How to Take Care of your Health During Winter Periods

Protecting your health in the wintertime isn’t as hard as it sounds, here are some tips for preventing typical problems during the coldest time of the year.

Immune System

Prevention is really the key to not getting sick. Older folks, children and those with depressed immune systems may want to consider getting a flu shot, which can protect you from getting the flu. You can also improve your immune system by eating right and taking the proper vitamins and minerals for your age and body type. Even a multivitamin is better than nothing, but consider supplementing with Vitamin C and Zinc, both proven to boost the immune system.

Skin

Your skin can often take a beating during the winter months. Inside your home or workplace, you’ll be subjected to dry heat from electric, gas, oil or wood fire heating elements. Also, you may take longer and certainly hotter baths or showers. Outside your home you’ll be subjected to dry, windy, wet or cold weather. Moving inside and outside from dry heat to dry cold can wreak havoc on your skin, making it dry, itchy, red, flaky and irritated. The skin on your face is especially susceptible to this problem. Use moisturizers and moisturizing lotions daily to keep your skin healthy and hydrated. You can also use a humidifier to add some much needed moisture back to the air in your home or workplace. Don’t forget to protect your skin from the glare of the sun or ravages of the wind by covering up all parts of your body by wearing gloves, a scarf, ear muffs and a hat when you go out. Remember to cleanse your face everyday with a gentle soap and lukewarm water. You may also wish to add a bath oil product to your baths to moisturize the skin on your entire body. The skin on your hands will also be very susceptible to drying and irritation, remedy this by applying a hand cream after each time you wash your hands.

Lips

Your lips are one of the hardest hit areas of your body during cold weather, especially during very dry and cold weather. Your lips may be chapped, dry and peel much more easily. Keep a moisturizing, protecting lip balm with you and apply it daily or as needed to keep your lips moist and supple and to avoid painful cracking.

Eyes

While in some areas of the country, the sun may not shine nearly as much as during the rest of the year, it’s still important to take care of your eyes during cold weather. Use sunglasses when needed, as the sun during the wintertime can shine UV rays that are even stronger than during the summer. Also, use eye drops as needed to prevent and relieve dry eyes due to the dry heat that may be present indoors. When snow is on the ground and/or the sun is shining, this is the most important time to protect your eyes from the sun’s wintertime UV rays with a good pair of sunglasses or goggles.

Fitness

When exercising, shoveling snow or working outside in cold weather, take extra care to avoid overexertion. Overexertion during cold weather can put an extra strain on your heart. When you need to exercise, consider instead working out in your home or at a gym. It’s very important to keep up your fitness routine throughout the year, including winter.

Tips For Winter Driving

Winter driving can be hazardous and stressful. Wind, snow, ice and blizzard conditions increase the normal dangers of driving. There is a lot you can do before the winter driving season and during a storm to protect yourself and your family.

Before winter arrives, have your car inspected to be sure it is ready for the road conditions. You can do this yourself or take it to a qualified mechanic. Check the battery, wipers and fluid, thermostat, brakes, ignition system, antifreeze, exhaust system, lights, oil level, heater and defrosters. Make sure everything is in good working order to keep you safe throughout the cold weather.

Check your tires to be sure they are road ready. Install tires that are appropriate for the driving conditions. In moderate amounts of snow, all weather radials will do the job nicely. If you live in a climate where you experience a lot of snow, consider snow tires. These have better tread to deal with snow and ice.

Prepare an emergency kit to keep in the back of your car. This will ensure that you are prepared in the event that you get stuck in the snow. Things to include in the kit:

Ice scraper
Small broom
Small shovel
Kitty litter or a bag of sand (to give traction if you get stuck in snow or ice)
Blankets or a sleeping bag
Flashlight with batteries
Flares or warning triangles
Plastic bags
First aid kit
Tool kit
Jumper cables
Bright cloth to use as a flag
Help sign for back window
Extra hat and gloves
Food and water to sustain you if you get stuck
A book or Prayer Cards to keep you busy and calm in the event you get stuck.
Charged cell phone (always carry this, especially in the winter)

Keep your gas tank at least half full at all times. This adds weight to the car and will ensure that you won’t run out of gas in the event you get stuck.

Driving in the Snow

Pay attention to the weather forecasts and road conditions in the winter months. If the weather is bad, stay home if at all possible. If you must venture out, travel in the daylight. You are more likely to find help if you get stuck during the day. Never warm up your vehicle in the garage. This releases carbon monoxide, which is toxic and can kill you.

When driving, always wear your seatbelt. Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from the glare of the sun reflecting off the snow. Know your car and how it handles in the snow. Features like traction control and antilock brakes can be useful in bad weather conditions. Know how these work and if your car is new, practice driving it in a snow covered parking lot before venturing out on the road.

Take it slow, especially in icy conditions. Don’t tailgate and be sure to allow a safe distance between vehicles. Do everything slowly, stopping, accelerating and turning. Leave plenty of time and space to maneuver. Sliding and skidding usually happen when turning, stopping or accelerating. Going extra slow will ensure your safety.

If the visibility is low, slow down even more. Consider getting off highways and driving even slower. This will take you out of the path of large trucks that can cause accidents. Use only your low beams, as your high beams will reflect back off the snow and won’t increase your visibility. Turn on your hazard lights to be sure other drivers see you.

In the event your car gets stuck, don’t get out. Put up the hood and tie your cloth to the antennae. This will make you more visible to emergency vehicles and other drivers. Keep the windows, air grill and tail pipe clear of snow. Wrap up in blankets and huddle up with passengers to stay warm. Run the heat for fifteen minutes each hour to keep from freezing. Move your body around to stay warm.

Keeping your car clean throughout the winter is important. Salt on the roads is important for safety, but will wreak havoc on the finish. If left on for long periods, it can cause rusting. Wash your vehicle weekly to remove salt and wax to protect the paint. Salt also leaves a coating on your headlights that can impair their operation. This will make you less visible to other vehicles. New Lite Headlight Cleaner and Restorer will return the lights to like new condition.