Health | Winter
Winter Is Coming. Here’s How You Can Avoid Getting Sick.
Getting sick is a collection of bad practices. It’s also avoidable.
I know what you’re thinking. And no, I didn’t write this entire article just to say “Winter is coming”. Ok, maybe I did. But, regardless, winter is a beautiful time of year. It also spells sickness for most people.
Here are the 5 reasons why you get sick every winter and how to avoid it.
The cold — common yet formidable
Getting sick is the worst. Yet, the average adult gets sick between 2–4 times per year. Much like getting a parking ticket, catching a cold seems to have no rhyme or reason.
Like any virus, the common cold is transferred primarily through air and water droplets. There are warning signs everywhere, but we’re too busy to read them.
Why you’re getting sick specifically in the winter
Each year it seems inevitable that will spend a few days nursing a cold. Well, here’s why you’re getting sick and how to avoid it.
1. Dehydration:
In the summer, drinking enough water is easy. It’s hot, we feel thirsty, so we hydrate. But have you noticed that in the wintertime, you’re not as thirsty? This is because cold weather reduces our thirst response by up to 40%. This is our body’s attempt to reduce blood flow to our extremities.
Our bodies also have to work harder to stay warm, sweat evaporates quicker in the winter, and we breathe out more fluid. Just because you don’t feel thirsty or notice yourself sweat, it doesn’t mean you’re not losing water.
If those reasons weren’t enough, a phenomenon known as cold-induced diuresis occurs when we are cold, signalling our bodies not to conserve water. This makes us urinate more, losing even more water.
The winter is really a recipe for dehydration. Many studies show that dehydration lowers immune function, making it harder to fight off viruses such as the common cold.
What to do about it: Knowledge is power. Remember that you need to consciously remind yourself to drink water. Your body won’t do it for you. Hot tea is a great alternative to drinking cold water. You can also hydrate through foods like broths, soups, vegetables, and fruits.
2. Cold and tight muscles:
When you were young, your parents probably told you to wear a scarf and gloves or you’d catch a cold. But do you know the science behind it?
Our body’s temperature is regulated by a network of veins called AVAs (arteriovenous anastomoses). AVAs run through our faces, necks, and have large clusters in the palms of our hands. Heat or cold exposure to these areas changes the core temperature of our bodies.
Sustained heat loss lowers immune function, making it harder to fight off viruses such as the cold. In addition, when our muscles get cold they tighten up. Neck and upper back tightness, specifically, have been linked to headaches and cause inflammatory responses in the body. All of this puts stress on your body, making it easier to get sick.
What to do about it: You lose more heat through your neck and palms than anywhere else. Keep them warm to avoid getting sick. Taking a hot shower or bath before bed is a great way to loosen tight muscles as well.
3. More interaction with people:
The common cold is a viral infection passed through air and close personal contact. During the winter, we tend to stay inside more. This means breathing recycled air and simply being around more people.
Being that cold and flu viruses are more prevalent during the winter months, this close proximity to others coupled with lowered immune systems give us a higher chance of getting sick.
What to do about it: Stick to the basics of cold avoidance. Wash your hands frequently, avoid touching your eyes and mouth, breathe through your nose, and try to stay away from sick people. It’s helpful to note that children get sick twice as often as adults.
4. Lowered immune function:
During the winter, your immune system is on high alert. Not only are there more viral bacteria to fight off but the elements are against us. Cold weather simply takes more energy to live in. Plus, shorter days means less sun, which doesn’t help either.
Like many organisms, sunlight is our fuel. It gives us energy, helps us release serotonin, and provides us with Vitamin D. Lack of sunlight in the morning can also interrupt our circadian rhythm, affecting sleep quality. Amidst everything your body is fighting off during the winter, lack of sleep, hormonal imbalances, and lack of nutrients all lower immune function.
What to do about it: Give your immune system a boost through proper hydration, nutrition, and supplementation. Natural foods such as ginger, turmeric, citrus fruits, and good old-fashioned water all help to strengthen immune function. Personally, I drink this hydrating elixir in the morning.
**Vitamins D & Care great foundational winter supplements as well, but consulting a health professional to create a tailored supplement plan is best.
5. Mental health:
Mental health is not to be taken lightly, as it affects every aspect of your life. Stress, anxiety, and depression can all manifest physically, causing sickness, physical pain, even disease.
During the winter months, it’s normal to feel sad, lonely, depressed, unmotivated… the list goes on. Seasonal depression or Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is something that affects almost everyone to some degree.
As the days get shorter, there is less sun, and it’s less pleasant to be outside. As a result, it’s easy to let your mental health plummet. SAD puts stress on the body and mind, lowering immune function, making it easier to get sick.
What to do about it: Your mental health is everything. Although there is no definitive cure for SAD, exercise, healthy eating habits, having goals, and social interaction all help to keep you healthy and happy.
**Dopamine is responsible for how we perceive anything in life. Learning about how the brain works and how to maintain happy hormonal levels can also help maintain strong mental health.
The winter is dark and full of terrors (in summary)
When it comes to getting sick, prevention is your best course of action. Instead of nursing yourself back to health, read the warning signs:
- Drink more water than you think you need — remember, cold weather is a natural diuretic. Drink more water.
- Start your day off with an immune booster — here’s mine.
- Exercise more — to improve mental health and build a strong immune system. You can use this morning routine as a foundation.
- Take a hot shower/bath/sauna at night time — to help regulate sleep and warm/loosen muscles.
- Cover your neck and hands when going outside— Even if your hands or neck don’t feel cold, they’re losing heat.
6. Breath through your nose — amongst many things, breathing through your nose filters out bacteria from the air and has numerous health benefits.
Above all, sleep is the foundation of a healthy immune system. Here’s how to sleep better by waking up right.
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