Common Winter Infections and Wellness Tips

With winters, there come many common infections such as flu, cold, sore throat, bronchitis and more. These ailments are more than capable in forcing an individual to spend their winter sick and on the bed. To fight these infections both at home and outside some precautions are necessary during winters. Firstly let us better understand the three most common ailments of winters:

Cold, Cough and Sore Throat – Common cold or rhinitis is a very common disorder especially amongst children during winters. Nevertheless, even a healthy adult suffer from cold on an average of 3 to 4 times a year. Both in children and in adults common cold occurs more frequently in winter than in summer. During winters higher proximity between people and rather conducive atmosphere for the growth of viruses contributes to the spread of the infection. Rhinitis can be caused because of various viruses but the most common culprit is rhinoviruses.

Flu – Often confused with cold, flu or influenza is highly contagious in nature. Most often the disease is transmitted from one person to another by inhalation of infectious particles carried by the air. Influenza is characterized by a high fever that has a sudden onset, chills, dry or wet cough and general discomfort that most often requires bed rest. Although the condition is rather safe in healthy adults but the same can cause complications in elderly, heart patients and patients with respiratory problems.

Bronchiolitis and Bronchitis – Bronchiolitis is a respiratory tract infection that is most often caused by Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). The condition is more common in children who are under two years of age. Cases of bronchiolitis may require brief hospitalization but mostly recovery happens after the introduction of respiratory physiotherapy.

Wellness Tips and Precautions to Fight Infections of winters
The most basic wellness tip during winters to maintain good health and fight infections is to maintain good hygiene. Viruses are transmitted by infectious droplets that are emitted during speech, sneezing or coughing. They are also transmitted by contact most often that of the hands. Thus to avoid infections wash your hands regularly with soap and water. Hand washing is highly recommended throughout the day especially before meals or cooking, after blowing your nose, sneezing or after having been in contact with a sick person. Keep your home and surrounding clean especially things and places that are more susceptible such as door knobs, remotes, keyboards and more. Also in winters it is advisable that one must strengthen the immune system at the intestinal level to fight against infections, this can be done by the consumption of Vitamin C and probiotics such as yogurt and fermented milk. It is also utmost important that one just doesn’t concentrate on avoiding getting infected but also should ensure that if infected he or she shouldn’t spread the infection further. For the same one must cover the mouth and nose during sneezing or coughing. Also it is advisable to use a tissue instead of one’s palm to sneeze or cough. Avoid spitting and also make it a point to wash your hands after sneezing or coughing and dispose the tissue properly.

Cure for Basic Winter Infections
When faced with a cold, arm yourself with patience, possibly use a product that will help decongest the nose, this will help one sleep better. One may also breathe in hot water vapors and take aspirin for relief. Drink plenty of water to thin the secretions. Sore throat may sometime get accompanied with fever; in such cases especially if the fever persist it is recommended that one consults a doctor. For flu one may opt for vaccination, it is recommended especially for senior citizens and individuals who suffer for certain chronic diseases such as diabetes, congenital heart diseases, HIV infection, severe chronic respiratory issues, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and more. Most winter infections are not very threatening and proper care and rest can help individuals overcome the same but in severe cases or in case of complications it’s always advisable to consult a medical practioner.