16:55:32 +0000

Exercise is one of the most beneficial things you can do for your health. According to the CDC exercise can help: control your weight, reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes, reduce your risk of some cancers, strengthen your bones and muscles, improve your mental health and mood, improve your ability to do daily activities, and increase your chance of living longer. The CDC describes exercise as anything that gets your body moving. Visit the CDC’s website to see how much exercise you need. With so many health benefits it hard to believe why everyone is not outside exercising. However, exercise takes time and many of us just can’t find the time in our busy schedules.

Here are five tips on how to incorporate exercise into your busy, demanding schedules:

1. Walk to class

2. Take advantage of on campus gyms

3. Walk in between classes

4. Take exercise classes offered at your school

5. Get involved in intramural sports

Exercise is so important to your health and can be as easy as walking to class instead of driving. Improving your exercise habits can be easy, you just have to do it!

A Good Nights Rest

janessac — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 16:22:29 +0000

Good sleeping habits are very important to a healthy and balanced life. At this time of life we typically find things that take precedence over a good nights sleep. Whether its homework, studying, having fun with friends or attending classes sleep usually takes a back seat to. According to the CDC adults require 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. In the short term, sleep deprivation can lead to irritability, exhaustion and inability of the body to perform at its optimum level. However, students who do not get adeqaute amont of sleep on a frequent basis may be putting themselves at risk for much more than just grogginess. According to the Covenant Sleep Center seizures, strokes and heart attacks are all possible longterm consequences of sleep deprivation. Increasing hours of sleep each night may not be as difficult as we think. The number one recommendation from doctors is to exercise. Daily exercise will help establish healthy sleeping patterns and will make it easier to fall asleep at night. Exercise should take place at least three hours before bedtime and not right before you plan to go to bed. In addition to exercise experts recommend setting aside at least a few days a week for a full nights sleep. Getting seven hours of sleep every night may not seem realistic at this point in your life, however, if you will dedicate yourself to getting a full nights rest just a couple of times a week you can greatly increase you health!

“Eat Your Fruits and Vegetables”

janessac — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 01:55:13 +0000

We all know we should eat our fruits and vegetables. But lets face it, most of us rarely eat the recommended daily values. Going to school, living on our own, having full, stressed schedules and all while on a very tight budget, often makes it difficult to get in the recommended daily amounts of fruits and vegetables. However, eating a healthy diet full of fruits and veggies is very important and may have lasting effects on our long-term health. According to the CDC here are a couple reasons why we should try to eat the recommended daily amounts of fruits and vegetables:

Healthy diets rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases such as heart disease and cardiovascular diseases.
Fruits and vegetables also provide essential vitamins and minerals, fiber, and other substances that are important for good health.
Most fruits and vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories and are filling.

So just how much do we need? Not every body is the same. I mean really, do you think Shaq and Jennifer Aniston should eat the same amount of fruits and veggies? Lucky for us the CDC has made it really simple. Visit this link to calculate just how much fruits and vegetables you need, based on your sex, age and physical activity level. Its tells you exactly how much to eat and tips on how to do it. With such great tools we should all be able to get in our daily values of fruits and vegetables. Get going, start preventing chronic diseases, “eat your fruits and vegetables!”