In case of poverty and the plague…

…Break out your MetroCard and hop on the subway (or bus) to health.

For those of us who are broke, and yet also prone to illness, and are further not blessed with health insurance, never fear. There are several clinics that will take your money (but only some).

• Callen-Lorde: By far and away, my favorite clinic out here. They’re very nice, work on a sliding scale fee system, and offer tons of different services, like dental and doctor and more. Escpecially good if you’re the gay because that is the population they focus on, but they won’t judge you if you’re hetero. Located on W. 18th St. between 8th & 9th Avenues in Manhattan.
• Family Health Center of Western Queens: This place was not my favorite, but my complaint isn’t with the quality of health care but rather with their billing system. It’s much closer, being located in Long Island City, but it is a good 10 block walk from the subway at the least. Also works with those who have a low income. Good if Manhattan is too far. A word of warning– Pay close attention to your billing statement and make sure that your account is taken care of.
• The Ryan Center: I haven’t been here, but QC lists them as a good resource. They give QC students a discount with their student ID. They have 3 locations in Manhattan.
• Health Services Center @ QC: Not too bad, but they don’t have a doctor and the staffing coverage can be patchy. Good if you need a referral or an Advil. Not very useful if you have the plague.

In case of nasty cough…

…Break out your trusty teaspoon and get ready for the nastiest syrup imaginable.

Right now, it’s major project, presentation, website design and paper due-date time in MLS-land, and with the weather and temperatures being so wonky lately, you may be feeling a cold fast approaching. Or, like me, you may already have the plague and are guzzling soup and crunching cough drops like it’s goin’ out of style, but all to no effect. Well, never fear. I have found the solution that makes Robitussin look like a bottle of sugar water and that will send your cold hastily penning you a letter of resignation and running for the hills.

With a tagline like “It Tastes Awful. And It Works,” you know you’re in for a good time of it. Buckley’s makes possibly the most vile-tasting cough syrup I have had. Rather like a big spoonful of liquid Vicks VapoRub, actually. Made with nummy natural things like camphor and pine needle oil, and supplemented with Dextromethorpan and Pseudoephedrine (for the Cough & Cold/DM version), it is also sugar- and alcohol-free. Best of all, this syrup knocks the bejeezus out of one’s colds and coughs, so I highly recommend it. You’ll want to make sure you have a nice chaser of honey and lemon or Funyuns or something to get rid of that lingering flavor of death.

In case of dizziness or presyncope…

Break out the pillows and give yourself a good lie-down. Really. It’s what’s recommended. Also, if there’s no bed handy, you can put your head between your knees (or toward that general area if you’re not that flexible) which will also help.

Today, as I was trying to work on school stuff and not die of the plague, I got incredibly dizzy. I managed to get home in one piece, and now that I am supine and semi-coherent, what better time to post about dizziness, light-headedness and various causes and cures? At this juncture, it’s taking me about twice as long to write half as well as usual, so pardon any typos and I’ll try and make sure my html tags are closed.

Sensation(s): a sensation of turning round or whirling; a swaying sensation, or a feeling of weakness, faintness, light-headedness or unsteadiness; feelings of unreality, faints, blackouts; etc.

Many (both mental and physical) Causes of Dizziness and Light-headedness:

• Shock
• Low blood sugar
• Inner-ear issues
• Anemia
• Stroke
• Diabetes
• And on and on…

Some quick help for non-serious cases:

Drink plenty of fluids. If you become dehydrated, your blood pressure will drop and you might feel light-headed.
Don’t forget to eat regularly. Skipping meals can result in low blood sugar, a common cause of light-headedness…
Indulge your sweet tooth. If you suspect your light-headedness is caused by low blood sugar, then try eating a piece of candy or chocolate or drinking a glass of orange juice….
Cool off. Hot, humid days can drain the body of fluids and make you feel light-headed. “My advice in that situation is to get into an air-conditioned room and drink at least a couple of glasses of water, and you’ll probably feel a lot better very quickly,” Dr. Amedee says. [I would caution against taking this approach at face value, actually. Although you should get out of the sun if you’re feeling unwell, it seems like going from very hot to very cold would be shocking to your system. If anything, keep the a/c on low and have room-temperature water.]
Reel in your drugs. Some drugs, particularly those used to treat high blood pressure, can cause light-headedness. Ask your doctor to review your medications with you.
Bow your head. If you feel light-headed, lie down or lower your head between your legs. That will increase blood flow to your brain and heart and reduce your chances of fainting, doctors say.
Brown-bag it. Often, hyperventilation causes light-headedness because overbreathing decreases the amount of oxygen and increases levels of carbon dioxide in your body. If you are hyperventilating, try holding your breath for several seconds or place a paper bag over your nose and mouth and take slow, deep breaths until the light-headedness is gone.

Sources: BUPA & From the Rodale book, Symptoms, Their Causes & Cures

In case of a horrid cold….

Break out the bed rest….

Sorry. Not many high quality posts this week due to midterms and a rather protracted, nasty cold. I have been trying to hold on to my health with vitamin C, zinc, soup, tea, and cough syrup, but with little effect.
So, anyway here’s my brief list of fixes for (minor) colds. They haven’t worked for me this time around, but they’re generally pretty good…

• Sambucol Elderberry syrup
• Thayers Slipper Elm lozenges
• Chloraseptic
• Vicks Vaporub
• Emer’gen-C
• Miso soup
• Hot tea (but don’t add sugar)
• Salt water gargle
• Zicam (if you catch your symptoms quickly enough)
• Big spoonful of honey with fresh lemon juice on top
• Sleeeeeeeeeeeep

So now I am going to cough my brains out and make a futile attempt at sleeping.