Winter is here and, as we all know, it’s going to stick around too long (like some of our relatives). While cold weather doesn’t cause illnesses, they are more common in the winter. So, why do more people get sick in the winter? While there are several reasons, the main culprit is that we are indoors more, breathing heated air which dries out our noses which makes better breeding grounds for viruses. Health professionals point out that viruses can reproduce 100 times better in dry heated air than if there’s moisture and humidity in the air.
While there is no 100% foolproof way to prevent illnesses during the winter, there are steps you can take to make getting sick less likely.
Stay up-to-date on recommended vaccines
The World Health Organization (WHO) maintains that “immunization is a global health success story, saving millions of lives every year. Vaccines reduce risks of getting a disease by working with your body’s natural defenses to build protection. When you get a vaccine, your immune system responds.” While immunizations don’t always prevent you from getting sick, they help your body fight infections early, reducing the risk of severe illness, hospitalization and death. Vaccination is a personal choice, discuss with your doctor about staying up-to-date with [your] annual flu shot, COVID-19 booster, and vaccines for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and pneumococcal infections.
Wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands
Harvard Medical School’s Health Letter advises that you “wash [your hands] after shaking someone's hand; as soon as you get home from being out; and throughout the day before touching your face (especially your nose or mouth), preparing or eating food, taking medication, or blowing your nose. Get your hands soapy and scrub for 20 seconds. ‘Soap causes virus particles to burst open. Gastrointestinal viruses are hardier than other germs, which is why you need to wash your hands a little longer to protect against them,’ says Dr. Daniel Kuritzkes, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital.”
Drink Up
Sipping an adequate amount of water each day can help stave off winter illnesses in a way that you may not be aware of. UCHealth, a highly respected not-for-profit health care system based in Colorado, explains that proper hydration “helps maintain the mucus in your nose and respiratory tract, a key barrier that traps the germs you breathe in before they can infect you. If your nose gets really dry, think of it almost as like having cracks in your skin, but inside your nose, and then viruses can more easily enter, because they have a gap. Women should strive for about 92 ounces of fluid a day, and men 124 ounces a day, to keep the body and immune defenses in top shape.”
When needed, wear a mask
The Center for Disease Control advises what we all know: “Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.” And although there was some controversy about it during the COVID pandemic “wearing a mask is an additional prevention strategy that you can choose to do to further protect yourself and others,” the health agency reports. “When worn by a person with an infection, masks reduce the spread of the virus to others. Masks can also protect wearers from breathing in infectious particles from people around them.”
Keep your gut healthy with probiotics
The National Health Institute says that “probiotics can help with colds by reducing the likelihood of getting sick, shortening the duration of symptoms, and decreasing their severity. They may also help with the immune response.” The best sources of probiotics are fermented foods like yogurt, kefir or kimchi. If you’re considering a probiotic supplement the Cleveland Health Clinic recommends that “although probiotic supplements are generally recognized as safe, you should ask your doctor if probiotics are right for you before trying them. They can even help you decide which probiotics are best for you.”
Get your Zs
A study published in the journal Sleep found that people who slept less than five hours a night were about four times more likely to develop the common cold compared to those who got at least seven hours. Other research shows that sleep deprivation can lower your protection from vaccines. For maximum immune support aim for seven to eight hours of sleep a night.
(You knew were going to bring this up): Exercise regularly
As reported in AARP Magazine “regular physical activity flushes viruses and bacteria out of your airways and lowers the stress hormones that weaken immunity, according to a 2023 review in the journal Sports Medicine. Exercise also helps your lungs work more efficiently, which makes it harder for viruses to take hold, explains Dr. Paul Thottingal, an infectious disease specialist with Kaiser Permanente in Seattle. You don’t need to run a marathon, he says. Studies indicate low- or moderate-intensity exercise is actually better for immune health than high-intensity exercise. A daily walk, swim or bike ride all count
