Johnson Health & Wellness Center - Nurse's Office
Topics
- Bed Bugs
- College Health and Safety
- Get Check-ups. Find a doctor at your school or a local health clinic for check-ups and when you have health concerns.
- Get Vaccinated. Get vaccinated for meningitis, human papillomavirus, tetanus, flu, and other diseases.
- Get Sleep. Work on managing your time instead of pulling all-nighters which are actually more harmful than helpful.
- Get Physical Activity. Be active for at least 2½ hours a week doing activities that raise your breathing and heart rates and that strengthen your muscles.
- Eat a Balanced Diet. Fruits and vegetables are a natural source of energy and are one of the best eat-on-the-go foods. Be sure to eat regular healthy meals to help you maintain your energy level.
- Maintain Mental Health. Everybody has the blues, feels anxious, loses interest in enjoyable activities, or gets stressed sometimes, but when it continues for a long time or interferes with daily activities, it may be more serious.
- Avoid Substance Abuse. Avoid peer pressure to use alcohol, drugs, and other substances.
- Gastrointestinal Virus
- nausea/vomiting
- fever
- diarrhea
- headache
- abdominal cramping
- fatigue
- Hand washing
- Before, during, and after preparing food
- Before eating food
- Before and after caring for someone who is sick
- Before and after treating a cut or wound
- After using the toilet
- After changing diapers
- After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
- Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold) and apply soap.
- Rub your hands together to make a lather and scrub them well; be sure to scrub the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
- Continue rubbing your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the "Happy Birthday" song from beginning to end twice.
- Rinse your hands well under running water.
- Dry completely.
- Influenza
- Fever* or feeling feverish/chills
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Muscle or body aches
- Headaches
- Fatigue (tiredness)
- Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults.
- * It's important to note that not everyone with flu will have a fever.
- Get a Influenza Vaccine as soon as they are available! No exceptions!
- Lice
- Pediculus humanus capitis (head louse)
- Pediculus humanus corporis (body louse, clothes louse) *can spread disease
- Pthirus pubis ("crab" louse, pubic louse)
- Meningitis
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Photophobia (sensitivity to light)
- Altered mental status
- Prevent Meningitis with a Meningococcal Vaccination!
- MRSA
- Scabies
- STI's
- Bacterial Vaginitis
- Chlamydia
- Gonorrhea
- Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Infection
- Hepatitis
- Herpes
- HIV/AIDS
- Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)
- Syphilis
- Trichomoniasis
- Sores or bumps on the genitals or in the oral or rectal area
- Painful or burning urination
- Discharge from the penis
- Vaginal discharge
- Unusual vaginal bleeding
- Sore, swollen lymph nodes, particularly in the groin but sometimes more widespread
- Signs and symptoms may appear a few days to three months after exposure, depending on the organism. They may resolve in a few weeks, even without treatment, but progression with later complications — or recurrence.
What are bed bugs?
Bed bugs are parasitic insects that feed on the blood of people and animals while they sleep. Bed bugs are reddish-brown in color, wingless, and are about the size of Lincoln's head on a penny, and live several months without a blood source.
Do bed bugs spread disease?
Bed bugs should not be considered as a medical or public health hazard. Bed bugs are not known to spread disease. Bed bugs can be an annoyance because their presence may cause itching and loss of sleep. Sometimes the itching can lead to excessive scratching that can sometimes increase the chance of a secondary skin infection.
Where are bed bugs found?
Bed bug infestations usually occur around or near the areas where people sleep. These areas include apartments, hotels, cruise ships, and dorm rooms. Bed bugs have been shown to be able to travel over 100 feet in a night but tend to live within 8 feet of where people sleep.
7 Tips to a Healthy College Life
College is full of exciting new things, from new people to living away from home. But, college can also be stressful as you try to develop new routines, live on a budget, and manage responsibilities. Here are some tips to stay safe and healthy in college:
NOROVIRUSES are a group of viruses that cause "stomach flu," or viral gastroenteritis. The viruses are highly contagious, often spread person to person with as few as 10 particles. Illness caused by a virus that can be seen throughout the year.
Symptoms:
| Treat the Fever | Acetaminophen (Tylenol) | |
| Treat the Nausea | Dramamine (over-the-counter) Prescription medication (Ondansetron or Promethazine) |
|
| Treat the diarrhea | May correct itself by modifying diet Loperamide (Imodium) in some cases |
|
| Dietary modification and treat the dehydration | Initially, clear liquids (Jell-O, Popsicle, broth, gingerale, sports drinks) Later, chicken noodle or chicken rice soup, crackers. Next, applesauce, bananas, dry cereal, other soft foods Avoid greasy foods, dairy and alcohol. IV for severe dehydration |
When should I wash my hands?
How do I wash my hands properly?
Influenza (also known as the flu) is a contagious respiratory illness. It can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. People who have the flu often feel some or all of these symptoms:
Symptoms:
Top Prevention Tip:
Lice are parasitic insects that can be found on people's heads, and bodies, including the pubic area. Human lice survive by feeding on human blood. Lice found on each area of the body are different from each other. The three types of lice that live on humans are:
Lice infestations (pediculosis and pthiriasis) are spread most commonly by close person-to-person contact. Pets do not play a role in the transmission of human lice. Lice move by crawling; they cannot hop or fly. Both over-the-counter and prescription medications are available for treatment of lice infestations.
Meningitis is a disease caused by the inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord known as the meninges. The inflammation is usually caused by an infection of the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord.
Symptoms:
Meningitis infection is characterized by a sudden onset of fever, headache, and stiff neck. It is often accompanied by other symptoms, such as:
Top Prevention Tip:
MRSA is a skin infection that may appear as pustules or boils which often are red, swollen, painful, or have pus or other drainage. They often first look like spider bites or bumps that are red, swollen, and painful. These skin infections commonly occur at sites of visible skin trauma, such as cuts and abrasions, and areas of the body covered by hair (e.g., back of neck, groin, buttock, armpit, beard area of men).
Protect yourself through good hygiene!
What is scabies?
Scabies is an infestation of the skin by the human itch mite. The microscopic scabies mite burrows into the upper layer of the skin where it lives and lays its eggs.
What are the symptoms of scabies?
The most common symptoms of scabies are intense itching and a pimple-like skin rash. The itching and rash each may affect much of the body or be limited to common areas. The rash also can include tiny blisters and scales. Scratching the rash can cause skin sores; sometimes these sores become infected by bacteria.
What is used for treatment?
Products used to kill scabies mites are called scabicides. Scabicides used to treat human scabies are available only with a doctor's prescription. No "over-the-counter" (non-prescription) products have been tested and approved to treat human scabies.
Symptoms:
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have a wide range of signs and symptoms that might include:
