Heart Health to Joint Pain, 6 Common Winter Woes to Stay Away From And How?

Winter is a time to strengthen our bodies and strengthen our immune systems. The cold season maintenance involves being active, getting enough sleep, and eating nourishing, warm food.

Winter is finally here! The cold season brings along sweaters, heaters, a hot cup of chocolate and Halloween. However, along with these wintertime hijinks come a host of illnesses and ailments, such as heart attacks, depression, coughing, and asthma. You should avoid having people over when it’s really chilly outdoors by being mindful of specific situations and their causes. Here is a list of the top 5 health issues that you may encounter to make things simpler for you.

6 Common Winter Health Problems You MUST Stay Away From

1. Cold Flu: During winter, people generally remain inside. Also, the days are shorter in this season which means we do not get enough sunlight that is responsible for generating vitamin D. This compromises our body’s defense system making us weak enough to get the virus and become affected by the flu. Also, the influenza virus has been found to survive better during the cold. So, to avoid this condition, eat immune-boosting food like blueberries, broccoli, ginger, spinach, etc. You can also take flu antiviral drugs and practice good health habits.
2. Joint Pain: The cold, low temperatures in the winter are the main cause of joint discomfort. Low temperatures cause our body to go into muscular spasms, which can aggravate our joints and cause stiffness. Winter increases the sensitivity of our bodies’ pain receptors, exacerbating our already severe suffering. Vitamin D levels can drop in the winter due to less sun exposure, which can harm bones and joints.
3. Asthma: During winter, the number of allergens increases in the air. This is the reason, why cold acts as a trigger for asthma. Also, dry and windy air brings pollen that makes the asthma condition more severe. Moreover, your airways may feel irritated due to dry and cold air. This can lead to spasms in the respiratory muscles and the onset of asthma symptoms.
4. Heart Health: The wintertime decline in body temperature (hypothermia) that affects the elderly puts them in greater danger. Elevated heart rate and blood pressure put a strain on the heart, forcing it to work harder to maintain body temperature. These alterations heighten the likelihood of blood clots or vascular thickening, which can result in heart attacks and strokes.
5. Dry skin: It is one of the most common winter problems. It occurs due to the drop in humidity level. Cold weather outside makes your skin evaporate water quickly. This is what makes your skin dry, itchy, cracky, etc. Though dry skin can be moisturized using a lotion, in some people, the condition can be painful and severe cracks can lead to infections. So, it is better to avoid the condition in the first place. To do that, you can avoid using hard soaps and detergents and use indoor room humidifiers.
6. Strep Throat: A sore throat is incredibly painful and bothersome. However, the worse is strep throat! An infection-induced fever characterizes strep throat, which is a more severe form of a sore throat. It is a bacterial illness that is quite prevalent among youngsters. The symptoms of strep throat include fever, enlarged lymph nodes, headaches, and difficulty or pain while swallowing food or liquids.

How to Protect Yourself From Winter Woes?

Keeping the immune system robust and preventing illness may be achieved by regularly washing hands, covering the mouth and nose to prevent dust, and drinking lots of water. Maintaining a nutritious diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables and regular exercise is important, especially yoga and swimming.

• Balanced Diet: The body can work more effectively in the winter with a balanced diet that has lean proteins, more fibre, refined carbohydrates, and little to no saturated fat. A full day’s worth of water consumption will help reduce wintertime aches and pains.
• Stay Hydrated: While it’s important to remain hydrated all year round, the winter months are when it’s most important. People usually think twice about drinking more water when it’s bright and pleasant, but the dry air in the winter causes dehydration, which makes you feel tired and achy. Remind yourself to stay hydrated. Try to drink eight glasses of water a day, or more if you work out or are otherwise active.
• Active Lifestyle: People who lead active lifestyles are less likely to have colds and flu because physical activity strengthens the immune system. White blood cells that fight infection are stimulated by exercise, which aids in immune system regulation.
• Get Some Sunlight: People are deprived of sunshine since they are generally spending less time outside. Do you know? Reduced sunshine exposure has been linked to seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and depression symptoms. Make sure you get outside and get some sunlight this winter.
• Stay Immunised: Steer clear of self-medication and antibiotic usage. Immunization is advised for youngsters, the elderly, and those suffering from long-term conditions including diabetes and asthma.