College life can take toll on students' health

Do you remember when you were younger and your mother pestered you to wash your hands before you ate?

It turns out, as usual, mother knew best.

The communal nature of college classes and living environments offers some challenges to staying healthy. But careful students can prevent many illnesses by following various health tips, said Jane Galas, the advice nurse for University Health Services.

Two important factors in warding off sickness are sleep and stress, Galas said. Sleep rejuvenates the body's cells, and if the body is deprived of sleep, cells don't get the opportunity to rejuvenate, she said. Stress can also pose health problems, she added.

"Stress is a biggy. When a person is under stress they can experience psychosomatic symptoms or other symptoms such as a loss of sleep, increase of stomach acidity or even irritable bowel movements," Galas said.

It is important for students to follow these measures because the packed conditions of classes, dorms and apartments can make them vulnerable to illness, said Dr. Jordan Finkelstein, professor of biobehavioral health and a pediatrician at the University's Hershey Medical Center.

Dorms have numerous rooms per floor and many people live with roommates, who all share bathrooms and water fountains.

Jeff Stack (freshman-business) said things such as the absence of paper towels in bathrooms make it hard to maintain a healthy lifestyle in the dorms.

- Jeff Stack (freshman-business)

Dorm life increases students' chances of becoming ill, Galas said, but if they practice good personal hygiene students should be OK.

The human body is 92 percent fluids, so replenishing these fluids is an important preventive measure. Washing hands frequently is also important, Finkelstein said.

Finkelstein said living in a dorm increases the risk of acute illness, "But being in a classroom with 10 to 500 other students who are coughing, sneezing, etc. . . . is a higher risk than sharing a room with one or two people."

He also stressed that students can better their chances of avoiding sickness.

"Use common sense and practice safe personal hygiene," he said. "Germs cause a lot of infectious illness. Don't share personal items like toothbrushes, combs, soft drink containers, towels, etc. . . . Wash your hands . . . don't touch other people if possible and cover up your coughs and sneezes. If you are sick, try to be aware of how not to spread your germs to others."