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(09/25/18 2:49am)
By Anna Kellaher
Columnist
E-cigarettes have been rising in popularity for years. The latest and greatest in vaporized nicotine is the Juul, a specific brand of e-cigarettes. Juul stands apart not only because of its sleek and discreet design, but also because of its ability to deliver more nicotine per hit compared to other devices.
Nicotine is an addictive drug that stimulates your brain’s reward system, the release of dopamine. According to the manufacturer, each Juul pod contains as much nicotine as one pack of cigarettes, according to Vox.
The purpose of the Juul was to be an alternative to cigarettes for adults who were already addicted to nicotine. Public health officials are worried about the teens and young adults who are developing nicotine addictions because of the popularity of e-cigarettes like Juuls, according to Vox.
Nicotine is the chemical that will get you hooked, but Juul pods contain other potentially harmful substances, including the chemical diacetyl.
Diacetyl is a compound that is used to give foods a buttery flavor, and is found in many flavors of Juul pods, including vanilla and coconut. According to the American Lung Association, inhaling diacetyl can cause a lung disease called bronchiolitis obliterans, or “popcorn lung.” The smallest airways in your lungs become inflamed and constricted, restricting oxygen from getting to your bloodstream.
The name popcorn lung stems from the hundreds of workers at popcorn factories who suffered from the condition. Diacetyl is banned from popcorn production, but Juuls provide a new way to directly inhale the chemical.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) pushed back the deadline for e-cigarette companies to document that their products fall within public health regulations. Companies now have until 2022 to prove that their products are safe.
In the meantime, don’t let the inconspicuous design of an e-cigarette hide the dangers inside.
(09/18/18 4:02am)
By Anna Kellaher
Staff Writer
With the new school year comes the exciting world of dorm rooms and communal showers. You may think that you’ve unpacked and purchased everything you need, but there’s one essential thing you may have forgotten –– shower shoes.
Whether you’re living in the Towers, Centennial Hall or Allen, Brewster and Ely Halls, you’ll be sharing a bathroom with dozens of strangers and all germs they harbor. Many bacteria and fungi thrive in environments that are moist and warm, like the floor of a shower.
According to a study by Simmons College Center for Hygiene and Health in Home and Community, shower floors are the most contaminated surfaces in college dorms. Yup. Dirtier than the toilet.
Tinea pedis, also known as athlete’s foot, is a common fungal infection, according to Simmons College. You can become infected by having contact with the fungus directly or from contact with skin cells from someone else who is already infected. In most cases, it will cause a red and itchy rash on your feet and can be treated with an antifungal cream. If left untreated, it can spread to other areas of the body.
In addition to fungi, shower floors host a wide array of bacteria. Any open lesions on your feet, even just a scrape, provide an entry for bacterial infection.
Some easy ways to keep your feet free from infection are to wash them thoroughly with soap and water, allow them to dry completely before putting on any socks or shoes and to wear a pair of waterproof shoes like flip flops to create a barrier between your feet and the floor while you shower, according to Everyday Health.
Before you head for the shower, be sure to invest in a pair of cheap flip flops to put your best foot forward this semester!
(05/01/18 6:21am)
By Anna Kellaher
Columnist
As the semester comes to an end, the only thing standing between you and summer are final exams and all of stress that comes with them.
It is totally normal to be worried about a big exam, but how much stress is too much?
People experience two types of stress, eustress and distress. Eustress is “good” stress — it is what motivates us to actually head to the library and study for finals instead of binging on a new Netflix series. Eustress is temporary and can actually improve our performance.
However, there is a point where panic for an exam can become excessive and cross from eustress to distress. This kind of stress no longer inspires us and can actually inhibit studying and test performance.
One big difference between eustress and distress is that eustress is more manageable, and we feel capable of coping with the hectic situation. Distress can feel insurmountable, which is not the best feeling to have going into an exam. To avoid overwhelming stress from exams, it’s important to incorporate healthy study habits.
Make a study schedule. Time management reduces stress, and creating and sticking to a plan can give you a sense of control, according to ABC.
Take study breaks. A study by an app called DeskTime, which monitors productivity, found that the most productive schedule is around 52 minutes of work followed by a 15-20 minute break.
Don’t forget your physical health. A healthy diet, regular exercise and adequate sleep increases our ability to bounce back from a stressor.
(04/24/18 6:22am)
By Anna Kellaher
Columnist
As the temperature warms up and the sun comes out, it’s the perfect time to hang out in Alumni Grove or take a walk around the loop. But, before you break out your summer clothes and soak up the sun, take a minute to catch up on the basics of sun safety.
It takes as little as 15 minutes for ultraviolet rays from the sun to cause skin damage, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Your body responds to the rays with an inflammatory response –– short-term damage that we all know as sunburn, according to the American Skin Association.
In addition to short-term consequences, UV rays can cause lasting damage. They can alter the proteins that make up your collagen and elastin, causing increased wrinkling and sagging later in life. More importantly, UV rays contribute to the development of skin cancer, according to the American Skin Association.
Your best protection against sun damage is sunscreen. You should wear sunscreen with a sun protection factor of 15 whenever you are outside, even if it’s cold or cloudy. The higher the number SPF in your sunscreen, the more your skin is protected, according to the CDC.
The CDC recommends that you should reapply sunscreen every two hours, or after going for a swim. Sunscreen does expire, so check your expiration dates!
Cover up as much as possible and bring a T-shirt to the beach. Hats with a brim protect your head, face and ears, and will be helpful to keep the sun out of your face. If you don’t like to wear hats, wear sunglasses to reduce your exposure to UV rays, which can damage your eyes as well, according to the CDC.
(04/03/18 6:59am)
By Anna Kellaher
Columnist
We have all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but does this message apply to our academic success? The foods we eat supply nutrients that have both long-term and short-term effects on our brains.
Our bodies require large amounts of macronutrients — carbohydrates, fats and proteins — to feel energized.
The majority of the energy used by the brain comes from carbs, which break down into easy-to-use glucose. Simple carbs like white bread and sugary cereals break down much faster than complex carbs like oats and whole grains. With simple carbs, your brain will have a quick peak in sugar, followed by a dip in your attention span and mood. Complex carbs release glucose at a slower rate that will keep your mood and attention span steady, according to Diabetes U.K.
Fats provide fatty acids, which are needed to build the membranes that surround and protect brain cells. The body does not make certain fatty acids, so we have to get them through our diet — omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are found in nuts, seeds and certain kinds of fish.
Proteins are an important factor for how we feel and act. Amino acids found in proteins are essential tools for synthesizing neurotransmitters, the signals that carry messages around our brain. Neurotransmitters have a direct impact on mood and attentiveness, both of which are critical for focusing in class or acing an exam.
So what’s the best breakfast for your GPA? It should be a balance of all three macronutrients — carbs, fats and proteins, according to the Mayo Clinic. Pick a complex carb like whole wheat toast or oatmeal and add a healthy source of protein like turkey bacon, Greek yogurt or eggs. Work omega fatty acids into your breakfast by having a handful of walnuts or making sure that your eggs are enriched with omega-3s.
(03/27/18 4:08am)
By Anna Kellaher
Columnist
While sex education is required in New Jersey high schools, students may find that one marking period of their gym teacher showing movies about teen pregnancy did not provide enough information.
Each year, 20 million new sexually transmitted infections occur in the U.S. These infections are disproportionately common in young people –– 15 to 24-year-olds account for 50 percent of cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Many STIs are asymptomatic, meaning that most people infected with an STI do not show any visible signs. Even though the disease may not be noticeable, it is still contagious and can have severe long-term consequences — including infertility — if left untreated, according to the CDC.
One of the main reasons why young people are at a higher risk of getting STIs is insufficient screening. The CDC recommends annual screenings for all sexually active women under the age of 25 for chlamydia and gonorrhea. The recommendations for sexually active young men are less structured — the frequency of testing is mostly based off of sexual history and the doctor’s opinion.
Screenings for less common STIs, such as HIV, herpes and syphilis, may be recommended by a family physician based off of a person’s sexual history, according to the CDC.
Frequent screenings allow for early action, which minimizes the long-term effects of infection and the spreading of disease. Student Health Services provides free screenings for chlamydia, gonorrhea and HIV, as well as low cost screenings for syphilis and trichomoniasis. If a test is positive, the health care providers at SHS can connect students with the necessary resources.
(03/20/18 9:07am)
By Anna Kellaher
Columnist
Have you ever had the sniffles or a headache and poked around the internet for a few minutes, only to convince yourself you have a rare life-threatening parasite? With so many health-centered apps and websites at our fingertips, it is important to assess our eHealth literacy.
Health literacy is the ability to obtain, process and accurately appraise information about health and wellness, and eHealth literacy refers specifically to information that we get from online sources. These tips can help you sort out medical fact from fiction.
Pay attention to the URL. If a website ends in “.com,” you’re better off taking that information with a grain of salt. Anyone can create a commercial website, so there is no guarantee that the content on these sites will be factual. More trustworthy and regulated resources end in “.gov” or “.edu.”
If the article is selling or promoting a specific brand or product, the information provided may be distorted or biased.
If a health-related article pops up on one of your social media feeds, click through the article and check that it came from a reliable source or organization. No offense to your Facebook friends, but they are usually not credible sources for medical information.
Even if your information comes from a reliable source, don’t make any decisions or diagnoses without talking to a health care provider. The internet can provide some useful general knowledge and give you an idea of where to start, but it cannot compare to a real life assessment and individualized treatment plan. If you have any concerns about your health, contact your health care provider or Student Health Services.
(03/06/18 7:28am)
By Anna Kellaher
Columnist
Trying to balance academics, extracurricular activities and a healthy social life as a college student can leave very little time for sleep.
People between the ages of 18 and 24 are supposed to get at least seven hours of sleep each night. Falling slightly short of this quota once in a while is not particularly harmful, but constantly getting inadequate sleep can put you into a state of sleep deprivation, according to the American Sleep Association.
Sleep deprivation can cause clumsiness, weight fluctuations, daytime sleepiness, moodiness and a reduced attention span. The ASA warns that maintaining a sleep-deprived state for a long period of time can increase your risk of developing more serious health issues, including Type 2 diabetes, a weakened immune system and depression. If you feel yourself dozing off during the day, try using some of these tips to catch some more shut eye.
Wake up and go to bed at similar times each day, even on the weekends. Pick times that are realistic for you and your schedule. Put your phone and computer away during bedtime, since the bright light from the screen disrupts the normal process in your brain that helps you fall asleep, and it can be hard to get rest with a lifetime’s worth of potential Netflix binges at your fingertips.
Exercise regularly. Using more energy throughout the day will make you more ready to fall asleep at night. But be careful not to exercise soon before you plan to go to sleep, because this can keep you awake. Try to exercise in the morning — a lap around the loop as the sun rises can be a refreshing start to your day.
Avoid smoking. On top of all of the damaging effects to your lungs, withdrawal from nicotine in cigarettes and vapes can wake you up throughout the night.