By:Melissa Klase
Winter is coming, and with it the season for being sick. During the winter months, the most common illnesses are the Flu and Repertory Infections. This year, mono is going around on campus. To stay healthy during this time, you need to eat right, frequently wash your hands, get enough sleep at night, and exercise.
To eat healthily, eat the basic food groups. Don’t eat a lot of carbohydrates and eat low fat foods instead. Eat more fiber, eat more fruits and vegetables, eat meat in moderation and eat a regular three meals a day. Some foods are commonly mistaken as healthy aren’t. Food like iceberg lettuce, granola bars and margarine are just a few examples. To make sure you’re eating truly healthy food, read the labels.
Mono is a blood infection spread through shared blood, blood products and saliva. Once exposed, mono takes about 2-7 weeks to fully develop. Mono outbreaks happen when people share food and drinks, or by a kiss. Kissing is the chief contributor to mono outbreaks. Symptoms of mono are sore throat, fever, tiredness, headaches, swollen glands and having not recovered over extended periods of time. The only way to get better is to wait it out. In the meantime, painkillers are the way to go. The good thing about mono is once you have it; you’re not supposed to get it again. To make sure you don’t share foods, drinks or exchange saliva.
Part of being healthy is getting plenty if sleep. If you don’t sleep, your immune system slips, allowing you to get sick easier. Sleep is a time for your body to mend itself after a long day. Sleeping doesn’t take much energy, allowing your body to use the extra energy to heal itself. That’s why we have the phrase beauty sleep.
Serious health problems can occur if you don’t take good care of yourself. You can get diseases like diabetes or heart disease. Diabetes occurs when your body produces to little or too much insulin. Insulin is a chemical that controls the amount of sugar in your blood. If you have to little insulin, you have type 1 diabetes. If you have too much, you have type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetics have to take insulin daily, usually in the form of a shot and have to monitor their blood sugar level constantly. Type 2 diabetics need to check their blood sugars regularly, and if it’s too low, they have to eat something. This is a basically permanent health problem.
Heart disease is a serious health problem. Once you get it, you will always have it. Heart disease is temporarily treatable, but permanent. Heart disease is any kind of problems involving the heart. Heart disease can lead to heart failure if you’re not careful. (Stroke)
In conclusion, stay healthy by frequent hand washing, eating properly, exercising and by getting plenty of sleep. None of these diseases sound like fun. Talk to the nurse for further information on your health.