03 Mar February – March 2019 – Staying Healthy During Winter

posted 1/20/2019

February – March Health-bits

Tips for Staying Healthy During Winter

1. Tread carefully:
   To help avoid falls, wear appropriate shoes outdoors and put road salt, sand or kitty litter on sidewalks and driveways.
2. Avoid overwork:
   Find someone to handle snow shoveling and other strenuous outdoor tasks. Cold weather causes blood vessels to constrict, which increases the risk of heart attack for people with heart disease or other conditions that strain the heart’s ability to pump blood.
3. Exercise indoors:
   Staying indoors doesn’t mean being inactive. Keep in shape by walking in place, using a stationary bike or working out with a fitness video. Daily stretching exercises help maintain flexibility. A number of classes are available at Verona Senior Center. Check with your physician before beginning any exercise program.
4. Bundle up:
   Cold temperatures are a serious threat to seniors, especially those with dementia. A person who wanders from home without proper clothing in the winter can quickly fall victim to frostbite or hypothermia. Families should consider installing alarm systems that signal whenever an outside door is opened.
5. Keep the heat on:
   Inadequate indoor heat also can cause hypothermia. Keep home temperatures above 65 degrees and dress in layers to maintain body temperature. If you have difficulty paying the heating bill, contact your gas or electric utility about ways to continue service through the winter.
6. Clear the air:
   If you heat your home with a fireplace, gas furnace or gas-powered space heater, invest in carbon monoxide detectors, which can be purchased at a home improvement store for as little as $30. Carbon monoxide in the air can displace the oxygen in your blood stream, causing headache, dizziness, nausea, convulsions and even death within two hours. The effects can be even faster for people with heart or respiratory illnesses.
7. Socialize:
   Depression is more common in winter months, and bad weather can mean social isolation for many seniors. Make efforts to spend time with family, friends and neighbors, and when weather makes visiting difficult, pick up the phone for a chat.
8. Hydrate:
   We need just as much water in the winter as in the summer. That “puff” of vapor you see as you exercise outside is water vapor escaping from our body. Heating your home causes the air to dry out, so run a humidifier and drink more water. Dry noses and throats invite different virus and bacteria into our respiratory system.

*Source: University of Indianapolis online

– Nurse Barbara