How to Avoid Coming Down With a Winter Illness
Winter is on its way, but the cold weather isn’t the only thing to contend with. Millions of people come down with a dreaded winter illness every year, but what are the most common, and can you avoid them?
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Why Do so Many People Get Sick in the Winter?
During the winter months, it seems you can’t go anywhere without bumping into someone with “that bug that seems to be going around”. Then, before you know it, you’re cooped up under the covers, drinking all the tea and honey and taking paracetamol every four hours, just hoping that your nose will unblock long enough for you to be able to taste your food.
Viruses thrive in colder temperatures because there’s no humidity, so they stay in the environment for longer. On top of that, we tend to spend more time indoors to keep warm, so it only takes being near someone feeling under the weather to catch it ourselves.
Common Winter Illnesses to Watch out For
Cold weather can be particularly problematic if you’re older or have an existing health condition, but winter illnesses can affect anyone.
The Common Cold
We’re all familiar with the common cold. Common symptoms include a sore throat, cough, headache, runny nose and sneezing. As it’s a viral infection, there’s not much you can do about it except take pain relief and decongestants, drink plenty of fluids and wait for it to get out of your system.
Flu
The flu can feel like a bad cold, but it often comes on suddenly and can be serious. You’ll often experience all the common symptoms of a cold, along with a fever and achy muscles.
Like a cold, flu is a viral infection, so there’s little you can do once you have it apart from treating the symptoms and avoiding contact with others to minimise the spread.
Sinus Infections
Sinus infections happen when your sinuses become blocked with fluid, allowing bacteria to grow. Any condition that blocks your sinuses can lead to a sinus infection, including a cold, which is why this illness is so common during the winter months.
