Common Winter Health Issues and Tips to Keep Them at Bay

Posted on: Dec 17, 2021 | 3 mins | Written by: HDFC ERGO Team

Common Winter Health Issues and Tips to Keep Them at Bay

The winter season is such a relief from scorching summers and depressingly wet monsoons. It is also that time of the year when different festivities are in full swing. Plus, there is so much to do during cold months. From sipping hot beverages and attending parties to enjoying fun outdoor activities and travelling to stunning destinations, you are spoilt for choices. However, the season has an unpleasant side as well. As the temperature dips, many seasonal health problems arise and make things worse for those prone to common cold, sore throat and other cold weather-related conditions. Therefore, it is important to take good care of your health and include lots of immunity-boosting foods in your diet. Besides these, make sure you are covered under one of the best health insurance policies in India. A health insurance plan comes in handy during medical emergencies and helps you avail quality and timely treatment.

Let’s delve into the common winter health problems and how you can stay away from them.

Common cold:

This is one of the most common and contagious health issues associated with the winter season. The symptoms of the condition are coughing, sneezing, sore throat, runny nose, headache and body ache. Common cold can spread from infected people as well as infected surfaces.

Prevention tips:

• Stay away from people suffering from the common cold.

• Wash your hands regularly with soap and water.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth before washing hands to prevent viruses from entering your body.

Flu:

Flu is a contagious condition that usually spreads through infected droplets in the air. If an infected person talks, coughs or sneezes, their droplets can land in the mouth or nose of the people nearby and infect them as well. The common symptoms are cough, fever, sore throat, fatigue, runny or stuffy nose and body ache.

Prevention tips:

• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before touching your nose or mouth.

• Stay away from people who are sick.

• Have a nutritious diet and stay hydrated.

• Exercise regularly and strengthen immunity.

Pneumonia:

Caused by bacteria, viruses and fungi, pneumonia infects the lung tissues and leads to inflammation and breathing issues. Some common symptoms of the condition are high fever, cough, breathing problem, rapid heartbeat, sweating and shivering, chest pain and fatigue. Pneumonia easily spreads if an infected person sneezes or coughs and another person inhales the infected droplets.

In severe cases, pneumonia can also lead to hospitalisation and its treatment can cost many thousands of rupees. Hence, make sure you take one of the best health insurance plans for yourself and your loved ones and stay covered always.

Prevention tips:

• Wash hands thoroughly after using the washroom, touching people, before eating and after coming back home from outside.

• Disinfect surfaces at home if a family member is suffering from pneumonia.

• Exercise regularly.

• Consume a healthy diet.

Strep throat:

This is a condition caused by bacterial infection of the throat and tonsillitis. Strep throat is more common in children below 15 years of age. Those suffering from strep throat may experience mild to severe symptoms, such as high fever, headache, chills, sore throat with white patches, swollen lymph nodes and trouble with swallowing. The condition can spread through close contact with people who are sick and via infected surfaces.

Prevention tips:

• Wash hands regularly or use a hand sanitizer.

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth without washing hands.

• Do not share foods, drinks, towels and pillows with someone with a strep throat.

Sore throat:

A sore throat is adry, scratchy and painful feeling in the throat that makes swallowing difficult. It is caused by bacteria, viruses, allergies, dry air, smoke, chemicals and irritants. The common symptoms of a sore throat are severe pain in the throat, inflammation, red tonsils, and pus on tonsils.

Prevention tips:

• Since flu and common cold often cause a sore throat, you must stay away from people who are sick.

• Wash your hands with soap and water often.

• Keep hands away from your nose, eyes and mouth.

• Do not share foods and drinks.

• Eat a healthy diet to strengthen immunity.

Bronchitis:

Bronchitis is a respiratory condition that happens when the tubes carrying air to and from the lungs become inflamed and produce excessive mucus. There are two types of bronchitis – acute and chronic. Frequent cough with mucus, shortness of breath, mild fever, fatigue, and wheezing are some common symptoms of the condition. Bronchitis is mainly caused by bacterial and viral infections, smoking tobacco, and excessive exposure to smoke, dust and toxic gases.

Tips to prevent:

• Stay away from dust, smoke and pollution hotspots or wear a mask.

• Wash your hands often with soap and water.

• Eat a healthy diet.

• Do not smoke.

Asthma attacks:

The cold weather and dry air often trigger asthma attacks for people with asthma. This lung condition causes inflammation and narrowing of the airways. So, during an asthma attack, one may experience certain symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, sneezing and chest tightening. The condition is of two types– allergic and non-allergic. While allergic asthma is caused due to exposure to dust, smoke, pollen or any other allergen, the non-allergic one is caused due to extreme weather conditions, cold and flu.

Prevention tips:

• Identify the triggers.

• Stay away from allergens.

• Avoid going out in very cold weather.

• Take the prescribed medicines.

• Keep an inhaler handy.

Winter skin ailments:

Besides respiratory conditions, the cold weather and dry air can also cause a host of skin issues like itching, eczema, psoriasis and rosacea. The skin may also feel flaky, dehydrated and UV damaged during the winter season. Some common symptoms of these skin conditions are rough and scaly patches, redness, inflammation, bumps and blisters.

Prevention tips:

• Avoid harsh soaps and use natural ones instead.

• Moisturise well.

• Use natural oils.

• Invest in a humidifier.

• Wear sunscreen before stepping out.

Conclusion

These are some common health issues that you might suffer from during the winter season. Hence, make sure you maintain good respiratory and hand hygiene, drink warm fluids, strengthen your immune system and wear woollens to keep yourself warm. Apart from these, also take health insurance for yourself and your loved ones and stay prepared for medical emergencies. With many options available online, you can easily find one of the best health insurance plans from the comfort of your home.

Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purpose only. For more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.

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