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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 6, 1995)
w< C C WINTER I Now Your Student Health Center Newsletter INSIDE Are you covered? If you're worried about health insurance, take our crash coursel Look Inside for infor mation on two insurance plans offered by the Student Health Center Page 2 Health Center History The Student Health Center is not only unique, but historic Ellen Tone-Breslm takes a look at our campus' health service then and now Page 4 Healthy Trails Planning to travel soon? Check with the Student Health Center Travel Clinic for your pre-travel health care needs Page 2-3 Shedding light on the ;f Winter IftueS By Cisiit Salrwike Have you caught yourself grabbing an extra candy bar lately, stay ing indoors more often, being less friendly, or feeling that post holiday depression If so, you certainly aren'i the only one A common trail among many umvcrsi tv siudents seems to he a general case of the blues during tfie winter months Symptoms can include fatigue, inability to concentrate, difficulty making decisions, cry ing spells, irritability, weight loss or gain, problems with sleeping, and feelings of hopelessness or restlessness. While having one or more of these symptoms may nof mean you arc clinically depressed, you could ctill be “uinlet the weather.” quite literally According to the authors of tlcaUllg. lilt Ciilk'gc Okies. Paul Grayson and Philip Metlman, rescan (vers have ac tually found that in colder climates, "perhaps toe |>er cent of the population have a rather vert mis form of depression during the winter, while an additional twenty percent suffer mild depressive symptoms " Patients with more serious cases are diagnosed as has mg what is called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) Common symptoms of SAD arc described as "chronically depressed mood, six lal withdrawal, csccssivc sleep and a vor.n ious appetite that leads to weight gain " Combat depression The he si methods available to combat ik-pte vs ion are allowing yourself breaks from your routine lake time suit to relax and unwind Staying healthy is extremely important, mi be suit to eat a more bal aiwcd diet, and exercise regularly \ healthy body helps to create a healthy mind Seek su|>port it you need to. cither Irom a trusted friend or a professional The Counseling Center helps I"he Counseling Center at the University of Oregon is a great and affordable resource for students who would like some lielpor guidance, l ight full time therapists arc available, as well as peer supjmn groups, foe using on a van ety of concerns flic Counseling Center is located on the second floor of the Student Health Center, at 11th and Agate streets Walk in hours are five days a week Call 146 027 for more information in the cold Is there a limit? By Jess Knox As the brisk wet days continue their grip on fciugcnc, many stu dents think about settling bat k in their homes or dorms and hiber nating Others start «uv iiiiwi aiiu MKiwrivr w earner and thinking about the wonderful winter sports to tv had, such as snow boarding, alpine and Nordic skiing Some questions come to mind Is there a limit to the lent perature and elements when it is definitely time to stay home and turn up the heat ’ How can I keep sale from such injuries as trosthite and hypothermia ’ Things to keep In mind When thinking about staying safe in the frigid elements, one myth has often siineu about. inis is the idea that no mat ter how warmly you dress you can get painful illnesses in the lungs such as frost bite. This proves to be no more than a myth Permanent lung damage may net be a risk, and a person can theoretically ever cisc no matter how cold the weather. A logical tactic is to use a scarf or other cov cring to shield your nose and mouth to warm the air Another good tactic, if you are snow camping, is to keep your face outside of your sleeping bag so the mois ture from breathing doesn't condense in the bag and cause cold wetness. When deciding whether to exercise in the cold, one must consider not only the temperature, hut also the wind thill factor Wind can easily drop .i cokJ -5"‘ 1 day to a (rigid 25° to 40 1 da) Wetnevs makes this cold windy day even more unhear able It can nullify the insulation in even high priced " Tex" clothing and increase the risk for frostbite Injuries and chrome illnesses also can raise the risks for these outdoor activities. Injuries arc more common in the cold, not just because of slippery surfaces that cause many of us to tumble easily, hut because ligaments and joints become stiller and more prone to injury It you sustain an injury in the cold weather, the body sends much of its blood flow toward the injury , thus making it harder to stay warm Alter sustaining an injury you should immediately put on more clothing and try to continue moving as much as i old weather and there are lour different stages of increasing damage to tiro skin tissue Ihc time between the shifting from one stage to the next is very short. A key in detecting frostbite early is an uncom fortable tirigling feeling followed by a wanti sensation in the affected area One should seek shelter from the elements as soon as possible to warm die frostbitten area Seek medical assistance as soon as possible, for the correct warming lech tuques c an be very critical so as to not damage the area more extensively. Although frostbite may seem to some as a minor in|ur>. permanent damage can be ausetl ami the treatment is long and painful Tutti to COLO. Pa)r 4 / 'rt iiikhii iiinnci ujiiupug yourscn. v noinic ill nesses such as asthma can he a nuisance in every day life, and can he unbearable while exercising in cold sc cal her Wanning up for a half an hour before exercising and using presc ribed inhalants can help to fight the onset of asth ma attacks. Shake the Blues Frostbite is the most common injury in the •life**'*1 l** „ „fc.l >»“ .-■•■ • -tsf—•• ■" ia>mnfn nl\s «**«* tonuf\a»e'y* maybe ■ ,ua aconS AtoVtotoX*- Ln‘ bo^cs Of J c V«<* ££**«> - S' ^£ t* «* T <*** ^ s tout-page insert « a pad advening supp «ment Matenet contained twom was ptowdec ■> o pad tot By the U ot 0 Student He&ith Center
