The Ultimate College Student Health Handbook: Your Guide for Everything from Hangovers to Homesickness

by Jill Grimes MD, FAAFP, Nicole Grimes (Illustrator)

Overview

2021 Pinnacle Book Achievement Award Winner
2021 Gold Medal Florida Authors & Publishers Association Presidents Award: Health Category
2021 Gold Medal Winner of the International Book Award: Health Category
2021 Silver Medal Winner of the Nautilus Award:  Health, Healing, Wellness & Vitality
2021 Independent Press Award Distinguished Favorite: Health & Fitness
2021 New York City Big Book Award Distinguished Favorite in the Health & Fitness category
2021 Firebird Speak Up Talk Radio Winner
2021 Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal: Young Adult Nonfiction 
2020 Gold Medal Winner of the Literary Titan Award
2020 American Book Fest Best Book Awards Winner: College Guides

Consider this College Health 101—an award-winning guide to what students really want (or need) to know about their mental and physical health when they're away from home.

College students facing their first illness, accident, or anxiety away from home often flip-flop between wanting to handle it themselves and wishing their parents could swoop in and fix everything. Advice from peers and “Dr. Google” can be questionable.The Ultimate College Student Health Handbook provides accurate, trustworthy, evidence-based medical information (served with a dose of humor) to reduce anxiety and stress and help set appropriate expectations for more than fifty common issues.
 
What if you can’t sleep well (or can’t sleep at all) in your dorm room?  What if a pill “gets stuck” in your throat? What if your roommate falls asleep (or passes out) wearing contacts, and wakes up with one painfully stuck? Your friend’s terrible sore throat isn’t Strep or Mono? What else could it be? What should you do for food poisoning? When do you really need X-rays for a sprained ankle or injured toe? What helps severe test anxiety or fear of public speaking?
 
Dr. Jill Grimes has the answer to these questions and many more. Her guidebook is designed to help you: 

• Decide if and when to seek medical help
• Know what to expect when you get there
• Plan for the worst-case scenario if you don’t seek help
• Learn how you can prevent this in the future
• Realize what you can do right now, before you see a doctor
• Understand the diagnostic and treatment options

 
Got questions about tattoos, smoking, vaping, pot, and piercings? No worries, Dr. Grimes has covered those topics, too, as well as a few things you might not know about the use and abuse of stimulant (ADD) prescription medications. 

Pair this book with the DIY First Aid Kit detailed in the bonus section to help you, your roommates, and your friends have a healthier, happier semester!
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781510769328
Publisher:	Skyhorse
Publication date:	03/01/2022
Edition description:	2nd Edition, Second Edition
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	105,696
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.10(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Jill Grimes, MD, FAAFP, is a nationally recognized medical media expert, award-winning author, and proud mom of two awesome collegiate daughters. After two decades of private practice, Dr. Grimes now splits her time between writing, speaking, seeing patients, volunteering, and vaccinating. She also enjoys educating her peers by speaking at conferences such as the American Academy of Family Physicians, Pri-Med, and Harvard Medical School. Dr. Grimes loves creating and thinking outside the box, in or out of the medical world. She and her daughters relished their decade of scouting and many years of mother-daughter service through National Charity League.

Table of Contents

Preface xv

Head:

1 Hangovers 1

2 Other Bad Headaches (Migraines) 6

3 I Hit My Head-Do I Have a Concussion? 11

Brain:

4 I Can't Sleep! Insomnia Issues 16

5 Test Anxiety 24

6 Fear of Public Speaking and Classroom Anxiety 30

7 Home Sickness, Anxiety, and Depression 35

8 Stimulants 101 (ADD Meds, Risks, and Mistakes) 43

9 Passed Out: Alcohol Poisoning 48

10 Smoking, Vaping, and What You Might Not Know about Pot 53

11 Freshman Fifteen (An Ounce of Prevention) 58

Eyes:

12 Something's Stuck in My Eye 61

13 Zoom Fatigue 65

14 Stye, Stye, in My Eye 74

15 Pink Eye: Infectious or Allergic? 74

16 My Eye (or Some Other Muscle) Won't Stop Twitching 81

Ears:

17 Can't Hear? Clogged Ear (Wax) 84

18 Is This an Ear Infection? 87

19 Ringing Ears 92

Nose:

20 Stuffy Nose, Colds, and Sinus Infections 95

21 Nose Bleeds 99

22 Itching, Sneezing, Allergies, and Hives 102

Mouth:

23 Cold Sores and Fever Blisters 106

24 Bad Breath and Tonsil Stones 110

25 When Your Sore Throat Is Strep 114

26 When Your Sore Throat Is Mono 119

27 When Your Sore Throat Is … That Which Shall Not Be Named 122

Neck:

28 College Is A Pain in the Neck 126

29 Something's Stuck in My Throat 129

Chest:

30 Yep … It's Covid-19 134

31 My Heart Is Fluttering: Palpitations and Panic 145

32 I Can't Stop Coughing-Is this Bronchitis? Flu? Pneumonia? 149

33 I Can't Catch My Breath (Common): Asthma 156

34 I Can't Catch My Breath + Chest Pain (Uncommon): Partially Collapsed Lung 161

35 Birth Control Pills + Chest Pain = Serious Problem (Till Proven Otherwise) 165

Stomach:

36 Food Poisoning? Nausea, Vomiting, and Diarrhea 170

37 Public Restroom Panic … I Just Can't Go (Constipation) 176

38 Is My Stomach Pain Appendicitis? 182

39 College Is Giving Me Heartburn … or Maybe an Ulcer 186

Back:

40 My Back (Pack) Is Killing Me 189

41 My Double-Over Back (or Side) Pain Is a Kidney Stone 193

42 UTIs: Kidney and Bladder Infections 198

Pelvic:

43 The "Missing" Tampon 202

44 Sexually Transmitted Infections (Yes, It Happens to People like You) 205

45 Date Rape and Sexual Assault 212

Extremities:

46 Is It Broken? Toe, Wrist, and Stress Fractures 216

47 Ankle Injuries, X-rays, and Expectations 222

48 Knee Pain without Injury (a.k.a. Too Many Stairs!) 227

49 My Heel Hurts-Especially That First Step! 234

50 I Stepped on a Nail (or Broken Glass) 238

Skin:

51 Burns: A Matter of Degree 241

52 Acne, "Backne," and Cysts 246

53 Bites, Stings, and Blistering Things 254

54 Skier's Toe: Campus Version (Painful, Black Toenail or Fingernail) 261

55 Piercing Problems 264

56 Thinking of Inking? Tattoos (Before and After) 269

57 I Might Need Stitches (Cuts and Scrapes beyond Band-Aids) 276

58 Nail Issues: Infected, Ingrown, or Just Can't Stop Biting Them 281

59 Spring Break Rashes: "No-See-Ums" of the Sea 285

60 "Bartender" or "Margarita" Dermatitis 290

Bonus Section: DIY First Aid Kit 294

About the Author 301

Acknowledgments 303

References 305

Index 312

Editorial Reviews

Over the years, I have learned that the typical college student with a health concern will generally consult their roommate or Dr. Google in lieu of seeking help from an actual  physician.  Not only does Dr. Grimes give expert advice of what to do about common college ailments, but even more important, is clear about when getting medical attention is not optional. The Ultimate College Student Health Handbook is the next best thing to having your own family doctor as your college student’s roommate. Other than paying tuition, this is the most valuable gift you can give a student.” —Lauren Streicher, MD, Clinical Professor of Ob-Gyn, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
 
 “As a pediatrician and child health expert, parents look to me for trusted advice. I whole-heartedly recommend The Ultimate College Student Health Handbook, an accurate, practical guide that will help your kids deal with unexpected illnesses, injuries, and anxieties (and will give you answers for their late-night texts). Definitely my new go-to high school graduation gift!” —Tanya Remer Altmann, MD, bestselling author and parenting expert
 
 “A healthy body and a healthy mind!  Dr. Jill Grimes skillfully addresses the vast array of college woes, from sore throat to STIs, recognizes the ills anxiety can cause, and has the answers to young adults’ health questions that will carry them through a lifetime. Buy this for your college student . . . and maybe even yourself!” —Sanjiv Chopra, M.D., MACP, bestselling author and professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School
  
“This is an essential guide to health and wellness when you head off to college . . . and your mom can’t be there to hold your hand and take care of you.” —Ari Brown, MD, FAAP, bestselling author of Baby 411 series
 
 “A graduation gift that will give for a lifetime!  The Ultimate College Student Health Handbook is the most important book your college bound child needs to take to school. . . . A gift as much as for the parent as the college bound student, this book is truly First Aid for Adulthood. With her years of experience in college health, Dr. Jill Grimes summarizes the common conditions we worry about, explains how to help treat the symptoms, and when to visit the health center.  Dr. Grimes debunks myths and touches on the key points parents want their adult children to know (but often cannot find the words to say) in clear and insightful terms.” —Frank J. Domino, M.D., professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Dept. of Family Medicine and Community Health, editor-in-chief of 5-Minute Clinical Consult
 
 “Every college freshman needs a copy of The Ultimate College Student Health Handbook! This book addresses the most common medical issues encountered in the college years and teaches your student how to handle them like a champ . . . without having to call mom or dad for advice. Written by a University Health Center family doctor with years of experience who’s seen it all, this book will also help parents feel confident that their college student’s health is in good hands.” —Gretchen LaSalle, MD, MultiCare Rockwood Clinic Family Medicine, author of Let’s Talk Vaccines: A Clinician’s Guide to Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy and Saving Lives
"Dr. Grimes has done it again! She’s been a favorite speaker for both teens and parents for years,  and now we are thrilled to have her college survival skills neatly packaged in a book to send off with our kids as they fly the nest! The Ultimate College Student Health Handbook is the perfect gift for every high school graduate. The format makes health issues easy to look up and each section gives great "tips" for  prevention and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. As a parent and as an ER doctor, I especially appreciate the inclusion of mental health issues such as depression and panic disorder! —Kimberly Snyder MD, FACEP, Emergency Medicine Physician, Past President Capital of Texas Chapter of National Charity League

"I SO wish we had this book to give our son when we sent him off to college a few months ago (but he’ll have one now!) Once again, Dr. Grimes has written an extremely practical guide for parents and young adults alike, brilliantly organized and easy to reference the most frequent health concerns for college students. She candidly approaches each subject with clarity and compassion, much the same way she discusses these types of topics in person. Dr. Grimes is a favorite local speaker with mothers & daughters in NCL and mothers & sons in the Young Men’s Service League (YMSL), and we are all thrilled she has now packaged up her wisdom to share with everyone. If you’re the parent of a college-bound student, buy several for graduation gifts. If you’re a college student, get this book to make the 'best years of your life' even better!" —Dianne Field, President, Capitol of Texas Chapter of National Charity League

"Parents should buy two copies of this book—one for themselves and one for their college bound teenager!" — Julie K. Silver, MD, associate professor, Harvard Medical School 

"Within the pages of this book—the one you’re contemplating reading this very moment—lies no ordinary how-to. Why? First, because Dr. Jill Grimes successfully tackles most—and I mean that!—common teenage ailments. Second, because she takes a refreshingly entertaining approach in doing it. The result? A book I’d recommend to ANY student (and parent) who wants a quick reference on hand for those what-would-the-doctor-say moments." —Dana Corriel, MD, SoMeDocs Founder & CEO, Top 10 Internists to Follow on Twitter, Medical Economics, Top 20 Physician Influencers on Social Media, Medscape

"Through down-to-earth explanations, this is a treasure chest of information on how to handle all sorts of problems and ailments college kids might experience. . . . Reading through this made me smile as I remembered my own children calling (often panicked) when they experienced certain symptoms or were worried that they were coming down with a serious condition. Having this book at hand would have worked wonderfully for those times that I couldn't be immediately reached and, if nothing else, would have given them a chance to 'check up on me' and make sure what I told them was true or not. I'm giving this one two huge thumbs up and recommending that it be stuffed into every first student's bag as they head out into the huge, new world known as college." —Book Worm for Kids

"Everything about this guide is perfect: it is clear, to the point, interesting, fun to read. It should be gifted to all college students!" —Marie-Hélène Fasquel for Readers' Favorite, 5-star review

From the Publisher