The person next to you is sneezing in class, the person behind you on the bus is coughing and your roommate is getting over a cold. No matter where you go, it seems people everywhere are getting sick or have already caught the bug.
How do you avoid the germ worm and stay healthy? Here are some helpful hints from Schiffert Health Center for keeping your immune system strong while the temperature fluctuates and mid-terms approach.
Of course there?s the number one to stay cold-free is to wash your hands, scrubbing vigorously for 40 seconds, throughout the day.
You remember what your mother or father always told you when you were sneezing or coughing? ?Cover your mouth with your hand.?
According to Schiffert, it turns out you should not use your hand; instead, using the elbow of your sleeve or using a tissue will avoid spreading your germs further. Most germs spread because someone sneezes in his/her hand and then goes to touch the telephone, doorknob or a classroom desk.
Another tip is to stay away from people who are really sick. In college, everyone understands you can?t move out of your room if your roommate is sick, but you can avoid close contact. Also you can clean and wipe down the doorknobs, sink area and common things you both might touch, like the TV, with Clorox disinfectant wipes.
Laurie Schmidt, a Health Educator at Schiffert, recommends keeping a box of the Clorox disinfectant wipes in classrooms to wipe down surfaces before or after class.
Jon Fritsch, another Health Educator at Schiffert, said one big way to avoid getting sick is to ?Not to smoke. It puts you at risk for respiratory infections such as the cold and flu. Smoking weakens your immune system, and your lungs become more susceptible to infections,? he said.
Not getting enough sleep also compromises your immune system. If you get enough sleep, you are less susceptible to infections. That is why when students get less sleep because of mid-terms or stress, they are more likely to get a bug.
?The amount of sleep you need depends on your body,? Schmidt said. ?The best way to determine how much sleep you need is to go to bed at the same time each night and get up without an alarm clock for one week.?
Schmidt knows this can be tough with having to wake up for classes, but the next time you don?t have to set an alarm, give it a try.
?After the first few days it (your body) takes to make up for any sleep debt you may have had, you should find that you begin to wake up at a consistent time feeling rested. This is the amount of sleep you personally need on a regular basis,? Schmidt said.
Exercising and getting the daily recommended amount of vitamins from vegetables and fruits will also keep you staying well.
?Don?t rely just on your daily multi-vitamin to get your vitamins. If you follow the food pyramid, you?ll get the vitamins you need just from the food you?re eating,? both Schmidt and Fritsch said.
Sharing personal items is also a big no-no. Don?t share your friend?s glass when you go downtown for a meal or to the bar. Also, don?t share a water bottle when you go to the gym; take your own and just politely say ?no? if someone wants a sip. All sharing of personal items should be kept to a minimum or be practically non-existent, even if you and your friends don?t seem to be sick.
So what do you do if you?re already sick? Standing in the aisle of CVS, Kroger or RiteAid trying to pick over-the-counter remedies can be a very daunting experience. Choosing between Tylenol and Sudafed, night or day, tablet or liquid, pharmacist-recommended or all natural: who can tell the difference now a days?
George Mauney, a Kroger pharmacist, helps his customers when they have a question about what to buy. Mauney will guide people in the right direction when they come in looking for something they saw on TV, but when he hears their symptoms, he can tell them what will really help them get better. He recommends Claritin for colds. ?It doesn?t make you drowsy, and it dries up the drainage,? he said.
Mucinex DM will also help if you have chest or head congestion and/or cough, he said.
?Robitussin and Mucinex DM are the same thing, just Robitussin is a once-a- day liquid supplement, and Mucinex is a tablet that you would take twice a day,? he said.
Mauney said he hasn?t seen a lot of colds yet, but says they?re likely to come soon. ?With students traveling up the east coast on the long weekend, they bring back bugs that usually start the cold season,? he said.
Mauney?s last bit of advice was to, ?Take medicine for seven days, and you?ll get over your cold, but if you take nothing, you?ll get over it in seven days.? This suggests that medicine won?t cure you, but it can relieve annoying symptoms.
So whether you?ve already caught the bug, or you?re going strong, hopefully these tips will work to your advantage.