As we head into the spring semester at Sacramento State, it is apparent that there is little spring to be seen, and a whole lot of winter to be found.

Students can be spotted all about campus bundled up in winter coats, scarves and galoshes.

Not much can be said for the weather either, with its grey skies and the plethora of rain puddles around campus.

There are two more things that reminds us of the season we’re in – cold and flu.

Why is this the season that people tend to get sick more easily?

Darlene Spencer, a registered nurse at the Student Health Center on campus, said that this is a source of debate, and that there are only theories as to why this happens.

Spencer said one of the theories is that because the sun is out less, we have a lack of vitamin D in our bodies. A second theory is that cold and flu viruses have a harder time breeding in the warm weather, but a much easier time when it is cold outside.

Regardless, we still get sick, but there are a few things that can be done to prevent getting sick and missing class, especially in these crucial first weeks of class.

“Hand washing is key,” Spencer said. “Everything you touch, people have touched before you.”

She also suggests using some sort of hand sanitizer to protect against viruses, because of all the things that are shared on campus, like computers, desks, door handles and other equipment.

Hand washing and using sanitizer are especially important when preventing a cold, because colds are transmitted when someone touches a surface that has been touched by someone sick and then rubs their eyes or nose, according to the “Cold and Self Care” pamphlet provided by the health center.

The flu is a little bit trickier to prevent.

“The flu is spread by droplets, it is going all over the place,” Spencer said.

These droplets are released when someone sneezes or coughs.

She also said that whenever you sneeze or cough, you should cover your cough, ideally with a tissue, and then throw that tissue away.

There is also an alternative method of preventing a cold, although less proven, and that is the dietary supplement Airborne.

“As soon as I start to feel sick, I take Airborne,” Sac State junior Naomi Dean said, when asked how she prevents a cold. “It kills whatever cold I have.”

Preventing the flu is a little harder, because of the fact that it is spread by droplets in the air. Unless you want to walk around campus wearing a mask, Spencer suggests getting a flu shot, because it is not too late.

“February is notoriously a big month for the flu in Sacramento,” Spencer added.

Sometimes, though, getting a cold or the flu is inevitable.

When asked if she had any methods of preventing a cold or the flu, Sac State student Jonni Aranda said “If it’s gonna happen, it’s gonna happen.”

If you find yourself sick, there are a few things that you can do to make yourself feel better.

“I have chicken noodle soup, and I still take Airborne,” Dean said about how she eases her suffering when hit with a cold or the flu. “I try to get sleep.”

This is right on track, Spencer said.

“We encourage people to do some self-care if they suspect it is a cold.”

One aspect of self-care is resting, although she realizes that a student’s schedule doesn’t always permit a lot of rest, but there is good reason behind getting some good rest with a cold.

“You can push through a cold, start getting better, and then get sick again,” Spencer said about not getting enough rest while sick. She also suggests drinking plenty of fluids, like water, to help keep secretions (also known as mucus or phlegm) thin and therefore able to be expelled out of the body.

A visit to the doctor isn’t usually needed for a cold, but there are some over-the-counter medications that can be taken to ease your suffering, and they are available at the Student Health Center.

If it is the flu you have, Spencer said that resting is just about the only thing that can be done.

“You know you have the flu if getting out of bed to go to the bathroom is tough,” said Spencer. She said that with the flu, you typically feel miserable with a fever, headache and body aches, and have a hard time doing everyday things, like going to class. Someone with the flu should rest up and drink lots of fluids.

With both a cold and the flu, there are times when self-care is not enough, and medical attention should be sought. Spencer said that when a fever reaches over 101 degrees and/or colorful things are being coughed up, it is important to seek medical attention, be it at a regular physician on campus at the Student Health Center.

The health center’s services are covered by the $67 health center fee paid every semester, which means that a trip to the center to be seen for a cold or the flu is free.

Stephanie Samsel can be reached at [email protected].