health & fitness
dodging the bug Preventing colds and influenza is just a few simple steps away. BY LAUREN REIDY
It's ironic. By the time I sat down with physician Myra Strother to discuss how to avoid illnesses this cold and flu season, it was already too late. I was sick. Strother, chief of staff at Watkins Memorial Health Center, spoke patiently as I coughed and sniffled my way through the interview. But I found out that I wasn't alone.
"The average person suffers from an upper respiratory infection two to four times a year," Strother says. "And viruses tend to spread through larger groups of people throughout late fall, winter and early spring." Translation: your chances
of catching a
cold or influenza are greater now than any other time of the year. But don't panic yet. You don't have to suffer
your way
th rough
finals. You
can pre-
colds and influenza by following these simple steps. If only I'd known about them last week.
Step One: Keep your distance
It may not sound neighborly, but you can maintain your health by keeping a safe distance from those around you. Respiratory infections and influenza spread more rapidly during the winter months because the cold weather and our holiday travel plans force us into small confined spaces.
you are to get sick."
"When you sneeze and cough, you produce droplets that carry germs," Strother says. "The farther away you are from the person who is sneezing, the less likely
For students who live in the dorms, maintaining distance can be a problem. Strother advises students to do their best. If your roommate is sick, study in the library.
"Also be really careful about putting down water and Coke bottles," she says. "You don't want to drink out of anything after someone else has taken a swig of it. You might get their cold."
If you're stuck in a small, poorly ventilated classroom, Strother suggests choosing a seat away from your classmates. Students who are sandwiched between sneezing and coughing passengers on an airplane should ask the flight attendant to
airplane should ask the flight attendant to move them.
Strother also warns students to forgo the holiday mistletoe tradition unless
they are sure that the person standing under it is healthy. "Hopefully you're picky enough not to
kiss anyone who has a cold," she says. "Then you're just asking for trouble."
Your kindergarten teacher was right. Washing
Step Two: Keep your hands clean
your hands is an easy and important way to kill germs and avoid illnesses. Surfaces such door knobs and classroom desks can be easily contaminated by an infected person. If you touch a contaminated surface and then rub your eyes or nose; you expose yourself to the virus or bacteria. You can even get sick by touching the sink faucet in a public bathroom.
"Push doors open without using your hands," Guinn says. "Be aware of just how many people sit in a desk before you."
Tammy Guinn, a nurse at Watkins, suggests students carry and use antibacterial cleansers or hand cloths. You don't need to be near a sink to use them and you can avoid the germs that cling to sink faucets.
Step Three: Maintain your immune system
If you're healthy, you're more likely to fight off any viruses and bacteria you're exposed to.
Eat healthy. Contrary to popular belief, a person cannot survive on pizza alone. In fact, your body fights off viruses and bacteria most successfully when it's fueled by well-balanced meals Remember the food groups?
Get enough sleep. This can be tricky to do, especially when you have a paper to write, a final to study for and a social life to maintain. However, your body is more susceptible to illness when it is run down from lack of sleep. Most people need approximately eight hours of sleep a night.
Finally, get your flu shots. Watkins has given students approximately 2,800 shots so far this semester, Strother. These students won't have to deal with the nausea and aching muscles that accompany influenza.
If your already sick...
Students who are already suffering from cold or flu symptoms should call Watkins to determine whether they should make an appointment.
"We'll put you through to one of ourriage nurses," Strother says. "If we decide you need to come in, we'll make you an appointment. If not, we'll tell you how to take care of yourself at home."
Strother says students who are already sick should be considerate to those around them.
"Take a cough suppressant
and an antihistamine before going to class," she says. "Cough into a Kleenex. If you're coughing and sneezing, you're really doing your fellow students a disservice."
And suddenly, I felt very guilty about attending my Spanish class that morning.
Lauren Reidy, Jayplay writer, can be reached at lreidy@kansan.com.
thursday, december 4, 2003
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