How to deal with those winter woes
Monday February 01 2010
There's plenty of winter weather to come yet and apart from colds, other ailments are also at risk of flaring up at this time.
- Sore throats -- these are common in winter. There's some evidence that changes in temperature, such as going from a warm room to the icy outdoors, can also affect the throat.
One quick and easy remedy for a sore throat is to gargle with warm, salty water.
- Painful joints -- many people with arthritis say their joints become more painful in winter, though it's not clear why this is so. Only joint symptoms, such as pain and stiffness, are affected by the weather.
Daily exercise can boost a person's mental and physical state. Swimming is ideal as it's easy on the joints.
- Cold sores -- most of us recognise that cold sores are a sign that we're run down or under stress.
Every day, try and do things that make you feel less stressed.
- Heart attacks -- these are more common in winter. This may be because cold snaps increase blood pressure and put more strain on the heart.
Your heart also has to work harder to maintain body heat when it's cold.
Irish Independent
