Health Day is celebrated worldwide on April 7th. The aim of this holiday is to draw people's attention to issues in the healthcare sector, encourage everyone to monitor the state of their health, maintain a healthy lifestyle and timely visit medical institutions. On the occasion of the event, we talked to the chief physician of the SUSU Medical Centre, Olga Veselova, about how properly take care of yourself.
– Please, tell us about the SUSU Medical Centre?
– Main goals of the SUSU Medical Centre are to improve the availability and quality of medical care, preserve and strengthen the health of university staff and students through therapeutic, preventive and recreational activities, as well as form their healthy lifestyle. Medical Centre organizes health schools, the priority task of which is to increase the level of knowledge regarding healthcare: how to properly monitor your health and provide first aid, how to help others, and so on. We also touch upon the influence of the environment on our health because environmental factors directly influence our body. The main topics of health schools are: “Healthy Heart and Blood Vessels”, “Diabetes”, “Healthy Woman”, “Myocardial Infarction”, and other urgent topics that the society is currently facing.
– It is no secret that students and university staff members tend to lead a sedentary lifestyle and work a lot on the computer. Please, tell us how to stay healthy in such situations?
– We spend plenty of time working on the computer. And doing it for a long time may cause headaches, back and neck pain, and discomfort in the eyes. To avoid eye fatigue and possible vision problems, you need to follow a few simple rules. Firstly, use lighting that is comfortable for the eyes: it should be steady and sufficient. Secondly, the computer monitor should be placed at a distance of 55-60 cm from the eyes. In addition, it is necessary to regularly do eye exercises every 1-2 hours during the working day. The exercises are simple and do not require much time.
To relax the neck muscles, certain exercises have also been elaborated. It will take no more than 5-10 minutes. An important role in preventing problems with the muscles of the back and neck is played by the workplace, and in particular, a comfortable chair. It should have a back, armrests and a comfortable seat. Also, objects on the table should be located at arm’s length.
– World Health Day is celebrated in the midst of spring, when many people are plagued by vitamin deficiency and various diseases. How can we strengthen our immune system?
– High immunity is not just about protection from seasonal colds, but also a guarantee of stable good health, and therefore you need to strengthen it regularly, and not just in spring. There are several options for strengthening the immune system, for example, leading a healthy lifestyle, which includes a healthy balanced diet and sufficient drinking regime. If there is not enough fluid in the body, then the nutrition of the tissues of absolutely all internal organs suffers, which not only undermines the protective functions of the immune system, but also causes the development of a large number of diseases, so it is important to drink at least one litre of plain water during the day.
You should also follow a work-rest schedule, and sleep at least 7 hours at night. Insufficient sleep reduces the ability of the immune system to recognize pathogens and the speed of the immune response. This particularly affects the acquired immunity, that is, the body’s ability to quickly respond to an already familiar type of threat.
We should not forget about doing physical exercises. High muscle tone is a necessary condition for the proper functioning of metabolism and nervous regulation, on which the intensity and speed of the immune reaction also largely depend.
Of course, if you have bad habits, you should quit them. Tobacco smoking and addiction to alcoholic beverages creates a high toxic load on the human body, as a result of which the functioning of all vital systems, including the immune system, is disrupted.
And, of course, you need to stress out less. Severe neuropsychological stress in its negative impact can be compared to lack of sleep: the immune reaction occurs much more slowly and very often with errors in identifying the pathogen, which, by the way, is the cause of allergies.
– In order to stay healthy, how many times a year should one take medical examinations, and what doctors should you pay special attention to?
– The easiest and most effective way to maintain your health is to promptly contact specialists regarding emerging problems. Also, for preventive purposes, it is necessary to undergo an annual medical examination, which will promptly help to identify hidden diseases and diseases in their early stages. Take care of yourself and your health!