New Delhi, December 17- With the soaring winds and dropping temperature it is common to find people suffering from cold, flu, throat infections, showing his/her concern for this Dr. Rommel Tickoo, Associate Director – Internal Medicine, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket/ Panchsheel Park, says “Drop in the temperature generally makes people susceptible to problems like throat infection, breathing problems, blocked nose, strep throat and more. While keeping oneself warm and maintaining good hygiene practices is essential to prevent such problems, people should definitely visit a medical professional if the problem persists for more than 3-5 days. It has also been observed that the patient footfall for sore throat increases during this season, specifically towards the beginning and end of the season due to increased viral infections.”
To not let Seasonal Affective Mood Disorder (SAD) get hold of you and keep you more happy Dr. Soumiya Mudgal, Max Multi Speciality Centre, Panchsheel Park/Gurgaon advises “It is commonly known that winters are the season of lethargy, oversleep and fatigue. On one hand, people are excited and planning vacations, some people become extreme gloomy and dull in the season. This is primarily due to the decrease in sun time. In order to beat the winter blues, people should go out, socialize and enjoy the weather instead of spending all their time indoor. Organisations should also take the initiative to arrange activities like short winter trips or sports activities which will charge up their employees . This will help them perform better and feel relieved.”
So that the heart keeps beating and the cold weather does not affect it in any way, Dr. Naresh Kumar Goyal, Associate Director, Interventional Cardiology, Shalimar Bagh advises, “Winters pose a challenge on people with existing cardiac issues such as heart failure, arrhythmia, angina and more. This is due to the low temperature and common breathing issues associated with the season & pollution. People suffering from heart problems and blood pressure issues should keep themselves warm. While, the body does this to maintain a normal temperature, it reduces the supply of oxygen to the vital organs. Apart from this, the heart is also under immense pressure to work at a higher pace to maintain blood flow and body temperature. Regular exercise should be done to keep the body warm and active.”
Don’t let the winters get you off your daily chores or restrict your mobility. As per Dr Ritesh Dang, Senior Consultant, Orthopedics, Shalimar Bagh, “With winters comes bones and joint pains which is a major concern, especially for those already suffering from arthritis, knee pain, osteoporosis, and other bone related problems. This is due to the fall in temperature that affects our blood circulation. The ones facing such problems must undergo physiotherapy, warm massages and moderate for better relief. Happy Winters to all.”
To protect skin and hair from the dry and cold weather outside, Dr. Manoj K Johar, Director, Max Super Super Speciality Hospital, Patparganj/ Vaishali/ Noida says, “Winters not only come with set of common illnesses such as blocked nose and sore throat, but also majorly impact the quality of skin and hair in form of dry skin, dandruff, hair fall, and more. It is important to take good care of the skin by keeping it moisturized as well as the hair with good hygiene. Also, the deteriorating air quality coupled with use of hot water in winters, are extremely harmful for the hair. Hot water strips your hair of natural oils, dries out your scalp and weakens your hair roots resulting in hairfall. Hence, one should always use lukewarm water while washing *and conditioning* their hair to maintain healthy hair.”
