Men;
Your health
Ok guys, let’s face it,
your at university and all you really care about is getting
drunk, meeting a few ladies and perhaps coming out with a
half-respectable degree. It’s understandable that you
want to have fun and create some life-long memories but it
is also important to come out of university alive and with
all of your limbs.
Your health is always important
and I’m afraid, it doesn’t take a break just because
you’re at university for three years. Only you can be
responsible for your own well-being and if your health goes
down the toilet with last nights beer sick, you only have
yourself to blame.
Testicular Cancer
Although there are so many things
that can go wrong with our complicated bodies, some concerns
relate directly to the male sex. As a student, you probably
don’t spend too much of your time worrying about such
trivial matters as testicular cancer – but it’s
time you took it seriously!
Although testicular cancer is
not that common in itself, it is the most common cancer to
hit men between the ages of 20 and 39. Treatment for testicular
cancer is generally very effective, so it is important to
catch it as early as possible and to take any symptoms very
seriously.
You should check yourself regularly
and yes, boys this means having a good feel! You should get
to know the shape and size of your testes so that you will
instantly recognise any changes that occur. The best time
to self-examine yourself is after a warm bath or shower so
that your scrotum is soft, allowing you to feel the testes
accurately. When examining yourself, look out for:
-
A lump or swollen area in
either of the testicles
-
Pain in either tactical or
the scrotum.
-
A fluid build-up in the scrotum.
-
A noticeable increase in the
size of a testicle (although it is not unusually for one
testicle to be slightly larger than the other, they should
remain the same size)
If you think that you have identified
any of the above on your testicles then it is important that
you get straight down to the doctors. The worst thing you
can do is to ignore the problem or to allow embarrassment
to stop you from seeing your GP. Doctors have seen everything
before and are no strangers to a pair of nuts!
General Health
U niversity
is not renowned for being one of the most healthy places you
will ever visit, with its cheap canteen selling plates of
chips bigger than the grand canyon, two-for-one offers down
the student union bar and gym memberships that are as about
appealing as a skydive without a parachute. However, your
health is not something to be taken lightly. Try and balance
your diet – if you insist on eating super-noodles everyday
then try chucking in a few vegetables for good measure. Instead
of going out getting sloshed every night of the week, try
mixing it up a bit and go to the cinema or to a museum…ok,
ok, just the cinema. We realise that exercise is probably
not the highest priority on your list of things to do when
you get out of bed (if you get out of bed) but try making
a few changes to your daily life that will help you keep fit.
For example, get a bike and ride to your lecture hall instead
of getting the bus or simply get off one bus stop early to
give your legs a bit of fresh air.
University life will probably
be far much more enjoyable if you actually survive it. Plus,
no one likes a fat, spotty student do they!?
Women;
Your health
Man or women, at some point in
your life you will probably feel a little under the weather
or will perhaps develop something more serious. However, there
are some health issues that are specific to just you women
and as you visit your GP nearly twice as much as men, you
probably know what we’re talking about.
Below are a few of the issues
that may affect you at some point in your life:
Breast Cancer
Unless you have spent the majority
of your years on mars then you would have heard about breast
cancer. This form of cancer is the most common amongst women
and unfortunately as many as 1 in 9 women will get breast
cancer sometime in their lives. There are many factors that
could increase a woman’s risk of getting breast cancer
including age, whether or not you have a late menopause, your
weight and whether or not someone in your family has the abnormal
gene that can cause breast cancer.
So how do you know if you have
breast cancer? Well, firstly you should not take this advice
as a complete guide to symptoms. If you are unsure or experience
any change in your breasts you should see your GP immediately.
Breast cancer will not necessarily make you feel unwell or
sick and therefore it is important to check for cancerous
lumps regularly. A sign that you may have breast cancer could
be a lump in your breast or an area that feels abnormally
lumpy. Other symptoms may include a change in the skin of
the breast, rashes around the nipple, discharge from the nipple
and an inflamed breast.
It is important that you check!
Have you ever been introduced to your breasts? Well, it’s
time you were; you need to get to know your breasts –
the shape, size, texture etc. Get familiar with your breasts
when you are not on your period and when you are as they are
likely to go through changes. Make a habit of checking your
breasts – do it in the shower or get your boyfriend
to do it (I’m sure he wont mind!) If you think you have
found any abnormal change in your breasts or a specific lump
then get yourself down to your doctors! Less and less women
are dieing as a result of breast cancer and if you catch it
early enough then there is no reason why you can’t go
on living a happy and healthy life.
Cervical Cancer
Although cervical cancer is most
prevalent amongst women over the age of 50, it can in fact
affect women from all age groups. Doctors can usually tell
if there is a risk of you developing cervical cancer by performing
a cervical smear test. This test looks for changes in the
cells that could be a sign of the early stages of cervical
cancer. It is important for women to have the smear test on
a regular basis to ensure if there is a risk of cancer, it
is treated as soon as possible. Treatment for cervical cancer
may involve radiotherapy or a ‘radical hysterectomy’
– however, upon finding abnormal cells, your doctor
will discuss your treatment options with you in full.
Thrush
Also known as candidiasis or yeast
infection, thrush is very common amongst women and in fact,
most women will experience the symptoms of thrush at least
once in their lives. We all carry yeast on our bodies, which
usually causes no problems as it is kept under control by
what is referred to as ‘friendly bacteria’. However,
sometimes the natural balance of yeast and friendly bacteria
is disrupted and the yeast is allowed to grow out of control.
If this happens in the vaginal area, this is called thrush.
Although thrush is quite common, it does involve some not
so nice symptoms. If you have thrush, you may experience a
burning sensation in the vagina, itching, inflammation of
the vagina or vulva and perhaps a discharge from the vagina
that doesn’t smell too good.
Fortunately, with the advances
in medical science you are now able to buy treatments for
thrush over the counter. However, if you have never had thrush
before and you are not sure if what you have is indeed thrush,
you should seek professional advice from your GP to gain clarity
– don’t be embarrassed, they have seen it all
before! Treatment can involve antifungal drugs to be swallowed
or inserted into the vagina or simply a cream to rub onto
the infected area.
With our bodies being so complicated
there are obviously a wealth of other health issues for you
to be aware about. The above women’s health concerns
are merely an introduction to some of the most common concerns
that women may have when it comes to their health. If you
are worried about anything then you should seek professional
advice from your GP. Try not to let embarrassment get in the
way of you seeing your doctor. Remember, they have seen everything
before and more…whatever you can show them, they have
seen worse! It is not worth the risk of something as serious
as cancer just because you were a little embarrassed. So get
to the doctors and get your bits out!
Useful Links
NHS
Direct – All of your health advice needs
on one website.
BBC
Health – The BBC has lots of easy to
manage health information.
Net
Doctor – health information and advice.
Student
Advice – Lots of health advice for you
students.
Male
Health – Go here for detailed advice
for your male health issues.
Food
Standards Agency – Find out what is good
and what is not when it comes to eating.
Cancer
Research – Information about how an unhealthy
lifestyle could cost you more than your looks.
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