Winter Illnesses and Benefits of a Full Body Preventive Health Checkup

As winter approaches, the risk of seasonal illnesses like colds, flu, and respiratory infections increases. A full body preventive health checkup can help detect early signs of illness and ensure you stay healthy throughout the season.

Most Common Winter Health Problems

Other than those chilly and windy feels, the season of winters brings common illness as well. One needs to be extra careful regarding their health. One can always go for preventive health checkups for the same but before delving into the benefits of health checkups let’s have look at some of the most common winter health problems.

Sore throat:

Sore throat is a dry and painful feeling in the throat. One of the most common illnesses of winters, this illness is caused majorly by viral infections. Other reasons can be environmental factors such as stepping out from cold to hot conditions.

Symptoms:

Symptoms can be varied depending on the area of the throat affected but these are a few symptoms:

• Scratchy throat
• Dry throat
• Tender throat
• Swollen glands in the neck
• Hoarse voice

Treatment:

Warm salty water has anti-inflammatory properties. Gargling your throat with it is the easiest and effective remedy. Consult a physician if they are not getting treated with warm water.

Cold Sores:

Cold sores are another common winter disease that one cannot easily identify. Most people think that they are suffering from it due to stress. Cold sores are very contagious.

Treatment:

• Buy a cream to ease pain and irritation from a pharmacist.
• There are antiviral creams to speed up healing time.
• Cold sore patches are also available to protect the skin while it heals.

Asthma:

People suffering from Asthma very well know how it can be a harmful season for them. Winters can trigger Asthma Symptoms on a major level. The cold air of winters can cause shortness of breath. This makes people suffering from it be a little more careful.

Treatment:

Other than the medication suggested by your doctor here are a few easy remedies to save yourself.

• Cover your nose and mouth when it is very cold outside.
• It is good to stay indoors if it is a very chilly and windy day.
• Keep your reliever inhaler close by.

Painful Joints:

Joint pains become more evident in winters because joints become stiffer. People with Arthritis have to suffer more during winters.

Treatment:

• Stress and Depression are the cause of many other diseases, it can make every other disease feel worse so keeping yourself fit on a daily basis is a primary thing (by Exercise).
• A walk in nature is also very effective.
• Swimming is also effective for the joints.

Dry Skin:

The condition of dry skin is severe during winters. People with skin sensitivity suffer more from it.

Treatment:

• Though hot water becomes a guilty pleasure for many, extra hot water is not good for your skin and hair. Take a bath with warm water.
• Moisturizing is a must during this season as the moisture from your skin keeps evaporating, apply after taking a bath.

Influenza:

Fever, sore throat, Headache, muscle pain all lead to influenza which is commonly known as flu.

Flu normally lasts up to 4–5 days. Flu is usually contagious.

Treatment:

• Take prescribed antiviral medications which can shorten the duration of flu.
• Do not keep popping up antiviral medication, if it doesn’t feel effective, visit a doctor.
• The best option for children of 2–16 years is getting a flu jab.
• Getting an annual flu vaccine can prove as an effective treatment for stopping it to spread in the family.

Whooping Cough:

This is most common during winters and affects mainly infants and children of a young age. It is also known as pertussis and is spread by bacteria known as Bordetella pertussis. As it starts one cannot differentiate it from a common cold but it becomes severe as you cannot stop coughing.

Treatment:

• The first remedy is drinking lots of fluids.
• Limit yourself from smoke or dust.
• Go to antibiotics when it starts to save it from getting severe.

It can lead to pneumonia if gets severe and not treated early.

Pneumonia:

It occurs when the lungs are infected which causes air sacs to fill with pus and other liquids. Viruses are mostly responsible for this common illness however Fungi and Bacteria can also cause it. It usually takes 1–3 weeks to recover from it.

Symptoms:

• Fever
• Mucus producing cough
• Lack of appetite

Treatment:

• Drink plenty of fluids.
• It can be treated with antibiotics.
• Fever and cough both can be treated with medication.

Common Cold:

No illness is more common than the common cold in winters. Rhinovirus is the virus that is responsible for the common cold. Though it is not as bad as other common illnesses like influenza or sore throat but does not make you feel good either.

Treatment:

• Using decongestants and saline rinses
• A humidifier to open clogged pores.

Heart Attacks:

One of the most unfortunate health issues during winters is a Heart attack. The cold temperature is more prone to blocking the blood vessels and thus increasing the chances of heart attacks.

There are more cases of heart attacks in winters than summers because the cold weather stops the supply of oxygen-rich blood.

Treatment:

Immediate treatment is needed after minor heart attacks the major can even lead to direct death. These treatments save from the major ones.

• Aspirin and other antiplatelets
• Beta-blockers
• ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors
• Statins
• CABG or coronary artery bypass graft

Benefits of a Preventive Health Checkup

Precaution is always better than cure. It is always helpful if you get yourself a full body health checkup. So that one can always be clear about what he can suffer from in the near future and get treatment beforehand at the initial stages. They not only promote better health but also improve lifestyle. The doctors can guide you on how can you take extra care of your body to prevent you from potential health problems.

Most people become very negligent and only go to a doctor when the situation is critical however a whole body checkup (yearly or half-yearly, depending upon your choices) can help you diagnose any disease which can potentially happen in your body and recommend preventive measures for the same.

This is why it becomes important for you to have a regular checkup.