Welcome to Wellness

Is it a cold or is it allergies?

Differences Between Colds and Allergies

As we move into allergy season, how do you know whether it's a cold or allergies?  

Take stock of your symptoms and how long they last to help you decide what's causing your trouble.

Characteristic	Cold	Allergy
How Long It Lasts	3-14 days	Days to months -- as long as you're in contact with the allergy trigger
When It Happens	Most often in the winter, but possible at any time	Any time of the year -- although the appearance of some allergy triggers are seasonal
When It Starts	Symptoms take a few days to appear after infection with the virus	Symptoms can begin immediately after contact with allergy triggers
Symptom	Cold	Allergy
Cough	Often	Sometimes
Aches	Sometimes	Never
Fatigue	Sometimes	Sometimes
Fever	Rarely	Never
Itchy, watery eyes	Rarely	Often
Sore throat	Often	Sometimes
Runny or stuffy nose	Often	Often

The most important difference is that colds usually don't last longer than 14 days. So think about checking in with the Wellness Center-Health Services  if you still have symptoms after 2 weeks. These may be allergy symptoms or signs of another problem.

Take a "Healthy Relationship" quiz!

The Culture of Respect Education/Prevention Committee is sponsoring a colloquium on February 24th at 2pm in the UC called "Blurred Lines: Love, Respect, and Healthy Relationships."  Come take a healthy relationship quiz and get some great tips for making it work!

Support from your peers!

The Wellness Center-Counseling is offering a variety of ways to get support from your peers.  

Check out what's available this semester!

Introverts Unite!

Do you think of yourself as shy? Do you enjoy quiet reflection and solitude? Then join our group and celebrate with others the quiet strength you possess!

Contact Nancy at: dekrakern@sacredheart.edu or 203-371-7955 for more information.

**************************************************************************

Recognize--Insight--Openness

These 3, one-hour workshops are  designed to give you tools to recognize your concerns and to develop a clearer idea of what you want to change in your life. 

Most of us tend to think in terms of problems and forget to focus on what we actually want in our lives. It’s almost like we believe that erasing the unwanted parts of our lives will leave us with no problems. Anxiety often interrupts our ability to think about what we really want. Use these three sessions to build some tools that can be used whenever the stress becomes too great.

Contact Mary Jo at masonm@sacredheart.edu or 203-371-7955 for more information.

**************************************************************************

The Shameless Group will offer students a safe place to find support and talk about BEING AN ADULT CHILD/ OR SIBLING OF AN ADDICT OR ALCOHOLIC.

Key points for this group are:

• You are not alone
• Addiction/alcoholism is a disease that effects everyone in a family
• You can’t fix it
• You deserve help for yourself.
• There are safe people and places that can help.
• There is hope.

Contact Janice at  kesslerj@sacredheart.edu for more information or call 203-371-7955.

**************************************************************************

Men's Peer Support Group

Connect with other men around issues affecting your life on a college campus!

Contact Austin at tmp-phelana@sacredheart.edu for more information or call 203-371-7955.

**************************************************************************

Women's Peer Support Group

Connect with other women around issues affecting your life on a college campus!

Contact Jocelyn at novellaj@sacredheart.edu for more information or call 203-371-7955.

Fear of feeling stuffed at the holidays?

So the holidays are coming...a time for family to connect, classes to take a break, and most importantly a time to EAT!  Here's what Go Ask Alice! (a wellness website from Columbia University) had to say about navigating the food craze around the holidays.

Dear Alice,

I was wondering if you could offer any advice as to how to keep from getting that miserable full feeling after eating a big holiday meal. Are there any food combinations it would be best to avoid to keep you from feeling so miserable?

Thanks, Stuffed

Dear Stuffed,

Put down your fork and raise your glass. Here's to feasting sensibly, moderately, and contentedly:

Before the meal:

• Eat your regular daily meals rather than skipping to save room for a big holiday meal. Being overly hungry is a potential recipe for too much holiday cheer. Instead, eat a snack before you head out (vegetables or a piece of fruit are good options) so you will be less likely to overeat when you arrive.
• If you need to bring a food to share, bring a healthier option. You can also try using ingredient substitutions to reduce the fat, sugar, salt, and calorie content of some of your favorite holiday recipes.
• ChooseMyPlate.gov also has a guide for making healthier choicesduring the holidays that you can review. 

As you’re deciding what to put on your plate:

• Focus more on the people, less on the fare. Try to spend time talking with other guests. Play a game, go for a walk, or try to engage in other activities that are not focused on eating.
• Take a moment to think about the food options in front of you before deciding what to put on your plate. For example, if you choose stuffing and mashed potatoes, consider balancing your meal with some veggies instead of grabbing a roll with butter.
• Foods that are high in fat make us feel full. If your holiday table is filled with fried foods or dishes with rich sauces, enjoy a limited amount of these. If the meal is served family style (passed around the table in serving dishes), it's fine to decline some items. For items you do select, take portions that are the amount you usually eat. Many people pile up their plates, and then feel obliged to eat everything.
• If the holiday meal is served buffet-style, check out all the offerings before getting in line. You can avoid overloading your plate by taking only the items you really want to eat. Buffets are invitations for over-sampling the savories and sweets.
• If it's appropriate to do so, get up between courses. An extra pair of hands clearing the table is often appreciated and will give you a chance to digest.

Some food for thought while you chew:

• It can take 20 minutes or more to feel full. During the meal, eat slowly, chew thoroughly, chat with your neighbors, and sip water regularly to let your brain catch up with your stomach and register your fullness. Check in with yourself to see how you're feeling. Are you starting to get satiated? Try to become more in tune with your fullness cues and listen to them.
• Watch out for the effects of alcohol. It increases one's appetite, setting the stage for overeating (it is also high in calories).

Actions to take after the holiday repast:

• Take a stroll after the meal to get some exercise and help the food settle in your stomach.

Enjoying the holiday season doesn't have to mean overindulging in holiday cheer. Being mindful of your eating (and drinking) doesn't have to be limiting; it can actually enhance your experience. 

Happy Holidays!

Alice!

Tips to avoid getting sick at college...

College dorms are about sharing.  You share a bedroom, a common bathroom, a kitchen and other recreational areas in the building.  It's no surprise that when one person gets a cold or the flu, everyone else seems to come down with it too.  When so many people share the same space, illnesses can be spread easily.  Here are a few tips to avoid getting sick in college.

1) Get a flu shot--get to Health Services before they run out, and you can prevent the worst of winter's colds with one shot.  Otherwise, most pharmacies or healthcare facilities will have them for a reasonable cost.  You don't want to be stuck in your room and sick for several days.

2) Avoid areas where everyone seems to get sick--if everyone at the library or the computer lab has a handful of tissues, try to avoid going to those areas.

3) Regularly disinfect all surfaces--don't just clean your room, disinfect it.  It will help kill any lingering germs that can get you sick later.  Use hand sanitizer...

4) Rest and de-stress--letting yourself get worn down from too many last minute reports takes a toll on your health and makes you more prone to illness.  Sleeping in a few days a week can boost your immune system and reenergize your body.

Fresh Check Success!!

If you were on campus this past weekend, you couldn't help but notice the smiling, relaxed faces of students who experienced Fresh Check Day!  Everything from free massages and ice cream to the wall of optimism and designing T-shirts made this day special.  188 students had their mood checked and were encouraged to come to the Wellness Center--Counseling if they needed more support.  Here are some of the highlights:

Vaping much?

"Go Ask Alice" is the Dear Abby of Columbia University when it comes to questions about health.  A curious Columbia U. student recently asked whether vaping was a good idea.  Here's the response:

E-cigarettes (e-cigs) are one of varieties of electronic nicotine delivery systems (known as ENDS).  While some users attest to e-cigarettes' power in weaning them off of traditional cigarettes and helping to nix their nicotine addiction, there is currently no proof that e-cigarettes can help you quit smoking. In fact, they may be just as harmful as their non-battery powered counterparts, though much research still needs to be done.

E-cigarettes have gained attention as potentially less harmful than smoking actual cigarettes, though much about the risks associated with them is still unknown. Some versions are designed in size, shape, and color to resemble the real thing, while others are the same general shape/size but are trying to appear visually different from actual cigarettes. E-cigs are actually small, battery-powered vaporizers, thus the term “vaping” to describe using them. The act of inhaling triggers a sensor that causes a tiny heating element to heat up the nicotine-containing cartridge inside, creating an odorless vapor. Cartridges come in varying levels of nicotine and some come without nicotine. While once only reliably available for purchase online, e-cigs are now widely available at drug and retail stores.

Are they a "quit smoking" aid? Not currently. Again, we don't yet know if e-cigs can help people quit smoking. If e-cig manufacturers wanted to make this claim, they would have to adhere to specific FDA standards. They have yet to apply for such status, probably because studies conducted thus far indicate that e-cigs likely fail to meet FDA standards. The few studies that have been done on using e-cigs to help people quit have garnered mixed results.

Aside from being addictive, nicotine itself is toxic to humans. The nicotine vapor in e-cigarettes may send a more concentrated dose of nicotine into e-cig "smokers" bodies. As the World Health Organization noted, e-cigarettes deliver nicotine directly to the lungs, unlike approved cessation aids like the patch or nicotine gum where the nicotine is absorbed via other means. The health impacts of inhaling nicotine vapor via the lungs is largely unknown.  Additionally, because e-cigs are not regulated, the dosage can’t be adequately gauged and most health professionals don’t recommend the use of electronic cigarettes as an appropriate substitute for smoking cessation.

E-cigs are available at varying nicotine levels and some are labeled as "nicotine-free." Sadly, choosing a lower-dose e-cig isn't necessarily a reliable solution for decreasing nicotine intake. FDA tests found that similarly labeled e-cig cartridges released widely varying levels of nicotine per puff and that even cartridges labeled as nicotine-free still contained nicotine. Another concern is that e-cigs contain a variety of chemicals in the cartridges, not all of which may be fully disclosed by the various manufacturers. One of the more concerning substances is called propylene glycol, which is also used in anti-freeze. The short-term and long-term consequences of inhaling this chemical have yet to be determined.

Other concerns with e-cigs include:

• Batteries – recharging issues and several fires have been reported from overheated batteries
• Secondhand Vapor – while manufacturer claim it’s only water, there are no reliable studies to confirm this is true
• Cartridge Refilling – some brands allow users to buy materials in bulk to refill cartridges. There is less quality and dose control when users self-refill
• Public Confusion – allowing the use of e-cigs has resulted in confusion regarding where smoking is permitted. A number of businesses, organizations, cities, states, and countries are prohibiting the use of e-cigs in any place smoking is not allowed.
• Cost – e-cig starter kits can run from $60 to over $150. Refills generally cost about $10
• Targeting Children – the flavors appeal to kids (and adults) and there is less regulation regarding age restrictions for purchasing e-cigs

Overall, your best bet is to avoid both traditional and e-cigarettes. Both types of smoking present health risks. Quitting smoking has immense health benefits, so if you are considering it, that's great.  Visit smokefree.gov for more information.

Here's to happy lungs,

Are you positive that you're negative?

The Wellness Center staff encourages students to be proactive when it comes to their own health and wellbeing.  Tomorrow we are offering an opportunity to do just that.   This annual STD Screening is confidential and free, painless, right on campus, and any follow up medications will be provided free of charge through Health Services.  Student success starts with student wellness – please stop by tomorrow if you think this event would be helpful to you!

Does this blog make me look fat?

It's that time of year again...people start talking about fitting into bikinis and getting a six pack for the summer.  Well, it's motivating, right?  To call ourselves "fat" and commiserate with others about all the weight we gained over the winter...

WRONG!  Research conducted by Renee Engeln and published in the Psychology of Women Quarterly 2012, indicates that this kind of "fat talk" actually causes more body shame feelings, both in ourselves and others.  These feelings of shame then lead to more unhealthy behaviors, not less.  

So if you have a goal of being healthier this summer, try this:

Need a mood check-up? Want to pet a pup?

 

Let a pup make your day!  Come get a mood check-up this Thursday, February 26th from 10:30-1pm in front of Campus Ministry (across from the Registrars Office).  The Wellness Center is offering these anonymous, 2-minute screenings to get you on your way to feeling better.  Bring yourself or a friend you are concerned about.

Depression doesn’t discriminate!  If you have been experiencing a persistently sad mood, feeling overly emotional, anxious, irritable, distracted or empty, please get a mood check-up or call for an appointment at the Counseling Center at 203-371-7955.

It's the perfect thing to do before Spring Break!  We'll see you Thursday!