So remember till Spring actually sets in be Preparred!

Deal with weather ailments.

Learn from this week if you haven’t yet in the North East that this season is not over and to many feeling like their in the North Pole finally ends in about a month or less but this winter has worsened or increased illnesses due to the freezing cold temperatures we have had than into lovely weather back to freezing cold and still do.  Some health problems have been enhanced by the freezing temperatures like the common cold with even adding a sore throat trickling on to an attack of asthma   Well here’s how to help your body deal with the cold weather ailments.

“It’s your own immune response that makes you feel ill,” says Professor Ron Eccles of the Common Cold Centre in Cardiff, where experts have researched the common cold for more than 20 years.

When you get a cold, the virus attacks the nose and the back of the throat, and it doesn’t take long for the body’s natural defences to start to work.

“The immune system detects the virus and floods the area with white blood cells and chemical messengers, and these trigger various symptoms such as headaches and a blocked nose.”

“Women have more colds than men, and this is probably due to increased interaction with children,” says Professor Eccles of the Common Cold Centre in Cardiff .  Children get around seven to ten colds a year, compared with two to three for adults. So people who spend a lot of time with children, such as childminders, nursery teachers or school teachers, are more likely to pick up the viruses.

“During a cold, the lining of your nose is the battlefront,” says Professor Eccles. When your nose feels blocked, it isn’t because it’s full of mucus, but because the blood vessels in your nose are inflamed.

The nasal lining is made from erectile tissue (similar to the tissue in the sexual organs). When you have a cold, the blood vessels swell up as infection-fighting white blood cells flood to the area. This narrows the air passage in your nose and restricts the airflow as you breathe.

A decongestant spray can reduce the swelling and allow you to breathe more easily.

The cold is not unusual if a sore throat comes along with it also.  They are common in winter and are almost always caused by viral infections. There’s some evidence that changes in temperature, such as going from a warm, centrally heated room to the icy outdoors, can also affect the throat.

Cold air is a major trigger of asthma symptoms such as wheezing and shortness of breath. People with asthma should be especially careful in winter.  Key steps in helping prevent the asthma attack to occur:

1. Keep taking your regular preventer medicines as prescribed by your doctor.
2. If you know that cold air triggers your asthma, take one or two puffs of your reliever inhaler before going outside.
3. Keep your blue reliever inhaler with you at all times.
4. Wrap up well and wear a scarf over your nose and mouth – this will help to warm up the air before you breathe it in.
5. Take extra care when exercising in cold weather. Warm up for 10-15 minutes and take one or two puffs of your reliever inhaler before you start.

Continue to be careful in this winter weather and stay healthy at your optimal level. in dealing with this freezing cold.

“Getting sick is a part of everyday life, and being on the road doesn’t exempt you from that fact, especially when travel itself it exposes you to a whole new range of bugs, parasites, and environments. The fact of the matter is the longer you are traveling, the more likely you are to pick up a bug or two.The key to minimizing the chances of this, however, is to actively combat the risk factors of becoming sick in the first place. HANDWASHING is the first key.  I know this sounds basic, but it is surprising how many people forget it.”.

Columbia Presbyterian

“”Although seasonal weight gain varies from person to person, there have been surveys that show an average of a five to seven pound gain in weight in winter,” says Lawrence J. Cheskin, MD, founder and director of the Johns Hopkins.  Setting a regular fitness schedule is the key to keeping weight off in winter,” says Lisa Giannetto, MD, an assistant clinical professor in the Diet and Fitness Center at the Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C.”

Web M.D.

“New research says pregnant women should include the annual flu shot in their care plan.  On July 20th, 2018, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) said immunization is an essential part of care for adults, including pregnant women.  According to the ACOG’s immunization committee’s opinion, there is no evidence of adverse fetal effects from vaccinating pregnant women with inactivated virus, bacterial vaccines, or toxoids, and a growing body of data demonstrate the safety of such use.”

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

Influenza Pandemics: “The 1889–1890 flu pandemic, also known as Russian Flu, had a very high attack and mortality rate, causing around a million fatalities. Total mortality attributable to the 1918 Spanish Flu was probably around 40 million.  The “Asian Flu”, 1957–58. An H2N2 virus caused about 70,000 deaths in the United States.  First seen in China late Feb 1957 caused about 2 million deaths globally.  The “Hong Kong Flu”, 1968–69. An H3N2 caused about 34,000 deaths in the United States & killed approximately one million people worldwide .  In the spring of 2009, a novel influenza A (H1N1) virus emerged. It was detected first in the United States and spread quickly across the United States and the world. This new H1N1 virus contained a unique combination of influenza genes not previously identified in animals or people. This virus was designated as influenza A (H1N1)pdm09 virus. The (H1N1)pdm09 virus was very different from H1N1 viruses that were circulating at that time; vaccination with seasonal flu vaccines thus offered little cross-protection against (H1N1)pdm09 virus infection. While a monovalent (H1N1)pdm09 vaccine was produced, it was not available in large quantities until late November, which was after the peak of illness during the second wave had come and gone in the United States. From April 12, 2009 to April 10, 2010, CDC estimated that there were 60.8 million cases (range: 43.3-89.3 million), 274,304 hospitalizations (195,086-402,719), and 12,469 deaths (8868-18,306) in the United States due to the (H1N1)pdm09 virus.* CDC estimated that between 151,700 and 575,400 people worldwide died from 2009 H1N1 virus infection during the first year the virus circulated.”

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

“1. Choose age appropriate toys by reading the age label on the toy. For children younger than 3, avoid toys with small parts, which can cause choking. In particular avoid deflated or broken balloons, small parts or small balls.  2. Scooters and other riding toys – Riding toys, skateboards and in-line skates go fast, and falls could be deadly. Helmets & safety gear always WEAR.  3.)Whether marketed for children or adults, building and play sets with small magnets should also be kept away from small children (prevents magnets from being swallowed). ”

On Safety (onsafety.cpsc.gov)

“Most people recover fully from even the most severe cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome.  Severe cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome are rare, but can result in near-total paralysis.”

World Health Organization