Belmont Vision - Opinion - Sneezin' is the reason for the season

ISSUE: 02/28/07 > opinion > sneezin' is the reason for the season

Managing editor Melanie Bengtson is a sophomore developmental politics major. Email: bengtsonm@pop.belmont.edu

I’m a firm believer in the idea that we each experience seasons in our lives … seasons of joy, of sadness, of confusion, etc. I also think that we repeat seasons.

I’m in the middle of one of my least favorite right now: cold and flu season.

I know – from the inordinate amount of sniffling and hacking going on in each of my classes – that I am not alone in my struggle against the germs that tend to ravage my body this time of year.

I’ve been fighting this particular invasion for the last month or so to no avail. I’m miserable. I finally collapsed one day last week onto my couch for an entire day … over 12 hours doing nothing but whining (mostly to myself) and blowing my nose in a most unattractive fashion, watching the used tissues pile up on the floor next to me.

To make it worse, there is this terrible time of day (after TLC stops showing reruns of “What Not to Wear” and all the networks play are soaps) when there is absolutely nothing on television. So I wallowed all the more in my self-pity, lamenting the fact that I was about to succumb to an early death and the last thing I would ever see would be the Anna Nicole Smith trial.

Needless to say, I survived my day in bed. Barely. I honestly can’t tell which was more painful: the sinus pressure pounding the insides of my eyelids or watching Juvies on MTV.

In honor of my day of misery (and the weeks before when I refused to heed my body’s warnings of impending doom), I have decided to give you some advice to prevent you from finding yourself in my position:

SLEEP. I offer this wisdom hypocritically, of course, because I do not sleep nearly as much as I should. However, it is still the most effective remedy to combat sickness. According to the National Sleep Foundation, a study done in Australia showed that being awake for 18 hours gives you the equivalent of a blood alcohol concentration of .05 and being awake for 24 hours gives you a BAC of .10 ( and .08 is legally drunk). So, if you sleep less than 6 hours each night (or if you pull an all-nighter), you will be sufficiently tipsy.

EAT. (And not always from the Caf – unless all you eat is the salad.) Seriously, though, food (good food) will keep your immune system strong. Fruits and vegetables are the obvious things to recommend. Confused about where to find them on campus? Hint: not the Curb Café.

DRINK. Try tea- green and black – instead of coffee. Not only does it taste better, but it’s actually really, really good for you. Green tea has been shown to reduce your chances of heart disease and cancer, lower cholesterol levels and help you lose weight. One study (done in Great Britain) actually suggested that tea is healthier than water.

GO TO THE DOCTOR. I – the perpetual procrastinator- waited a month after the first signs of sniffles to visit a health professional. I chose to visit Belmont Health Services, an amazing resource for those of you who don’t know about it. It’s located in Gabhart, above the bookstore and next to the international studies office. (Yes, it is no longer a long walk to the trailer behind Belmont Heights – it actually looks like a real clinic now.) The nurses inside couldn’t be sweeter and, after chastising me for waiting so long to visit, gave me a prescription to clear up my nasal woes. Visiting the clinic is free for students; they only ask that you make an appointment (460-5506). You have to pay for blood work, shots, etc. but overall it is significantly cheaper than going to a doctor’s office. If you’re feeling lousy, stop by and get checked out. It could be something more than a little cold.

I know this hasn’t been an intellectually-stimulating read, but hopefully it will help someone escape the drudgery that is a sinus infection. The good news is this season is almost over … the next few weeks will not only bring spring break (a chance for much-needed rest for all), but sunshine and warm weather, two guaranteed remedies for any kind of ill.