It’s no fun during the long cold nights and the sunless short days. What can be enjoyed however are the sparkling snow flakes and the winter events. Otherwise, what’s required is being bundled behind layers of clothing, this to keep the body temperature adjusted.
The winter season for many is a dreaded period of disdain when bad emotions can elevate. What winter causes are health and mood issues where extended preventative practices are needed. Our diets and lifestyles become affected as nature prevails.
What often occurs is an increase in appetite, craving for sugar and starch, which results in weight gain, moodiness, irritability, and short tempers. These conditions are well expected when experiencing sub-zero snowy severe winters.
The holidays can’t solely be blamed for our increase in appetite and weight gain during winter, as our body goes into hibernation mode and stores fat. So what becomes necessary is becoming mindful of the “blahs,” which are the winter blues.
General Precautions Of Winter
What’s required is dressing in layers of clothing, this so you can remove the excess if necessary, allowing yourself to adequately adjust to the ever changing temperature conditions.
Avoid overexertion during sporting activities such as skiing, which can lead to drastic heat loss. Since the majority of the body heat evaporates through the head, always wear a hat. Mittens are always recommenced over wearing gloves.
Wear warm insulated boots that are waterproof, this to avoid potential hypothermia or frostbite by keeping the feet dry and warm, while being able to maintain your footing on the snow and ice.
Get out of any wet clothes immediately, while warming up the core body temperature with dry warm clothing or a blanket. Enjoy hot soothing replenishing fluids such as coffee, hot chocolate, or soup.
If you suspect yourself or anyone showing signs of hypothermia or frostbite, avoid caffeine or alcohol, and seek out emergency medical care as soon as possible.
Caring For Your Skin
Winter isn’t able to replenish the skins moisture naturally, this because there’s less humidity in the air due to the dry artificial indoor heat. Taking hot showers or baths complicates this further, forcing the skin to become even drier and irritated.
The dry skin then tends to crack and can even bleed, which then increases the risk of infection. So it becomes vital to keeping it healthy by using moisturizer.
Caring For Your Face
Avoid washing your face repeatedly during the winter months. Regardless of which cleanser you use, doing so washes away all the natural oils which is supplied by the skin, making it dry, scaly, and wrinkled.
Always use luke warm water and not hot water to wash your face. Immediately apply moisturizing lotion once you feel any dryness. Apply sun screen lotion when going out in the winter sun.
Preventing Coughing And Colds
The key remains eating well-balanced nutritional food, keeping up your exercising 3 to 5 times a week, and getting adequate sleep to keep your immune up.
Avoid contact with those who have colds, while constantly washing your hands in warm water and disinfectant.
Risk Of Hypothermia
A drop in body temperature to 95 degrees Fahrenheit or lower, can result in hypothermia. This can become a fatal condition if it’s not detected immediately and treated properly.
The elderly are especially at risk, as their bodies can’t easily adjust to the sudden change in temperature. Even moderate temperatures of 60F to 65F can at times trigger this condition. A sudden drop in body temperature can become fatal.
What happens is the blood vessels that are closest to the body surface narrows, this to prevent additional heat loss, while the muscles tighten up to generate heat.
Those affected by hypothermia will show visible signs such as drowsiness, shivering, slowed heartbeat, weak pulse, and shallow breathing. The body temperature falling below 86F can result into a coma.
What’s not recommended is attempting to treat a person with hypothermia at home. Emergency hospital care is immediately needed once the symptoms appear. Never give alcoholic beverages or a hot bath.
To avoid hypothermia, what’s advised is drinking hot beverages, wearing layers of warm clothing, while staying near a heater or a fireplace indoors. Avoid going outdoors during sub-zero temperatures.
Avoid Getting Frostbite
Frostbite results when excessive cold is exposed to the vulnerable parts of the body such as the hands, feet, and face, this under extreme freezing conditions. The skin on the affected areas will appear stiff, turn white, and become numb.
To reverse this, begin by warming the affected area gradually, this by wrapping it in warm clothing, while keeping the frostbit body part below the armpits if possible.
Immediately seek out medical attention as soon as possible. Never rub the affected area as it can cause nerve damage.
Protecting Your Kids Properly
Children especially become thrilled at the sight of snow while disregarding the frigidly cold weather conditions. So ensure that they enjoy themselves with the proper protection, this by taking the precautions to keep them safe.
Make sure that they remain insulated, this especially when sending them to school, where the cold temperatures can fluctuate severely during the day.
Make sure that you keep them dry by they wearing layers of warm clothing. This includes covering their head, face, hands, neck, along with weather proof footing.
If they have inadequate head protection when it’s cold outside, can result in they losing half of their body heat, which can lead to chills and potentially catching a cold.
Never allow them to overexert or sweat in freezing temperatures, as what sweating does is cools down their body temperature which can raise health concerns, the issue becoming they getting warm again. Always keep them well hydrated with plenty of water.