Getting ready for winter

Winter is coming and we need to start thinking about strategies to stay healthy and fit in the face of colds and flu and winter blues as the temperature falls and the days grow shorter.

The Flu Jab

Everyone over the age of 65, pregnant women and children and adults with underlying health problems - particularly long term heart or lung  disease- is eligible for free flu vaccination on the NHS.

Flu jabs have been shown to work, preventing flu infection and even if you still get flu, it is likely to be less severe if you have been vaccinated. These days it is possible to have the jab privately from pharmacies if you are not in the at risk groups for whom free provision is available.

For more information on this topic and aspects such as flu nasal spray for children, the flu strains in the 2014/2015 vaccine and the side effects of flu vaccination, there is a comprehensive article at: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/vaccinations/Pages/who-should-have-flu-vaccine.aspx

And if you are concerned about managing flu patients I would recommend http://www.flu.gov/symptoms-treatment/caring-for-someone/ as it is useful to know the best way to prevent flu from spreading throughout the house after someone has fallen ill.

Coughs and Sneezes Spread Diseases

Flu aside, colds are 80% more common in winter and how can we avoid them, if at all?

Many of us take supplements to ward off colds but in fact Vitamin C has been shown to have no effect on the likelihood of catching a cold although it may possibly reduce the length and severity of the infection.   As for flu, while many people believe that taking Vitamin C cures flu, it has been shown to have no effect in practice.  Echinacea may shorten the time a cold lasts but the evidence is not conclusive and while zinc taken orally within a day of the onset of symptoms may help, taking zinc long term may be harmful and is not recommended by the Royal College of GPs.  Zinc in nasal sprays was seen to be no more useful than a placebo.

Eating a healthy balanced diet, taking exercise and avoiding other people’s viruses, whether transmitted by sneezing or manual contact – from doorknobs, banisters, handrails and so on, at the same time keeping your hands away from your face and washing them regularly is at least realistic advice we can all follow although getting through winter without a cold at all is good going indeed.

Winter blues:

The symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) are similar to those of normal depression, but they occur at a particular time each year. Seasonal affective disorder aka SAD or a milder form known as “winter blues “is thought affect 2 million people in the UK alone. SAD is more common in women with up to three times as many women affected, usually starting between the ages of 18 and 30.

The key symptoms include depression, sleep problems, lethargy, overeating, irritability and generally feeling “down” and unsociable.

Although using a light box for a couple of hours a day has been shown to help in 85% of diagnosed cases of SAD, the boxes can cost £100 each and they are not available on the NHS. So are there other, cheaper options?

 A daily one hour walk in the middle of the day has been as effective as a light box for some sufferers and getting out whenever possible in daylight, using pale light reflective colours for decorating your home and sitting near windows when possible are all suggested as ways of increasing light exposure and potentially improving mood.

A healthy diet boosts mood as well as limiting weight gain and keeping warm can reduce SAD by half as being cold increases depression. Warm drinks, food and clothes all act together and keeping your home warm can help, too.

Sue Pavlovich of the Seasonal Affective Disorder Association recommends taking up a new activity to give a new interest to look forward to as being beneficial as is making an effort to socialize.  Talking in a more formal setting such as counselling or CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) may be useful and your GP can give advice on local availability.

If you have a problem with SAD and would like to contact others with the same concerns, support groups are often helpful and the Seasonal Affective Disorder Association offers information, newsletters and services for sufferers and can be accessed via this link: http://sada.org.uk

“What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.” John Stienback