- Hypothermia and frostbite – If someone hears hypothermia, they might be tempted to think of long periods outdoors in record-breaking, freezing weather. In reality, even a mild cold can cause hypothermia or frostbite. Signs of hypothermia include exhaustion, slurred speech, extreme drowsiness, loss of memory, confusion, and fumbling hands.
- Winter weather and mental health – If you haven’t heard, the change of a season has a great impact on our mental health. We all have a natural sleep/wake cycle that is basically like our internal clock. It’s called the circadian rhythm, and it controls our mood. The early darkness of winter with the fact that the sky gets bright later affects our circadian rhythm AND our brain chemistry. This, and the fact that winter holidays are extremely stressful. We find ourselves running from errands and interrupting our schedule. All these factors combined set the stage for depression or other mental health issues.
- Cold and asthma– Cold and dry air can irritate and narrow our airways. That’s why it can trigger an asthma attack. As the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America has explained, you can have an asthma attack when you breathe in cold air through your mouth instead of your nose.
- Cold and Raynaud’s Disease – If you suffer from this disease, the cold weather can make things a lot worse for you. Raynaud’s disease occurs when certain parts of your body, specifically extremities like fingers and toes, feel numb and cold.
- Winter and sedentarism – We all know that there’s something about the cold and those dark days that make you want to curl up in bed and never get out of it. While it’s the perfect time to do that, too much sedentarism might affect your health.
