Health & Wellness A-Z

The following health information has been compiled to promote health & wellness among students, faculty, and staff at the University of North Texas.

Academics

 Study Tips for Online Success

Acne

What is acne?

  • Acne is a skin condition that occurs when your hair follicles become plugged with oil and dead skin cells. Acne is most common among teenagers, though it affects people of all ages.
  • For many women, acne can persist for decades, with flares common a week before menstruation.

Causes:

  • Excess oil (sebum) production
  • Hair follicles clogged by oil and dead skin cells
  • Bacteria
  • Inflammation

Symptoms:

  • Whiteheads (closed plugged pores)
  • Blackheads (open plugged pores)
  • Small red, tender bumps (papules)
  • Pimples (pustules), which are papules with pus at their tips
  • Large, solid, painful lumps under the skin (nodules)
  • Painful, pus-filled lumps under the skin (cystic lesions)

Acne Myths According to the Mayo Clinic: 

  • Chocolate and greasy foods. Eating chocolate or greasy food has little to no effect on acne.

  • Hygiene. Acne is not caused by dirty skin. In fact, scrubbing the skin too hard or cleansing with harsh soaps or chemicals irritates the skin and can make acne worse.

  • Cosmetics. Cosmetics don't necessarily worsen acne, especially if you use oil-free makeup that doesn't clog pores (noncomedogenics) and remove makeup regularly. 

How to Prepare for your Doctor's Appointment: 

  • Bring a list of your current prescriptions and over the counter medicines. 

  • Be prepared to answer the following questions:

    • How long have you had the problem?

    • What treatments have you have tried? How well did they work?

    • How do you care for your skin?

To schedule an appointment at the clinic with one of our medical providers:

  • Call 940-565-2333

  • Stop by the Student Health & Wellness Center on the second floor of Chestnut Hall

To schedule a health consultation with our health educator to discuss possible ways to manage acne through behavior change: 

Alcohol and Other Drug Resources 

Students are not permitted to:
  • Possess or consume alcohol while under the age of 21, be intoxicated due to alcohol while under the age of 21, or engage in other conduct violating the University policy on the use of alcoholic beverages.
  • Produce or distribute alcohol except as expressly permitted by law and university policy.
  • Drive while under the influence of alcohol or any other drug.
  • Possess or use a controlled substance, marijuana, or a prescription drug in a manner prohibited.
  • Grow, produce or distribute a controlled substance, marijuana, or a prescription drug, except as expressly permitted by law and University policy.

Apps

Mental Health and Stress Relief 

Calm.com - Guided meditations.
Simply Being - Guided meditations.
Headspace - Guided meditations for mindfulness, acceptance, stress, and more.
Happify - Evidence-based exercises and a tracker for emotional well-being.
Mood Kit - Activities to improve and track moods plus a tool to help you track your thoughts.
Insight Timer - Guided meditations.
SAM - Learn to understand and manage anxiety.

Please email Tess Kucera, if you use an app that you find helpful and think should be added to this list.

Body Image

Body image encompasses: 

  • What you believe about your own appearance
  • How you feel about your body
  • How you picture yourself in your mind

Check out these steps from the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) if you would like to increase your positive body thoughts: 

  1. Celebrate the amazing things your body can do for you.
  2. Keep a list of the things that you like the most about yourself that is not related to your appearance. 
  3. True beauty comes from inside. 
  4. When you see yourself in the mirror, look at yourself as a whole person.
  5. Surround yourself with positive people.
  6. Overpower negative thoughts with positive ones.

For more information or to get connected with local or national resources, email the SHWC Health Educator Tess at tess.kucera@unt.edu. 

Caffeine

Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant and the most common psychoactive substance consumed legally in the United States. 

Cannabis

Marijuana is the dried flowers and leaves of the cannabis plant. Marijuana use may have a wide range of health effects on the body and brain. Marijuana, along with other products that contain THC, is still illegal in the state of Texas. For more information, visit the Substance Use Resource and Education Center at the University of North Texas. 

Dimensions of Wellness

Many people think wellness means good physical health or the absence of disease, but wellness is so much more. Wellness is an approach to being healthy that looks at health in a holistic way. This means that if someone wants to achieve optimal wellness, they will need to make sure that they are balanced and healthy in every dimension of wellness.
 
Emotional
Environmental
Intellectual
Financial
Social
Spiritual
Occupational
Physical
Cultural
 

Visit What is Wellness? for more information. 

 

Sleep

Getting good quality sleep is incredibly important to achieve academic success in college. Adults need about 7-9 hours of sleep. Common benefits of having good sleep health include reduced stress, increased energy, improved memory, productivity, and mood. 

A few ways to improve your sleep include: 

  • Try not to use your phone before bed. The light from your phone can disrupt your ability to fall asleep. 
  • Limit caffeine 4-6 hours before bed.
  • Consider wearing an eye mask if your room is not dark enough.
  • Use earplugs or a fan.
  • If you find that your mind races while you try to fall asleep, create a to-do list or journal before bed to organize your thoughts. 

 

Smoking & COVID-19

Smoking should be avoided whenever possible. This is especially true during COVID-19. Smoking can increase inflammation and mucus production in the lungs which can lead to a more serious infection among people infected with COVID-19. Also, smoking and vaping both involve taking something in your hand, putting it in your mouth, and breathing deeply. This behavior may also increase the risk of infection. For more information or to get connected with local or national resources, email the SHWC Health Educator Tess at tess.kucera@unt.edu. 

 

Stress Management/Resiliency

Stress is a part of normal life. Stress can have both a positive and negative impact on our lives. Stress management is the tools and techniques that we use to manage stressful situations. Stress resiliency is how we handle and overcome the stress in our lives.

Interested in building your stress resiliency? 

  • Remember that stressful situations are not permanent.
  • Take a walk or spend time in nature.
  • Be creative or learn something new.
  • Practice meditation and mindfulness. Meditation is a great tool to use to help overcome stressful situations. 

Visit Stress Management for more information. 

Tired of reading inaccurate, bias, or outdated information online? If so, follow these steps to find reliable health & wellness information on the internet:

  • Make sure you get your health information from a reliable source. Our Health Educator recommends that you use the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as your main source. It is important to check the sponsor of the website. Knowing the sponsor is important because this can help you determine if the information provided is impartial. 
  • Check to see when the website was last updated. Health information changes as new information become known. Our Health Educator recommends that you visit websites that have been updated within the last three years. 

 

We aim to provide the most up-to-date, accurate information on a variety of health topics.

If you are seeking health information that is not available on this site, please contact us for more information.