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Health insurance may be far down your lists of concerns, but you don’t want to get caught paying out of pocket for doctor’s appointments when the flu is going around. There are many health insurance options for college students, helping you to stay healthy while attending class.

The first option, if you’re under the age of 26, is to remain on your parents’ plan. This is often the most affordable option. Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), young adults can remain on their parents’ health plan until age 26. After that, the coverage drops either at the end your birthday month, or at the end of the plan year, depending on the plan. This is often the easiest method for full-time students at the beginning of their career. However, if you’re attending college out of state or in a new area, in-network doctors and hospitals may not be readily available.

In that case, it might be a better option to apply for health insurance through your college or university. These plans are often more affordable than private healthcare and offer good coverage of on-campus care. However, you may lose coverage when the semester or term year ends. Most school-sponsored health insurance plans are regulated by the ACA. This means that the plans will cover the ACA’s designated 10 essential health benefits:

• Preventative services
• Doctor’s visits
• Emergency services
• Hospitalizations
• Laboratory services
• Prescription drug coverage
• Pregnancy and childbirth
• Mental health services
• Rehabilitation services
• Pediatric services, including dental and vision care

You can also apply for health insurance directly through ACA’s marketplace during Open Enrollment season, which lasts from November 1 – January 15 in most states. If you experience a Qualifying Life Event, you can enroll in a health insurance plan anytime throughout the year. Qualifying Life Events include turning 26 and losing coverage through a parent’s plan, moving to a new ZIP code, or getting a new job.

For some students, Medicaid may be an option. Medicaid provides free or low-cost health insurance to those with qualifying incomes. Eligibility for Medicaid plans depends on your state.

There is also the option of private healthcare, though this may come with a higher price tag. Private healthcare may cover more than the 10 essential health benefits regulated by the ACA.

Kaiser Permanente offers healthcare for students enrolled at university in Kaiser areas (California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Oregon, Virginia, Washington, and Washington, D.C.). Kaiser plans offer virtual care 24/7 by phone or online, which may make it easier for those living far from their usual doctors to seek medical help while staying at in-network prices. However, some states have laws against seeking virtual care across state lines, so it’s best to double check your local laws. Kaiser plans also cover emergency and urgent care abroad and across the U.S., even in non-Kaiser areas.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas offers healthcare through several Texas universities under their AcademicBlue program. Similar to Kaiser Permanente, the AcademicBlue program covers virtual visits, which can make securing an in-network doctor’s appointment easier, even if you’re far from an in-person hospital. If your school isn’t listed on the AcademicBlue website, you can also apply for an individual plan.

UHC offers health insurance plans for college students that have lower deductibles and premiums than their other plans. The student plans also offer coverage for school-sponsored, on-site health clinics, which may not be covered under other private healthcare plans.

You may have heard these words used interchangeably to refer to various types of liquid or spray UV protection. But sunblock and sunscreen are actually two separate products with differing ingredients, consistencies, and methods of protecting you from the sun.

Sunscreens, also known as chemical blockers, absorb the sun’s ultraviolet rays and convert them into non-damaging red light, or heat. They come in both sprays and lotions and must be massaged into the skin at least 20 minutes before sun exposure. Since sunscreens are absorbed by the skin, they don’t leave a white cast.

Sunblock, sometimes called physical blockers or mineral sunscreen, reflect ultraviolet rays back into the environment. They are slathered onto the skin right before sun exposure and act as a physical barrier between you and the sun. Sunblock ingredients include either zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, which is what gives sunblock its signature white cast.

Both sunscreen and sunblock offer powerful protection from ultraviolet light, and neither is better or worse than the other. It’s all up to personal preference. People with sensitive skin may prefer sunblock to sunscreen since one of the sunscreen’s ingredients, oxybenzone, can cause allergic reactions. Sunblock is also less likely to clog pores or cause breakouts, making them a good choice for acne-prone individuals. Sunscreen, on the other hand, has much easier application and better water-resistant formulas, so they may be a better option for outdoor activities and swimming.

When choosing what type of UV protection to buy at the store, you’ll find the products labeled with phrases such as “broad spectrum” and “SPF.” But what do these actually mean? Broad spectrum sunscreens and sunblock offer protection from the “spectrum” of ultraviolet light, both ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB). UVA rays can cause skin aging, including premature age spots, wrinkles, and saggy skin, while UVB rays are what causes sunburn. Together, both rays cause skin cancer. SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor and refers to how well the product protects you from sunburn. SPF 15 filters out 93% of the sun’s UVB rays, while SPF 30 filters out 97%. The American Academy of Dermatology Association recommends broad spectrum sunscreen or sunblock with SPF 30 or higher for the best protection when out in the sun. It’s important to note that no sunscreen offers 100% protection from UV, so you should stick to the shade when possible and wear sun-protective clothing, which can include long-sleeved shirts, lightweight sun hoodies, and wide-brim hats.

Whether you use sunscreen or sunblock, you’ll need to reapply your UV protection to ensure your skin stays protected. Over time, the sun’s ultraviolet rays can break down the sunscreen’s ingredients, or your sunblock can be washed away by ocean waves or sweat. If you’re not sweating or swimming, a good rule of thumb is to reapply sunscreen every two hours. But, if your skin begins to feel or look dry, redden, or you start to feel a prickly or burning sensation, these are signs that your UV protection has worn off and needs to be reapplied. Otherwise, UV protection should be reapplied after sweating, toweling off, or getting out of the water. If you’re swimming in the sun for long stretches of time, sunscreens and sunblock labeled “water resistant” will last longer than regular UV protection. However, these should still be reapplied every 40 to 80 minutes.

Carbon monoxide, abbreviated to CO, is an odorless, colorless gas produced when certain fuels, such as gasoline, propane, charcoal, or wood, are burned. Many household items from stoves to fireplaces produce carbon monoxide.

Prolonged carbon monoxide exposure causes carbon monoxide poisoning, which can result in long- and short-term health problems and death. Every year, more than 400 Americans die of CO poisoning and upwards of 14,000 are hospitalized. These numbers come from accidental, non-fire related exposure, which means they’re completely preventable.

The most common symptoms of carbon monoxide exposure over time are often described as “flu-like.” These include headache, muscle weakness, dizziness, nausea or vomiting, shortness of breath, confusion, and sleepiness. Carbon monoxide inhalation can also result in the loss of consciousness. Breathing in large amounts of CO causes it to replace the oxygen in our red blood cells, leading to tissue damage in our brains and hearts. The severity of symptoms and lasting health issues is directly connected to the amount of CO inhaled and for how long. Those who lose consciousness from CO inhalation can experience further health issues stemming from nervous system or brain damage that come on after recovery. These symptoms include memory loss, personality changes, and movement issues. If you experience symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, it’s important to find fresh air immediately and seek medical attention.

CO’s lack of color and smell makes it difficult to detect, but there are many ways to mitigate the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning.

• CO Detectors: These battery-operated devices monitor the amount of carbon monoxide in the air and will sound an alarm if the levels get too high. It’s recommended to place CO detectors in living areas, outside each bedroom, in the basement, and near (not inside) the garage. Generally, CO detectors need to be replaced every 5 years, unless the manufacturer states otherwise. To ensure they’re working properly, it’s best to check the batteries twice a year. A great way to remember to do this is to inspect the CO detector when the clocks change in spring and fall.

• Appliance Checks: Every year, have a qualified technician check your heating system, water heater, gas appliances, space heaters, and wood-burning stoves to make sure they are properly vented and not leaking carbon monoxide. Similarly, have a mechanic check your car’s exhaust system once a year. Leaks in the exhaust system can cause carbon monoxide to build up inside your car, which is dangerous in such a small, enclosed space. Another important area to double check is your chimney. Chimneys can be blocked by debris that will stop carbon monoxide from dispersing up the flute.

• Use Fuel-Burning Appliances Safely: Never use generators or portable camping stoves inside your house. If possible, only use these items when 20 feet away from a building. You should also never burn charcoal inside, since all kinds of charcoal produce carbon monoxide. Make sure that you have vents around fuel-burning appliances, including space heaters and wood-burning stoves to remove carbon monoxide from the area.

Despite the number of CO-producing items in our homes, state laws are only recently making CO detectors mandatory in newly built houses. Unlike smoke detectors, you may not have pre-installed CO detectors in your house, especially if it was built before legislation changed the building codes in 2011. While it may take a little effort to purchase your own CO detectors or have your appliances checked, it’s important to the health of everyone living in your home. Carbon monoxide poisoning causes hundreds of deaths and thousands of hospitalizations a year, all of which can be prevented by extra care.

Carbon monoxide poisoning can cause brain and heart damage that doesn’t heal,
leading to the development of life-threatening diseases.