Chapped lips, runny noses, and incessant coughs. Ah yes, its January. It seems that there’s no escape from the colds and flus that plague our campus each winter. However, this season not only do we have to battle with dry skin, freezing conditions and walking to class, many of us have had to deal with the now well known Norwalk Virus.
Many people that I’ve come in contact with fall ill to this epidemic, which seems to be widely spread, especially in Boston. I knew there was no escape for me. This 24-hour bug that most people around Boston have already fallen victim to was said to be connected to the cruise ship sicknesses. Unfortunately my vain attempt at avoiding this bug was ended when I awoke in the middle of the night, forced to make a beeline towards the bathroom. If you’re someone like me, you were vomiting and fevers don’t fit into your schedule, then I’m sure I’m not alone in my concern for avoiding this season of sicknesses.
Now that the Norwalk Virus seems to have subsided, it was replaced a pesky cold, with perks including blocked sinus, a bad cough and of course a stuffy nose. After going through my fourth box of tissues and two weeks of feeling run down, I can’t understand why I’m still sick and how these winter worries could have been avoidable. I consider myself a healthy person by most accounts, I try and get sufficient sleep (as difficult as that is living in college dorms), exercise, and I don’t smoke. So where am I going wrong by being constantly bothered by feeling sick during the winter?
Our society loves to suggest supposed fail-proof remedies to prevent and put a stop to any colds or ailments we may encounter. However I haven’t seen any significant information that’s convinced me that by drinking a cocktail of herbal teas and Echinacea drops will help me ward off any germs or help me get better. I also took the extra step this year in securing myself a helping of the flu shot, but after I came down with the virus, it made me question if even the flu shots were beneficial.
When reading the newspapers, magazines, or watching the news, many of the health information has to be always taken with a grain of salt because the following day may contain information contradicting the previous day’s health advice. It’s hard to know what’s good for or compromising to our health. I’ve invested in a slew of cough drops, vitamin C supplements and Sudafed just to hopefully postpone my symptoms to make it through the work or school day. However no long lasting benefits seem to come from these supposed remedies.
It’s times like these (as I watch someone struggling to keep their balance as they dare to cross the patch of ice the size of a small pond across from my dorm) that makes me wish for warmer days. However, like everyone else, I’ll have to suck it up and make the best of these cold days by enjoying the snow and a comforting mug of hot chocolate.
-Christine Meade is a sophomore English major.
