Winter is coming and brings with it a host of seasonal diseases, mostly caused by viruses. The main reason for the high prevalence of winter diseases is that the viruses are more stable and survive better in cold and dry air because they have a protective shell that turns into a gel-like material at low temperatures. Another reason for their survival: their ability to spread in the air through fragments emitted from the body during sneezing, coughing, or nasal dessert. The shrapnel remains in space for a long time. Because most of us stay in winter in confined and non-ventilated spaces, there is a high chance that the shrapnel will be aspirated by someone in the same space, which increases the risk of getting infected.
In addition, when we are cold, we are more vulnerable to disease. Although the current scientific opinion is that cold does not cause disease, it must be remembered that cold shrinks the body and blood vessels, and therefore blood flow to the body is poorer in colder seasons. As a result, the effectiveness of the nasal and respiratory tract immune system is weakening.
Cold or flu?
Influenza is considered the 'celeb' of winter diseases. It is a viral disease that is not usually dangerous, except for certain populations, which are more susceptible to the complications of the disease, such as the elderly, chronically ill, and the like. Flu is accompanied by definite symptoms: fever over 37.8 degrees, runny nose, sore throat, exhaustion, dry cough, headache, muscle pain. Other common illnesses are diseases that cause upper respiratory tract infections, such as colds and bronchitis, which in some cases can get complicated and cause sinusitis, ear infection, and pneumonia, some of which are caused by bacteria. As is well known, viral diseases cannot be treated with antibiotics. Bacteria, on the other hand, are exacerbated by antibiotics, for example in cases of bacterial infection in the tonsils, sinusitis, and in some of the ear infections and pneumonia.
As mentioned above, viral diseases are more common than bacterial and have a tendency to cause a variety of symptoms simultaneously, such as fever, runny nose, cough, sore throat, abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and rash.
How to keep kids in winter?
As is well known, children tend to contract winter illnesses more than adults. To make it easier for them and try to prevent them from getting infected:
- Maintain hygiene and make sure you wash your hands.
- Ventilate rooms.
- Encourage them to drink plenty of water and a varied diet based on fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains and avoid as much industrial, sugar, and white flour as possible.
- Ensure adequate sleep hours.
- Also, regular use of probiotics, nutritional supplements, and herbs may help strengthen the body. So does eating heated and cooked foods.
How to deal with fever and when to go to the doctor?
Heat is a normal physiological response of the immune system and should not cause concern on its own, as long as it is not very high heat. Generally, heat, like runny nose, is a means of the body to protect itself and usually no need to run to the doctor. However, when other symptoms such as significant cough, headaches, strong headaches, and any other worrying symptoms appear, you should check with a doctor.
Other conditions requiring a doctor's examination are fever over 38.2, in infants under three months of age, and fever accompanied by a poor general condition such as sleepiness, shortness of breath, and change in skin color or fever that does not diminish after a few days.
When should you take antibiotics? And how do you deal with its side effects?
Taking antibiotics will only help when the doctor diagnoses that the disease is caused by bacteria.
Because antibiotics also harm the "good" bacterial population, it is recommended to take probiotics, about two hours after taking an antibiotic. Probiotics will help restore the "good" bacteria to the digestive system.
