20 health tips for students

About to start university? Follow our guide to staying well while studying away from home.

1. Register with a local doctor
If you’re going to spend more time at uni than at home, you need to register with a GP nearby so you can get medical advice and access to health services quickly and easily.

2. Register with a local dentist
Doctors can’t sort out dental problems so unless you fancy trekking home at the first sign of toothache, find yourself a local dental surgery.

3. Check your vaccinations are up to date
University and college students should be immunised against meningitis C and mumps before they start their studies. Get vaccinated at your GP surgery before term starts.

4. Survive freshers’ flu

 
A combination of nasty symptoms - headache, cough, fever and tiredness, freshers’ flu is an inevitable part of living away from home with other students, drinking too much alcohol, not sleeping enough, eating badly and feeling stressed. Short of staying in your room it may be hard to avoid, but you can recover quicker if you get enough sleep, eat a balanced diet and drink moderately.

5. Know your units
Aside from a shocking hangover, drinking too much can have serious social and academic consequences, especially if you’re getting drunk regularly. Aim to stick to the recommended number of units – not more than three to four a day for men and two to three for women. Your liver will thank you for it.

6. Use contraception
Practise safe sex. Contraception and contraceptive advice is free to students in the UK so explore your options by speaking to your GP or sexual health clinic.

7. Rest
Early nights might not feature in most students’ itineraries but going to sleep before midnight at least once a week will allow your body a chance to recover and repair.

8. Eat well
Munching five portions of fruit and vegetables a day might seem impossible when you’re having cereal for breakfast and dinner but eating healthily doesn’t have to be time consuming or costly. In fact, ingredients for simple dishes can be cheaper than ready meals.

9. Stash supplies
It’s a good idea to keep a personal supply of things such as oral rehydration sachets, painkillers, antacids, cough linctus, antibacterial cream and plasters for times when you’re feeling poorly.

10. Stock up on supplements
You’re unlikely to get all the nutrition you need from the typical student diet of takeaways, comfort and convenience food. So shore up your defences by taking a daily vitamin and mineral supplement.

11. Have a sexual health check
Even if you don’t have symptoms, it’s important to get checked for sexually transmitted infections as some are symptomless but can still cause infertility. Chlamydia is the most common STI among young people and students under the age of 25 can get tested for it free on the NHS.

12. Visit an optician

 
If you find yourself squinting across the lecture hall, it’s time to get your eyes tested.

13. Just say no
To drugs, that is. There’s a reason they are illegal; they pose a risk to your mental and physical health and can be highly addictive. Don’t go there.

14. Keep your hands clean
(We hope) you wash them after you’ve been to the loo and before you eat or prepare food but cleaning your hands after tapping away on a communal keyboard or getting off the bus means you’re less likely to pick up viruses that cause illnesses.

15. Know where to get help
If the pressure to perform academically is getting too much, you’re feeling lonely, worrying about money, battling with depression or struggling with an eating disorder, help is at hand. Speak to your doctor, personal tutor, a university counsellor or a student support services staff member.

16. Quit while you’re ahead
If you don’t smoke when you get to college, don’t start. Smoking increases your risk of lung cancer and heart disease, triples your chances of getting wrinkles around your eyes and mouth and causes impotence.

17. Go outside

 
As well as delivering a reviving dose of fresh air, getting outdoors is a great way to boost your levels of bone-strengthening vitamin D and will boost your circulation and concentration.

18. Combat stress
If exams and deadlines are looming and you’re feeling stressed, schedule an hour of downtime. Whether you read a book, go for a walk or simply sit and stare at a wall, sixty minutes of doing something other than revising or writing essays will leave you feeling calmer.

19. Get some exercise
Regular physical activity will improve your physical and mental health and fitness. Think beyond the gym and sign up for an activity that will enable you to meet new people and take on new challenges.

20. Relax
Unless you’re planning on studying forever, your time as a student is limited so try to relax and enjoy it.

Source: http://www.tescomagazine.com/health/family-health/20-health-tips-for-students.html