Do you dread the winter season because you inevitably get sick each year? You’re not alone. Many women suffer from the same ailments when the mercury drops, and Eagle’s Landing OB/GYN offers the most common health concerns for your reference. If you know what to expect each year, you can take better steps to avoid getting sick in the winter.
Asthma
For some reason, cold air exacerbates asthma symptoms, and many women who suffer from the condition notice a marked difference in their ability to control attacks in the winter. To keep attacks at bay, stay indoors. If you must go outside, wear your scarf up over your nose to cover it and your mouth and keep cold air away from your lungs.
Colds
Every winter just about everybody catches a cold, so how do you avoid this common seasonal health issue? Wash your hands and if somebody in your home catches a cold, clean as you’ve never cleaned before. Disinfect the linens, towels, dishware, light switches, and door handles. Kill the germs on anything the person suffering from the cold may have touched.
Flu
A vaccination is the best way to avoid catching the flu each winter. The flu causes needless suffering to anyone who catches it, but to those who are over 65 or are otherwise health-compromised, the flu can be deadly. People who suffer from COPD, diabetes, kidney disease, and other long-term health conditions must avoid the flu at all costs.
Heart Attack
Your blood pressure increases when you’re out in the cold. This strains the heart. If you’re healthy, you probably don’t need to worry, but if you have cholesterol problems or heart disease runs in your family, you may be at higher risk for a winter heart attack. Keep warm to avoid the spike in your blood pressure, including in the car and in the home.
Joint Pain
Winter ushers in a season of suffering for those with arthritis. Cold weather makes the joints stiffer and more painful, and you don’t need to have arthritis to experience cold-weather related discomfort. Does that ankle you broke years ago bother you more in the winter? Keep moving to prevent joint discomfort. Exercise also staves off winter depression.
Winter ushers in the holiday season, but it also ushers in health problems that aren’t as prevalent other times in the year. Eagle’s Landing OB/GYN would be happy to discuss your winter health concerns with you. Call our Stockbridge, GA, office at 770-474-1919 to set up an appointment.
