Back to Topics


Student Health 101 General Health
A Reference Guide to Student Health

Respiratory Conditions

Allergies/Hay Fever

Colds

Flu (Influenza)

Laryngitis (Hoarse Voice)

Shortness of Breath

Sinusitis

Allergies/Hay Fever
Symptoms of hay fever include coughing, sneezing, itchy throat and eyes, and clear nasal discharge. Some common causes of allergies include pollen, mold or mildew, animal dander, and dust mites. Seasonal allergies occur when symptoms return at the same time each year and are usually due to pollen and grasses.

TREATMENT

Home Care

  • Limit time spent outdoors when pollen counts are high (generally in the spring).
  • Keep your bedroom as dust-free as possible and consider using an air purifier with a HEPA filter.
  • Talk with your physician about long-acting, non-sedating antihistamines. Symptoms often respond to antihistamines such as Benadryl®.

Professional Care
Seek medical attention for any of the following:

  • Breathing difficulties
  • Wheezing
  • Throat tightness
  • Any sign of infection

PREVENTION
There are no reliable prevention techniques for hay fever other than avoiding substances that you know cause allergic symptoms.

Back to top

Colds
The common cold is an infection of the nose, throat, ears, and sinuses caused by any one of hundreds of viruses. Because a virus causes the common cold, physicians will not prescribe antibiotics unless they feel there is a bacterial infection. For people who are healthy, this is usually not a serious condition, and symptoms typically go away in seven to ten days. Symptoms can include a runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, cough, body aches, and fever. Coughing, sneezing, or touching hands easily spreads cold viruses from person to person.

TREATMENT

Home Care

  • Rest and drink plenty of liquids
  • Consume hot water and chicken soup to relieve congestion
  • Take Tylenol® or Advil® for fever, sore throat, and body aches.
  • Humidify your bedroom to aid in sleeping
  • Wash your hands to prevent spread of the virus to others.
  • Apply petroleum jelly or antibiotic cream to the area if your nose is sore from blowing.
  • Avoid antihistamines, as they do not help with colds.
  • Refrain from using nasal decongestants such as Afrin® for more than two to three days, as the nose can become more congested if such medicines are used too often.
  • Treat symptoms such as congestion or cough with over-the-counter decongestants or cough syrup.

Professional Care
Seek medical attention for any of the following:

  • High fever or shaking chills
  • Facial pain or other signs of sinusitis (see “Sinusitis” on page 19)
  • No improvement in symptoms for two to three weeks

PREVENTION

  • Wash your hands often
  • Avoid contact with people who have colds.
  • Avoid touching your mouth, nose, or eyes too often
  • Avoid smoking
  • Avoid becoming “run down.”
  • Get plenty of sleep, eat well, and exercise to keep your immune system strong.

Back to top

Flu (Influenza)
Flu, or influenza, is an infection of the nose, throat, windpipe, lung airways, and muscles. It is not the same thing as the common cold. It is usually much more severe, causing very high fevers, muscle pain, headache, fatigue, chills, and dry cough. Most people with the flu get better in seven to ten days; however, fl u may lead to severe illness, especially in infants and the elderly.

TREATMENT

  • Contact your physician if you feel you have influenza. He or she may prescribe an anti-viral medicine. Anti-viral medicines work best if given within 48 hours of the start of symptoms and can help reduce the severity and duration of the flu.
  • Get plenty of rest and drink fluids.
  • Take Tylenol® or Advil® to relieve fever, headache, and body aches.
  • Do not take aspirin.

PREVENTION

  • Get vaccinated to prevent influenza.  Physicians usually offer the vaccine in October or November. If you are over the age of 50, have a chronic illness (such as asthma, emphysema diabetes, or heart disease), or have close contact with people who have a chronic illness, it is especially important to seek vaccination.
  • Avoid contact with people who have the fl u virus.
  • Wash your hands often.
  • Get plenty of rest, eat well, and exercise to strengthen your immune system.
  • Avoid smoking.

Back to top

Laryngitis (hoarse voice)
Laryngitis, an infection of the voice box (larynx), causes hoarseness. Its origin is usually a viral infection such as a cold. Other causes include excessive talking, yelling, or singing; cigarette smoke; and backflow (reflux) of stomach acid into the voice-box area. Rarely, a tumor pressing on the voice box causes hoarseness. In most cases, the voice box heals in seven to ten days.

TREATMENT

Home Care

  • Rest your voice. Do not yell or sing and talk as little as possible.
  • Avoid smoking.
  • Treat your cold symptoms (see “Colds” on page 16) if you feel that you have a cold associated with the hoarseness.
  • Drink plenty of water.
  • Drink warm liquids to soothe the throat.
  • Take Tylenol® or Advil® for sore-throat pain.
  • Treat any heartburn (see “Heart burn” on page 34) symptoms.
  • Treat any allergies (see “Allergies/Hay Fever” on page 15) you may be experiencing.

Professional Care
Seek medical attention if:

  • You develop high fever, chills, or other signs of bacterial infection
  • You have night sweats or are losing weight
  • The hoarseness persists for more than two weeks
  • You experience breathing difficulty with hoarseness

PREVENTION

  • Rest your voice as soon as you start to feel hoarse
  • Avoid smoking.

Back to top

 

Shortness of Breath
Difficulty breathing is often frightening, and can be symptom of ailments as serious heart attack or other heart problems (see “Chest Pain” on page 10). However, it may also signal a wide range of other conditions, including asthma, allergic reactions, pneumonia, and anxiety attacks.

Asthma is a condition in which the small airways in the lungs go into spasm. This results in difficulty breathing and wheezing. Many things can trigger an asthma attack, including pollen, animal dander, infection, cigarette smoke, exercise, and stress.

TREATMENT
• Call 911 immediately for shortness of breath with any symptoms of heart attack (chest pain, sweating, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, or an irregular heartbeat). Most causes of new-onset shortness of breath require immediate or urgent evaluation by a physician.
• Talk with your physician about the best options for treating asthma.

PREVENTION
Most causes of shortness of breath are not preventable. However, if you are asthmatic, avoid agents that cause flare-ups and use the medications as prescribed by your physician.

Back to top

Sinusitis
Sinuses are air-filled spaces in the bone behind the cheeks and forehead.  Sinusitis is an inflammation or infection of the sinuses, most often following a cold. Other causes include smoking, allergies, polyps (growths of tissue that can block the sinus passage), and overuse of nasal decongestants. Symptoms of sinus infection include facial pain, headache, fever, stuffy nose, coughing, upper-tooth pain, and thick green or yellow nasal mucus. Sinusitis caused by bacteria may need treatment with an antibiotic.

TREATMENT

Home Care

  • Get plenty of rest.
  • Drink plenty of fluids.
  • Apply a warm, wet towel to your face, or breathe in steam from a hot bath or shower.
  • Take Tylenol® or Advil® for pain.
  • Avoid using nasal spray decongestants for more than two to three days, as they can make sinus congestion worse with repeated use.
  • Try nonprescription cold medicines if your physician feels it is safe for you. Some cold medicines can worsen chronic health problems, such as high blood pressure.
  • Rinse your sinus passages with an over-the-counter saline solution.
  • Follow your physician’s instructions and take the entire course of medication if he or she prescribes an antibiotic.

Professional Care
Seek medical attention if:

  • You have a headache more severe than a “normal” headache
  • Sinus pain worsens or you develop high fever
  • You develop green or yellow nasal drainage associated with fever and facial pain
  • You have a history of nasal polyps or severe sinus infections.

PREVENTION

  • Avoid smoking. Tobacco smoke can paralyze tiny hairs called cilia that help clear the sinuses of bacteria and other particles.
  • Avoid any substances that irritate your allergies.
  • Treat nasal congestion early if you have a cold.

Back to top