Don't get
caught by a cold
-- Tove Holmes
Most people get one or two
common colds every year. What they should know is that these pesky energy-zappers are
usually avoidable. If certain measures are taken, it is possible to stay healthy all year
round.
There are a lot of myths surrounding this topic; it seems as
though everyone has a suggestion for how best to treat a cold. The trouble is, there isn't
a miracle cure of any kind, and the over-the-counter drugs available in the
supermarket only battle the symptoms, and not the cause. In truth, little can be done
about a cold except ride it out it once the virus has taken root. A sensible way to ride
out a cold is to get lots of rest, drink plenty of water and stay warm and comfortable.
However, there are ways to prevent colds; the key is to take some simple steps before even
being exposed to the germs.
--full
story |
Factoid:
Malaria: This insidious, mosquito-borne disease kills 2 million people
annually, and can even effect the most careful travelers.
Is Your Keyboard Hurting You?
-- Annie Weinsoft
Those twenty-page term papers can
hurt more than just your GPA. Besides depriving you of sleep, the long hours at your
keyboard can lead to a very
painful, debilitating disorder known as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS), if proper
precautions are not taken. CTS is caused by long-term, repetitive, awkward motions of the
wrist, such as those often practiced in typing.
These motions cause the tendons in the carpal tunnel, the large
passageway under the carpal bones in your wrists, to swell and put pressure on the
median nerve, which is the main nerve controlling movement in your hands and most of your
fingers. Pressure on this nerve can cause severe pain in the wrists, hands, and arms, and
can eventually cause loss of function in these areas, if left untreated.
--full
story |
A Quick Fix
- The Diet Pill Rut
-- Tara Payne
It's that time of year again.
Time to make your New Years Resolutions. Before you tune out, consider on how many
occasions you've made a list of resolutions, only to forget them come mid-January? Chances
are, you've done it before. The resolution that seems to top of everyone's list each year
is to lose weight and tone up. However, most of us may find getting motivated to go to the
gym every other day difficult, particularly during"crunch" time at school. This
lapsing on resultions may encourage people to look for a quick solution. How seductive it can be to get in shape by taking 'Exercise in a
bottle' or 'Metabolife'? But, are these quick fixes safe? And what are the drawbacks?
--full
story |
Winter
2000 Peer Health Educators:
Kimberly Brown, Elizabeth Clifton, Apryl Haro, Tove Holmes, Carrie
Lacey-Krietz, Tara Payne, Wendy Skendzel, Amy Stanton, Annie Weinsoft
Well-Now Advisor-Stacey Howe Well-Now
on the Web-Brandon Baxter
Well Now is published each term, except summer for UO students by
the Health Education Program of the University Health Center. Past issues of Well-Now
can be found at http://healthed.uoregon.edu/wellnow.htm. |
