Most rely on home remedies to beat their bugs
By Ame Phitwong
As the weather changes and students head inside to stay warm, illnesses like the common cold have become more prevalent on campus.
"Colds are generally a poorly named disease," said Tim Crump, a nurse practitioner at the Health Center. "It's not because of being cold at all, but rather people congregating closely to share the warmth, thereby spreading disease."
According to Crump, three vital tips to avoid the cold are to get plenty rest, avoid exposure to cigarette smoke and avoid cross contamination between the nose and eyes. People often rub their noses and then touch their eyes without washing their hands, thus spreading germs from one area to another. Crump explained that most colds are transmitted from touching the nose and then the eye, without hand washing in between.
Sometimes it is inconvenient for students to go and wash their hands every time they need to. Dr. Paul Myers, director of the Health Center, recommends carrying a small bottle of hand sanitizer and using it frequently throughout the day, particularly after coughing or sneezing into your hands. He also said to try and keep your hands off of your face and to use disposable tissue to blow your nose.
"When I have a cold, I feel like a great big contagious walking germ," senior Christina Barnes said. "The worst thing about colds is that they don't make you sick enough to stay home, so you end up going around spreading germs all over the place."
Since the beginning of the semester, Barnes said she has experienced only one cold. She says she stays healthy by taking multivitamins regularly and zinc supplements occasionally. She also washes her hands everywhere she goes.
"I have found that Zicam works really well. If I use that right when I'm catching a cold, it stops it completely or slows it down," Barnes said.
Although the symptoms of colds vary greatly, the hallmark signs Crump said to look for are a runny nose, sinus congestion, a sore throat, cough and a low grade fever around 99 degrees. In this condition, he said, it is very important to remain hydrated.
Crump said some students have complained about having sore throats so painful, they are unable to drink fluids. If it is possible, Crump said, try to drink a lot of fluids, and if fluids really can't be taken in, the person must be seen by a medical professional immediately.
Myers also said that students often mistakenly take antibiotics for a cold.
"Colds are caused by viruses and antibiotics cannot kill viruses. There are no cures for the common cold, only symptom management," Myers said. He explained that antibiotics should only be used for bacterial infections.
When prescribed, Myers said the medicine should be taken as directed and until gone, not just until symptoms seem to subside. Stopping the medication before designated has been connected to the creation of resistant mutations of certain bacteria.
Crump said that the colds are often mistaken for sinus problems. He said these symptoms are different from a cold in that thick mucus will be present for seven to 10 days, pressure can be felt on one side, and students may experience "double sickening." This is when a person will be sick for a while, get seemingly better and then become sick again shortly afterward.
With colds, Crump said that a minor bronchial infection may occur.
"A little is okay, but if there is shortness of breath, a high fever or significant back pain, you should be checked for pneumonia," he said.
Furthermore, students may also be suffering from the flu, which is sometimes mistaken for a cold. Crump said if a student is experiencing a fever of 101 degrees or higher, he or she should get checked at the Health Center within two days. The anti-flu medication can be administered and usually has good results. But, if a student waits after 48 to 72 hours, it may be too late and medications will not work against the virus.
Senior Stacy Rippon has gotten the required flu shot for the nursing school and believes that has helped her from catching any bugs because she hasn't gotten sick yet. Along with that, Rippon said she exercises regularly.
"If I get sick, I always take in a lot of vitamin C," she said. Some other remedies she has found helpful are drinking ample amounts of iced water and taking ibuprofen and vitamin C drops.
Rippon claimed she doesn't get sick very often, but when she does, she gets very sick and usually still tries to go to class.
According to Crump, it is important to stay caught up with coursework and to attend classes, but to complement that with plenty of rest to get better.
To avoid catching the cold or getting ill from a peer, Crump recommends being three feet away from the sick individual. He also said it is important to cover the mouth when coughing and to cough into a sleeve to avoid hand contamination.
Furthermore, Myers said, some of the medications for symptom management can cause drowsiness that interferes with studying. Also, a stress reaction can be triggered when students feel achy, tired, irritable and have difficulty concentrating.
After receiving a cold diagnosis from the Health Center, a student can expect to be prescribed rest and fluids.
Crump explained that sometimes over the counter medications can help you feel better, but not get better sooner. He also said zinc lozenges have been shown to work along with taking 500 milligrams of vitamin C supplements twice a day.
Crump said many students wonder if they can still exercise when they are ill.
"You can continue exercising if your symptoms are from the neck up and no fever," Crump said. "But if they've moved below the neck and there's coughing, it may worsen the condition."
