The Good Winter Habits Of Healthy People

We all know someone who, despite the change of season or bugs going around, seems to never get sick. Are they just lucky, or are they doing something different that helps them remain in good health all year round? Our list of good health habits should keep you fighting fit throughout the winter months.

 

What actually makes you sick?

Joburg-based medical doctor, Shaun Coppin, says there seems to be no direct link between cold weather and getting sick, as illness is caused by bacteria and viruses. However, he explains that we tend to produce more mucous when we’re cold, and if we become infected, sneezes and coughs transmit micro-organisms even easier. ‘The cold air also helps viruses travelling in liquid particles survive and remain airborne for longer, meaning they’re more easily breathed in,’ he says. ‘Spending more time indoors in close contact with people who may be infected also increases your chances of becoming sick.’

Dr Sihle Asiedu-Darkwah, medical intern at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, agrees that the risk of getting sick increases with cold weather, but advises that illness can occur at any time of the year as viruses can also spread through contact with surfaces covered with infectious material (door handles, card machines, and shopping trolleys).

What to wear

Dr Asiedu-Darkwah explains what puts you at higher risk of contracting a cold or flu is the contact of cold air with your respiratory mucous membranes, not your skin. ‘Some studies suggest the passing of cold air into your respiratory passages could decrease your local immune system’s response to infections,’ she says. ‘When it comes to dressing appropriately in winter, children aren’t able to regulate their body temperature as well as adults, so they need more flexibility in terms of their clothing to help them adjust to the environment.’