university germs
hey guys, sorry i havent posted for so long.
just wanted to ask your opinions on something.... i start university next week and i heard that a lot of people get sick in their first term there (too many late nights i guess). i usually take echinasea (spelling?) and a vitimin tablet if i know i am going to be busy just for a little immune boost but i was wondering if you folks had any tips for avoiding germs. I have a tendancy to catch any cough or cold going and really don't want to get ill during my first few weeks there!! its going to be quite a change after having the summer off cos im going to be very busy all the time, i have to be there 4 days a week and work too. im not going to be going crazy cos i'm 27, moved out of home 11 years ago etc so i have got all that 'woohoo no parents' thing out of my system already ;) but i would like to try not to pick up any colds n stuff. any tips?
bb:)
Wash your hands. A lot. More than you'd think necessary. And avoid touching your eyes. A friend of mine is a chemical engineer and some research they did revealed that the mucous membranes around the eyes are a def. port of entry for cold germs into the body.
If you do get a cold, remember to wipe your nose with a dampened tissue after a session of blowing. It's not the rubbing that chaps your nose and makes it sore, it's the left over traces of mucus. (Another thing Carolyn the Chemist taught me!)
Eat well--balanced meals, if you can--to keep your immune system functioning properly. Avoid too many sweets and if you eat/drink dairy, minimize it.
I was always antisocial if people were sick and sat far off by myself. :D And constantly washed my hands and took extra vitamin C. I'm sure it's not vegan but I always carry hand sanitizer for the same reason. (especially now at work...people are coughing and hacking all over the place...gross!)
-Don't touch door handels or communial tv remotes/anything else frequently touched
-only use the secluded bathroom in the empty building far away from everything else
-sit away from people in class (they ARE sick even if they don't look it, lol ;))
-sleep
-dont go inside frat houses--sick.
Don't worry too much about getting sick, it is an inevitability that you will, but if you take care of yourself, sleep enough, drink a lot of water, and eat properly you will be fine.
My friend who studied Chinese medicine has told me that echinacea is only good as a preventative measure and that once you're sick it's ineffective. Has anyone else heard that?
My friend who studied Chinese medicine has told me that echinacea is only good as a preventative measure and that once you're sick it's ineffective. Has anyone else heard that?
Yup. A lot of natural medicines for colds are actually only any good if you use them to build up your resistance BEFORE cold and flu season starts. Same for my homeopathic allergy drops.
Hey Ginger!
Wow! I can so feel you! I'm 28 and I just started back at university! (well technically I was at community college for the last 3 years--but now I'm at a "real" college). There are lots of germs here! I blame all the grody freshman! *ewew*! I take the bus to my classes since it is a lot cheaper then paying for parking-and a lot easier then finding a parking spot--and I think I picked up cold for there too :-\ In order to not catch anythinhg around campus you would have to wear a hazmat suit! Just try not to touch anything and if you feel a cold coming on drink lots of orange juice!
My school uniform :D
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w202/Capture79/silly/02-15-07_1213.jpg
I work with children, and (knocking on wood RIGHT now) people constantly remark how amazing it is that I almost never get sick. I attribute my good health to a couple of things:
1) my very healthy and well-balanced vegan diet
2) exercising
3) washing hands 80,000 times a day
4) taking a lot of time to take care of myself-- sleeping a lot, trying to keep stressors out of my life. This is very difficult for moms with young kids, and will probably also be a little hard for uni students, but do what you can.
5) keeping my house clean, but not with bleach and antibacterial products (we use a lot of vinegar, tea tree oil, baking soda, etc.)
I am very conscious of my filthy hands now and wash my hands any time I've been in public-- especially public transportation where you are hanging on a guard rail. I wash my hands before I eat/drink anything, after I've handled things like magazines, telephones, toys, etc. This is a big one. At home we only have tea tree castile soap b/c antibacterial soaps aren't effective against viruses like cold/flu, but in public you often get the antibacterial soaps. No matter what soap it is, I always wash for 15-20 seconds, which is the kicker! It's a LOT longer than you think-- about as long as 2x Happy Birthday. I don't really use hand sanitizers unless I have no other option, or when I am really grossed out, like the other day when some kid threw up on me. ;D
You will touch public surfaces in uni, it's inevitable. Even sitting at a desk far away from other students will expose you to germs on various surfaces, but I think washing your hands and keeping your hands away from your face is going to be most important for you. Good luck!
Do not participate in any college drinking games! They are stupid and you have no idea how many other people have been drinking out of those cups. I saw one table this weekend using the same cups from 8pm-3am with numerous different people playing throughout the night. It is disgusting.
Don't worry too much about getting sick, it is an inevitability that you will, but if you take care of yourself, sleep enough, drink a lot of water, and eat properly you will be fine.
This is my approach, in combination with sitting further away from someone with a cough or obviously sick person. I was in college for a decade and I got sick once early on, but I was never sick during the final eight years. I have good hygiene, but I was never obsessive about it. I think we build up resistance. My mom was an elementary school teacher and when she was teaching she got sick about once a decade. Now that she's not teaching anymore and around germy little kids, she's sick more often.
Do not participate in any college drinking games! They are stupid and you have no idea how many other people have been drinking out of those cups. I saw one table this weekend using the same cups from 8pm-3am with numerous different people playing throughout the night. It is disgusting.
Ugh, not to mention all the grimy hands on those cups. In Flip Cup, people put their fingers on the rim repeatedly. In beer pong, ping pong balls bounce everywhere, including on the floor, and then you throw them into beer cups which people then drink. Grossssss!
You can always play with a cup filled with warm water to wash the balls off with... you need to change it often though.
i agree w/ all the above posters...
but if you do get sick, take some zinc. they have nasal spray too (zicam i think?).
if you take too much it can be upsetting to your belly...but about20mg is good. Zand has lemon zinc lozenges that i like.
also, though you cant avoid most germs... you can clean your own things...phone, cell phone, computer keyboard, doorknob...w/ alcohol wipes or disinfectant wipes. (i actually carry alcohol swabs with me,haha)
and dont chew your fingernails!
oh, and the neti pot or other nasal lavages are good to clean your sinuses of germies!
You can always play with a cup filled with warm water to wash the balls off with... you need to change it often though.
agreed. i guess i am a little less of a germophobe than pretty much anyone who posted on here but i have been at a uni for 3 years now and except for last year (which i shared a room for and my roomie was always sick... ugh) i was never sick. not even in the dorms. though, i am a pretty clean person ;)
A big one in college is mono. Don't play tonsil hockey with some guy who is fatigued, has a rash, a fever, or a sore throat.
You can also get it by sharing food, eating utensils, toothbrushes, common cups or water bottles, so get your own.
A big preventative I haven't seen on here is to drink your full 8 cups of water each day. Massively important for staying healthy.
Thanks guys, thats all really helpful :)
I'm not too bothered about dorm illnesses cos I already have my faithful flatmates who ive lived with for years - if they get ill then I'll hav to risk catching it! but i will be washing my hands religiously!! i really appreciate all your thoughts :)
can you mail order the hazmat suit capture? ;)
whats mono? i wonder if it has a different name here in the uk?
bb:)
"Mono" (mononeucleosis) is "glandular fever" in the UK, Ginger.
"Mono" (mononeucleosis) is "glandular fever" in the UK, Ginger.
It's called 'kissing disease' here because it is so contagious. Trust me, you don't want to get mono! You'll be down for a couple of months :'(
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