Stress

I know that this has been emphasized before, but i would realy like to talk about it since the semester is coming to an end. I know i have been very stressed with the amount of work i have to do and it has deffinately affected my health.

So what is stress? Stress is a normal physical response to events that make you feel threatened or upset your balance in some way. There is a stress reponse which is you body's fight or flight response. This is the body's way of protecting itself. When this response works properly, it helps you stay focused, energetic, and alert. In emergency situations, stress can help you by giving you extra strength to defend yourself. One example is when you to slam on the brakes to avoid an accident. The stress response also helps you rise to meet challenges. So this is why you are more aware when you have a presentation or are more focused during the end of close game. But beyond a certain point, stress stops being helpful and starts causing major damage to your health, your mood, your productivity, your relationships, and your quality of life. Long-term exposure to stress can lead to serious health problems. Chronic stress disrupts nearly every system in your body. Health problems such as:

-raise blood pressure

-suppress the immune system

-increase the risk of heart attack and stroke

-contribute to infertility

-speed up the aging process

Long-term stress can even rewire the brain, leaving you more vulnerable to anxiety and depression. Also too much stress can be bad. The amount of stress differs from person to person. People react differently to too much stress. Your ability to tolerate stress depends on many factors, including the quality of your relationships, your general outlook on life, your emotional intelligence, and genetics. Overall stress is never really a good thing.

Obesity

Obesity is a serious health concern for children and adolescents. Obese children and adolescents are at risk for health problems during their youth and as adults. For example, during their youth, obese children and adolescents are more likely to have risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease (such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and Type 2 diabetes) than are other children and adolescents.

Obese children and adolescents are more likely to become obese as adults. For example, one study found that approximately 80% of children who were overweight at aged 10–15 years were obese adults at age 25 years. Another study found that 25% of obese adults were overweight as children. The latter study also found that if overweight begins before 8 years of age, obesity in adulthood is likely to be more severe.

Contributing factors:

-Genetic factors

-Behavioral factors: such as energy intake, physical activity, and sedentary behavior.

-Enviornmental factors: such as within the home, child care, schools, and the community.

Obesity is a leading preventable cause of death worldwide. as one of the most serious public health problems of the 21st century. On a side note, obesity is stigmatized in the modern Western world, but it has been perceived as a symbol of wealth and fertility at other times in history, and still is in many parts of Africa.

Mononucleosis

Throught out my 2 years at Westfield so far, i have seen many viruses come and go. One that i have heard of frequently is Mononucleosis (Mono). Many of my friends have had mono and i can just see that is awful. This is a viral illness that can leave you feeling tired or weak for weeks or months. Mono goes away on its own but taking good care of yourself can help you feel better.

Causes:

Mono is caused by the Epstein Barr virus (EBV). most often seen in adolescents or young adults. Children may get the virus but it often goes unnoticed because the symptoms are so mild. Adults usually do not get mono because they have an immunity to it. Mono can be spread through contact with saliva, mucus from the nose and throat, and sometimes tears. Because the virus can be spread through kissing, it has earned the nickname the "kissing disease." If you have mono, you can avoid passing the virus to others by not kissing anyone and by not sharing things like glasses, eating utensils, or toothbrushes. You can only spread the virus when it is active.

Symptoms:

the most common symptoms of mono are a high fever, a severe sore throat, swollen glands and tonsils, and weakness and fatigue. Symptoms usually start 4 to 6 weeks after you are exposed to the virus. Also the spleen does swell, so if you recieve pain in the upper left part of your belly then your spleen may have burst. Doctors usually examine the person and then do blood tests to find out it is mono.

Treatment:

Usually only self-care is needed for mono.
-Get plenty of rest. You may need bed rest, which could keep you away from school or work for a little while.
-Gargle with salt water or use throat lozenges to soothe your sore throat.
-Take Tylenol or ibuprofen (Advil) to reduce fever and relieve a sore throat and headaches.
-Avoid contact sports and heavy lifting. Your spleen may be enlarged, and impact or straining could cause it to burst.
-In severe cases, medicines called corticosteroids may be used to reduce swelling of the throat, tonsils, or spleen.

Alcohol

Many people drink alcohol occasionally. I know many college students binge drink but in fact if you drink moderately there can be health benefits. Moderate drinking is one drink a day for women or anyone over 65, and two drinks a day for men under 65. One health benefit is reducing the risk of certain heart problems.Some people should not drink at all, including alcoholics, children, pregnant women, people on certain medicines and people with some medical conditions. Anything more than moderate drinking is called binge drinking and that can be risky. Binge drinking is drinking five or more drinks at one time. This can damage your health and increase your risk for accidents, injuries and assault. Years of heavy drinking can lead to liver disease, heart disease, cancer and pancreatitis. Drinking can also cause social problems in one's life. So in conclusion drinking moderately may be beneficial, but binge drinking can be very dangerous.