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How to Prevent Recurrence of Common Winter Illnesses

“Prevention is better than cure.”- Anonymous

Winters are one of the most loved seasons of all and they are finally here! While we look forward to wearing cozy winter wear, it is also important to be aware of the fact that winters also bring in a host of diseases and winter ailments due to the sudden drop in temperature.

Therefore, one must consider taking preventive health measures to avoid falling sick and staying healthy during winter.

Why is preventive health important?

As per a report by the Department of Biotechnology, India, most chronic or non-communicable diseases are on the rise across the globe accounting for 73% of all deaths.

Statistics like these indicate why in matters of health, prevention is always better than cure as most often, acute health conditions become chronic health conditions due to ignorance towards health.

Preventive health screenings, routine checkups and assessments, and timely vaccinations along with making positive lifestyle changes are factors that give you the best chance of avoiding any chronic problems.

Common winter ailments and ways to prevent them.

1. Common Cold

The common cold is a respiratory illness that is characterized by a stuffy and runny nose, coughing, headache, chest congestion, and a sore throat. As it is something that is a part of changing seasons, the common cold is often ignored and can last anywhere from seven to 10 days.

Although the common cold subsides within a couple of days and you do not need to call for any serious medical intervention, you can take steam and drink warm water to alleviate your symptoms.

Ways to Prevent Common Cold

1.	Wash your hands with soap and water frequently especially after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose.
2.	Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
3.	Disinfecting frequently touched surfaces or objects.
4.	Staying fit and healthy by keeping boosting your immune system with a balanced diet, regular exercise, and getting adequate rest.

2. Flu

The flu or as it is commonly known as influenza is a contagious respiratory disease caused by a virus. Similar to the cold, hence can often be mistaken for a cold, the flu affects the nose, throat, and lungs making the patient experience severe body ache, fever, sore throat, cough, muscle aches, etc., and can be mild or severe.

As winters are usually a very dry period with a lack of sunlight and a drop in temperature and humidity, the influenza virus is more prominent during winters and is better able to invade your body along with having a greater chance of infecting another person.

Ways to Prevent the Flu / Influenza

1.	Get a flu vaccine every year.
2.	Practice good hygiene habits like cleaning and disinfecting touched surfaces regularly especially when someone is sick.
3.	Strengthen your immune system by getting plenty of sleep, exercising regularly, managing your stress effectively, drinking plenty of fluids, and eating nutritious food.
4.	Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands to stop the spread of any virus.
5.	Wash your hands to protect yourself from germs or bacteria. If soap and water are not available, then use an alcohol-based sanitizer.

3. Sore/Strep Throat

Sore/Strep throat is a type of bacterial infection that is most common in children and can make the throat scratchy and sore. If untreated it can cause complications such as rheumatic fever or kidney inflammation.

Symptoms of Sore/Strep throat include fever, rash, headache, nausea, body ache, pain in swallowing food, throat pain, red and swollen tonsils, and tiny red spots on the back of the roof of the mouth.

Ways to Prevent the Sore/Strep Throat

1.	Avoid close contact with people who are sick and keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick.
2.	Wash your hands to protect yourself from germs or bacteria. If soap and water are not available, then use an alcohol-based sanitizer.
3.	Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing to prevent others from getting sick as the flu virus spreads mainly by droplets when people with flu cough, sneeze, or talk.
4.	Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands to stop the spread of any virus.
5.	Eat a balanced diet that consists of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole foods, nuts and avoid processed foods items like breakfast cereals, bread, meat products, canned foods, etc.
6.	Strengthen your immune system by getting plenty of sleep, exercising regularly, managing your stress effectively, drinking plenty of fluids, and eating nutritious food.
7.	Practice good hygiene habits like cleaning and disinfecting touched surfaces regularly especially when someone is sick.

4. Pneumonia

Pneumonia is a common winter ailment and is a lung infection that inflames the air sacs in one or both lungs. It is caused by a variety of organisms including bacteria, viruses, or fungi, and can be mild or severe depending on factors such as age, the type of germ causing the infection, and the person’s overall health.

The disease is difficult to detect in the early stages and people with weak immunity or health issues such as asthma, cancer, or heart issues are prone to suffer from pneumonia.

Ways to Prevent Pneumonia

1.	Get yourself the pneumococcal vaccine as it prevents pneumonia caused by pneumococcal bacteria. Pneumococcal infection is a common cause of pneumonia and remains the leading cause of vaccine-preventable deaths and illnesses among children under 5 globally and in India.
2.	Stop smoking as it damages your lungs and makes it difficult for your body to defend itself from germs. If you smoke, make a commitment to yourself to reduce it gradually and eventually stop it completely.
3.	Practice good hygiene by washing your hands frequently with soap and water or an alcohol-based sanitizer.
4.	Consume a balanced diet full of seasonal fruits and vegetables, exercise regularly, and get plenty of rest as these things help your immune system to stay strong.
5.	Get yourself vaccinated for the flu every year as most people develop bacterial pneumonia after developing the flu.

5. Winter Skin Problems

Winters bring in a host of skin troubles like itching, psoriasis, flaring of eczema, etc., and can cause flaky and itchy skin, chapped lips, and dehydrated skin. One of the most basic requirements for the winter season is to apply a moisturizer often.

Ways to Prevent Winter Skin Ailments

1.	Make sure to moisturize daily with petroleum or use a moisturizer that contains shea butter, glycerin, etc. Applying a moisturizer directly on your wet skin after bathing can help trap surface moisture and keep your skin soft and supple.
2.	Stay hydrated even if you don’t feel thirsty in winter by drinking plenty of fluids including water, fresh fruit juices, coconut water, smoothies, green juices, etc.
3.	Limit the use of soap and hot water by taking short lukewarm showers or baths with a non-irritating soap.
4.	Protect yourself from the wind by covering your face and using a lip balm with vitamin A or vitamin E.
5.	Avoid extreme cold temperatures as this can cause frostbite and skin disorders in most people.
6.	Take Vitamin D supplements. During winter months, your exposure to the sun reduces so intaking vitamin supplements every day ensures you get the recommended amounts of vitamin D all year round.
7.	See a dermatologist if you have persistent scaling, itching, dry skin, rashes, or any skin growth.

6. Sinusitis

Sinusitis is an inflammation of the sinus which are air-filled cavities located behind the forehead, nasal bones, cheeks, and eyes.

A sinus infection causes these spaces to get blocked and filled with fluid and can happen to anyone, but it is more prominent in people with a weakened immune system, nasal polyps, nasal allergies, asthma, abnormal nose structures, and smokers.

Symptoms include headache, facial pain, runny nose, and nasal congestion, and usually don’t require any treatment beyond pain medication, nasal decongestants, and nasal saline rinses. Acute can soon become chronic if left untreated or only partially treated. However, chronic sinusitis may require antibiotics.

Ways to Prevent A Sinus Infection

1.	Drink lots of water to keep the mucus thin and loose.
2.	Frequently wash your hands.
3.	Try to bathe your nasal passages daily as it helps clear excess mucus and moisten the membranes. Jal Neti is an age-old method of cleaning your sinuses with the help of a Jal Neti pot to clean the respiratory system and remove toxins from the nasal passage. This process allows the free flow of water from one nostril to another and cleans the nasal canal efficiently.
4.	Don’t forget to keep the nose moist with nasal saline sprays.
5.	Inhale steam or linger in a hot shower.
6.	Avoid nasal irritants like pollution and smoke.
7.	Prevent your nasal passages from drying out by using a humidifier in your home and avoiding dry environments.
8.	Forceful blowing irritates the nasal passages; blow your nose gently with one nostril at a time.
9.	Avoid antihistamines unless prescribed as they make mucus hard and thick to drain.
10.	Maintain a healthy lifestyle and a strong immune system as other illnesses like a viral cold or flu can cause a sinus infection to occur.
11.	Focus on deep breathing practices.
12.	Avoid foods such as meat products, dairy products, processed white flour products as well as cereals.

7. Bronchitis

Bronchitis is a condition in which the airways of the lungs swell and produce mucus and cause coughing. Bronchitis can be both acute (short-term) or chronic (long-term) wherein acute bronchitis results from an infection and may be contagious.

Chronic bronchitis can make breathing more difficult as the airway lining stays inflamed leading to increased swelling and more mucus production. As breathing becomes more difficult, the person may experience an acute exacerbation leading to limitation of everyday activities like walking.

Ways to Prevent Bronchitis

1.	Prevent good hand hygiene and wash your hands frequently.
2.	Don’t smoke and avoid secondhand smoke, chemicals, dust, or air pollution.
3.	Make sure to always cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.
4.	If you are regularly using inhalers, consult a pulmonologist, do PFT test and full checkup once in 6 months to 1 year.
5.	Consume an anti-inflammatory diet that includes tomatoes, green leafy vegetables, nuts, fatty fish like salmon or mackerel, and fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, cherries, and oranges.

As you can see now, winters are truly a breeding ground for several bacteria and viruses. Hence, it is important for people to be extra careful with regard to their health and go for preventive health checkups, or get a health package themselves.

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References:

1. Ten tips to avoid sinus infections - Baylor College of Medicine Blog Network. Baylor College of Medicine Blog Network. Published June 25, 2014. https://blogs.bcm.edu/2014/06/25/ten-tips-to-avoid-sinus-infections/

2. Publishing HH. What to do about sinusitis. Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/what_to_do_about_sinusitis

3. Preventing and Treating Bronchitis. https://www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/community/downloads/flyer-bronchitis.pdf

4. Chronic/Lifestyle Disease | Department of Biotechnology. dbtindia.gov.in. Accessed January 11, 2023. https://dbtindia.gov.in/scientific-decision-units/chronic-diseases-nutrition/chroniclifestyle-disease

5. NATIONAL OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES NATIONAL OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES for PCV INTRODUCTION PNEUMOCOCCAL VACCINE (PCV) CONJUGATE Month PCV-2 Month (6 Weeks) (14 Weeks) (9 Months). https://nhm.gov.in/New_Updates_2018/NHM_Components/Immunization/Guildelines_for_immunization/Operational_Guidelines_for_PCV_introduction.pdf

6. Winter Skin Hazards. WebMD. Accessed January 11, 2023. https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/ss/slideshow-winter-skin-hazards

7. CDC. Healthy Habits to Help Prevent Flu. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Published July 10, 2019. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/actions-prevent-flu.htm

8. Harvard Health Publishing. Foods that fight inflammation - Harvard Health. Harvard Health. Published November 7, 2018. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/foods-that-fight-inflammation

9. The Reason for the Season: why flu strikes in winter. Science in the News. Published December 1, 2014. https://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2014/the-reason-for-the-season-why-flu-strikes-in-winter/

10. Acute Exacerbations of Chronic Bronchitis - Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, Diagnosis - MedBroadcast.com. medbroadcast.com. https://medbroadcast.com/condition/getcondition/acute-exacerbations-of-chronic-bronchitis