How Does The Winter Season Affect Your Body?
Winter, the season of cold and diseases, is the season in which we face fierce competition between the person's immune system and a huge number of viruses and bacteria that seek to enter the human body.
Here are the effects of cold weather on various parts of the body and some simple steps to protect yourself against the cold season and spend a warm and healthy winter:
- The effect of cold weather on the respiratory system.
In winter, the chances of lung and sinus infections increase as the temperature drops, the air becomes drier, the nose lining becomes irritated and inflamed, and it produces more mucus, resulting in nasal congestion.
The excessive mucus drips into the throat and irritates it, causing a cough. Also, it can obstruct the sinuses and become trapped, encouraging bacteria to grow and causing infection.
Some simple steps may help prevent respiratory diseases, such as:
- Drink warm drinks and keep the body hydrated.
- Eat healthy food rich in fruits and vegetables such as lemons, oranges, and green peppers.
- Boost your immunity with vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin C and Zinc.
- The effect of cold weather on the skin
Cold weather increases skin dryness and cracking, especially on the face, hands, and lips, which may cause itching and inflammation, plus some the skin diseases, such as eczema and psoriasis, can worsen.
These effects can be prevented by the following:
- Moisturizing the skin.
- Drink plenty of water, in addition to fluids that help increase skin hydration.
- Applying a moisturizing cream that protects the skin from dryness and cracking.
- The effect of cold weather on joints
The cold weather contributes to the stiffness of the joints and the increased feeling of pain when making any movement due to different factors, such as lack of movement in winter and the thickening of synovial fluid between joints.
To avoid this problem, staying mildly active by doing daily stretches and exercise, plus keeping the body warm, is recommended to maintain the flexibility of bones and joints.
- The effect of cold weather on the extremities
Some people suffer from Raynaud's syndrome, which results from the narrowing of the blood vessels in the extremities, which leads to a feeling of tingling and numbness in the hands and feet and the symptoms of Raynaud's syndrome increase in the winter season due to strong vasoconstriction.
It is advised to wear socks and gloves in the winter season to reduce the coldness of the extremities and help warm them as much as possible.
- The effect of cold weather on the blood and heart
Cold weather can affect the heart, as the cold increases the heart's effort to keep you warm and thus increases heart rates and pressure; also, sudden changes in temperature cause heat stress in the body. This type of stress has a significant and direct effect on blood viscosity, making it more viscous and prone to clotting.
To reduce the effects of cold weather on the heart and blood, try the following:
- If possible, keep the room where you spend most of your time heated to at least 18°C.
- Keep moving throughout the day to promote blood flow throughout the body.
- Wear clothes that raise your body temperature.
- Eating foods that raise the temperature, such as lentil soup and warm drinks.
In the end, the body can regulate its temperature to adapt to the changes in weather during different seasons; all you need to do is to dress appropriately, stay active, and eat a healthy diet throughout the year to protect yourself.
References:
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/common-winter-conditions-are-you-contagious, https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/support/practical-support/will-cold-weather-affect-my-heart-condition, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9849-raynauds-phenomenon, https://www.uhhospitals.org/blog/articles/2024/01/is-joint-pain-worse-in-cold-weather, https://www.health.harvard.edu/womens-health/what-to-do-about-dry-skin-in-winter, https://www.osfhealthcare.org/blog/winter-dry-sinuses-and-what-you-can-do/