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Ask the DocDr. Pierre-Paul Tellier is Associate Professor of Family Medicine and Director of Student Health Services at McGill University in Quebec. |
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Q: My hands always turn wrinkly and rough in the winter. My doctor told me it’s skin irritation because of cold weather and gave me a prescription for a cream. Can I use something over-the-counter instead?
-Jenzie, University of Regina
A: Jenzie,
Dry skin is a problem for many Canadians during the winter. The reasons for this include:
As a result, our living environments are as dry as a desert and our skin loses moisture. Dry skin will be rough, red, and itchy. Scratching will break the skin and the resulting wounds may get infected.
The treatment will vary according to the severity of the problem and the extent of your symptoms. If your skin in rough and itchy, start by using a moisturizer. The purpose of a moisturizer is to trap water between the skin and an oil of some sort. You can apply it in a number of ways:
If your skin is broken and infected, an antibiotic cream may be needed. Again these are oil-based ointments but with ingredients that stop the growth of bacteria. You can use an over-the-counter product for a few days, but if this doesn’t help, a prescription from your doctor is again the next step.
The first time you apply any cream, use a small amount to make sure you don’t react to any additives, especially if you have eczema or allergies.
Finally, putting moisture back into your environment will also help. Here are some options:
At this point I feel more like a grandmother sharing home remedies than a physician, but sometimes the simplest and cheapest solutions are the best.
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Ask the Sexual Health EducatorJoleen M. Nevers, MAEd., CHES, AASECT, is a certified sexuality educator and the health education coordinator at the University of Connecticut. |
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Q: How much sex is too much?
-Mike, St. John Fisher College
A: Mike,
When it comes to sexual activity, people often compare themselves to others. In my experience, many students try to assess if they’re healthy by asking things like, “How many sexual partners is too many or too few?” and “How often do people have sex?” or “How much sex is too much?”
These are just a few of the questions that are frequently on people’s minds, but there isn’t one specific answer I can offer. What might be true for one person isn’t for everyone.
One way to start exploring your question is by defining what you believe to be “sex.” For some people it might include masturbation, while for others it is oral, anal, or vaginal contact with another person. For some people sex includes viewing arousing pictures or movies.
Next, ask yourself what you think is too much sex, and if you’re concerned about how often you’re having it. Morals, experiences, culture, religious or spiritual beliefs, and many other factors influence each person’s feelings about sexuality. Sometimes these are affected by what people see in films, pictures, art, and social media. Considering all of these can help you figure out what you believe to be healthy for you.
If you find that you’re unable to concentrate or find a healthy balance between your focus on sex and other priorities-like classes, homework, a job, eating, sleeping, and relationships with family, friends, and/or partners-then you might be concerned about being too distracted by sex. In other words, if sex and thoughts about it are taking up a lot of your time, and that’s disturbing other parts of your life, then it might be helpful to seek out some support. Many schools offer counselling as well as consultation with professional sexual health educators like myself.
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Ask the CounselorPeter Welch, M.A., is a wellness educator and counselor at the University of New Hampshire. |
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Q: How happy should a person be?
-Susanna, Binghamton University, The State University of New York
A: Susanna,
What a wonderful and compelling question. Happiness is a topic that has been extensively researched, and from this the field of positive psychology has evolved.
Here are a few things about happiness that we now know:
Sometimes it seems like happiness is a commodity or a lofty goal marked by constant smiling and no bumps in the road. But real happiness is more like feeling content or satisfied: Living a meaningful and purposeful life. Our choices, thoughts, and deeds can all influence our personal level of satisfaction.
To maximize your experience of happiness, try these tips:
As the Dalai Lama says, “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”
Keep in mind that living a satisfied life requires that we experience a full range of emotions-including sadness, anger, frustration, and confusion-in addition to pleasure, playfulness, and joy. Without the contrast between these feelings, we wouldn’t fully know happiness. As it’s said, without darkness, there is no light.
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Ask the TrainerFrankie Romeo is a certified personal trainer, small group training coach, and student at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. |
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Q: How can I avoid shin splints?
-Emily, Rollins College
A: Emily,
The tibia, typically referred to as the shin, is the weight-bearing bone in your lower leg. Repetitive impact on the tibia can result in inflammation and injury, particularly of the muscles and connective tissue around the shin and toes, and these are often called “shin splints.” They’re common in many athletes, runners, and sometimes others who are new to physical activity.
Here are three suggestions to help you avoid injury to your shins:
More about preventing shin splints.
By Jessica Wong with Theresa Ketterling
Grocery shelves are packed with “nutrition bars” these days. They typically contain:
These bars differ from granola or snack bars in that they have much higher quantities of protein and calories, and often claim to include various vitamins and minerals.
Meal-replacement bars are commonly advertised as weight-loss aids. Eating one every once in a while won’t hurt, but they don’t replace balanced meals, and diarrhea is a common side effect of eating too many. Plus, they tend to be expensive and taste a bit like cardboard.
Here are some affordable and portable alternatives:
By Jessica Wong with Theresa Ketterling
The idea behind the Paleo diet is this: Our bodies weren’t designed to digest the large quantity of grains, dairy, salt, and sugar that are typical these days. Instead, the staples of a Paleo plate are meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, and nuts-all foods which were available to our Stone Age ancestors. That period ended about 10,000 years ago, but proponents of Paleo-style eating say it prevents health concerns like diabetes and heart disease.
Brooke Bulloch, a registered dietitian and owner of Food to Fit in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, suggests eating more fruits and vegetables, rather than increasing your protein intake. A healthy meal might consist of meat or fish and steamed or raw veggies. Eggs are a popular choice, with minimal inclusion of breads and pasta.
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Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2-8
Sexual and Reproductive Health Awareness Day - 14
