4 most common health problems among students and how to deal with them without medication

Along with the freedom, joy, and new opportunities you find in college, you may also have to deal with some risks to your health. College campuses and shared personal belongings are breeding grounds for fungi, bacteria, and viruses. New people, new social roles, new environments, and new higher expectations can trigger psychological problems as well. A busy academic schedule can lead to sleep deprivation and an intense social life might present you with some new addictions.

We have collected a list of the most common diseases and medical conditions affecting college students and prepared some easy-to-follow tips on how to get rid of them on your own. 

Disclaimer: We are not doctors and these are only recommendations. If you have any doubts or believe that your condition is severe, don’t be childish. Stop googling symptoms, and go visit a medical expert, for God’s sake!

Headaches

A study with a sample of 954 adolescents has demonstrated that more than 80% of young people suffer from headaches chronically or just once in a while. Besides some conditions connected with irregular blood pressure and hormone activity, migraines can be triggered by poor sleeping and eating habits, a lack of physical activities and overexposure to the screen of your mobile, tablet, or PC. Fortunately, these are also the triggers you can eliminate to relieve your headaches.

What you can do (in addition to visiting a doctor):

1. Make sure you don’t have a sensitivity to certain foods. For example, some types of aged cheeses and pickled products contain tyramine, which can trigger headaches.
2. Give up cigarettes. Smoking raises your blood pressure and may be a factor contributing to constant headaches.
3. Stop drinking heavily. Alcohol causes dehydration, while some dark beverages, like red wine and rum, also contain tyramine, which can lead to headaches all on its own.
4. Go outside. When you stay indoors day and night, your body can’t produce enough vitamin D and your blood starts to crave fresh air. Both of these conditions can trigger a headache.
5. You can also opt for a Migraine Therapy to help with the pain.

Infectious diseases

Influenza, stomach flu, conjunctivitis, meningitis, and mononucleosis are among the most common infectious diseases on campuses according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Along with visiting your campus nurse immediately after spotting the symptoms of a viral condition, you can do a lot to avoid it altogether. If you fear that your children may have an infectious disease in the digestive tract then consider consulting with a gastroenterology expert.

1. Don’t share your personal belongings with your mates. You can have one textbook for two of you once in a while, but your shoes, underwear, towels, make-up, and other intimate possessions shouldn’t be shared, even with your closest friends.
2. Wash your hands whenever you come in from the outside.
3. Avoid touching your face all the time and don’t rub your eyes. 
4. Become a bit fastidious. Picky people are less likely to get foot fungus and toxoplasmosis; if contacted, it needs to be checked by a foot doctor. 
5. Feed*** your immune system. Opt for whole foods instead of overly processed carbs and make sure your body has enough fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals to function properly.

Anxiety, stress, and burn out

Recent studies show that almost 5% of students use study drugs periodically in order to keep up with their group mates. The overload of homework is only one of many factors that trigger psychological problems among students. The college years are stressful, which is especially true for freshmen. They feel homesick and out of their comfort zone, and have to learn how to act their new social role as a “college student.” Perhaps most importantly,  they have to become independent and self-sufficient, living without parents by their side for perhaps the first time in their lives.

It is much easier to prevent the development of severe psychological conditions than deal with them as they come.

1. Allow yourself to feel tired, upset, angry, and irritated. Forbidding yourself from feeling negative emotions will only serve to draw a potential nervous breakdown closer.
2. Bad grades are not the end of the world. Watch some news or a drama on TV to understand once again how lucky you are to be alive. Even with an F on your Biology or Economics paper.
3. Try googling “write my essay for me.” Sometimes, delegating your papers to professionals is the best way out of the time crunch.
4. Don’t try to raise your energy level with alcohol, drugs, or energy drinks. As soon as you stop using them, withdrawals are soon to follow, and they’ll likely bring their friend “depression” along for the ride. 

Digestion problems

Acid reflux, constipation, and irritable bowel syndrome are quite common around the nation and adolescents are not excluded. Moreover, students are more likely to suffer from other digestive issues like ulcers, poisoning, and intoxication, which are frequently a result of poor eating habits. What can you do to not be knocked out of your academic life by unexpected tummy troubles?

1. Find out what triggers your digestion problems, then avoid these substances.
2. Wash fruits and vegetables before consuming them. And wash your hands too!
3. Add some fiber and probiotics to your diet. 
4. Don’t overeat, and avoid products that are too salty, too spicy, too hot, too cold, or too greasy. You’re probably better off just avoid any food that tastes too good, just in case.

Your health is in your hands and this is a reality you have to accept as a grown-up. Your parents won’t control your diet or how weather-appropriate you’ve dressed anymore. You have to make your appointments to the dentist whenever you’re having tooth pain or you need oral procedures. As of now, you will have to do all of these tedious, necessary tasks on your own. At least try to pay proper attention to your well-being.