w< C C
WINTER
I
Now
Your Student Health Center Newsletter
INSIDE
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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
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