Ohio State experts are sharing tips on how students can stay healthy during cold and flu season. Credit: Joelle Hammett | Lantern Reporter.
As cold and flu season approaches, Ohio State experts are encouraging students to take preventative measures in keeping themselves healthy throughout the fall and winter months.
As students spend much of their time in classrooms, residence halls, dining facilities and other shared spaces throughout the semester, opportunities are created for illnesses to spread. Experts said combining healthy lifestyle habits with preventative measures, such as handwashing and vaccination, can help lower the chances of getting sick.
Respiratory illnesses, such as colds and the flu, become more common during the fall, said Sheila Westendorf, a medical and lab director for Student Health Services.
“It’s because there’s a large amount of people that gather or live together,” Westendorf said.
Westendorf said students can help prevent illness by washing their hands frequently with soap and water, or by using hand sanitizer. She also said students should also avoid touching their faces with unwashed hands, as viruses can enter through the eyes, nose and mouth.
Regularly cleaning high-touch surfaces, such as doorknobs and countertops, can also help reduce the spread of illness, Westendorf said.?
Megan Amaya, an associate clinical professor and director of health promotion and wellness in the College of Nursing, said lifestyle habits can also affect a student’s ability to stay healthy during cold and flu season.
“When we are sleep deprived, or we haven’t gotten the [recommended] seven to nine hours of sleep, our bodies wake up in a state of stress,” Amaya said.
Stress can compromise the immune system, Amaya said, and make people more susceptible to illnesses. Students should aim to get seven to nine hours of sleep each night to avoid putting stress on their immune systems.
Establishing boundaries with technology, Amaya said, can help students to improve their sleep habits.
“Putting that boundary on the digital devices can really help with sleep,” Amaya said.
Amaya said students can choose a specific time to stop using their phones and other devices each night, before bed, to eliminate the urge to stay up later using social media or other online platforms.?
Students can also incorporate stress-management techniques into their nighttime routines, such as guided imagery, which Amaya described as visualizing a calming environment while following a guided exercise, to aid in promoting positive sleep habits.
Nutrition is another factor that can affect overall health and wellbeing, Amaya said.
“We want to try to eat as healthy as possible, especially during the months when we’re more susceptible to colds, flus and other types of illnesses,” Amaya said.
Amaya said students should focus on eating healthier foods, including fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins.
Students can also prioritize exercise as a healthy habit, Amaya said. Students should aim to do at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week, she said, and can also incorporate strength training, cardiovascular exercise and flexibility training into their weekly routines.
Amaya said students can schedule time for wellness activities such as going to the gym, taking a walk or practicing relaxation techniques, just as they would schedule their other responsibilities.
For students balancing classes, jobs and extracurricular activities, maintaining healthy habits can be difficult. Amaya said when students plan their schedules ahead of time, it can make healthy habits easier to maintain throughout the week.
“Scheduling can be a really powerful strategy for students to consider as they look at the week ahead,” Amaya said.
Vaccination is another important prevention strategy, Westendorf said.
“Getting your annual seasonal flu shot is a really good idea to protect against the circulating virus,” Westendorf said.
Westendorf said students who get the vaccine and still get sick may experience a milder form of the illness.
Students who are sick can schedule medical appointments through the Student Health Services’ website, Westendorf said. Student Health Services offers testing for flu, COVID-19 and strep, as well as testing for mononucleosis when needed.
Westendorf said students can receive flu and COVID-19 vaccinations through the Wilce Student Health Center Pharmacy — located at 1875 Millikin Rd.
As the fall and winter seasons progress, and students become at higher risk of getting colds and the flu, experts said students should take procautionary steps to protect themselves and prioritize healthy habits.
“All you can do is protect yourself,” Westendorf said. “You can’t always control what other people do, but you can control what you do.”?
