As spring approaches, it is obvious Wisconsin has seen one of the strangest winters on record. Throughout this winter temperatures have fluctuated, snow has been inconsistent and everyone agrees it was just not a normal winter. The result is a lot of colds and flus that have worked their way through offices and schools. The nature of the colds and flus has been just as wildly varied as the weather.
It is understood in Traditional Chinese Medicine that people are a part of the environment and that the environment affects us. This is most obvious as people put on coats when the temperature hits 50 degrees in September, but 50 degrees in March calls for shorts and t-shirts. The human body adapts to the environment and the changing seasons.
In our modern age of climate controlled buildings, it is easy to think that the environment does not affect people. In fact, this creates a situation where people do not adjust as well to the winter as those who work outside. Office workers and the like, are more susceptible to the affects of the weather because they are less exposed and adapted to it.
The wind and cold of the winter of course does not cause a viral infection such as a cold or flu. The sudden shifts in temperature, and humidity do however stress the body and can make people more susceptible to whatever is already going around. Unpredictable weather means many people find themselves underdressed or ill prepared for rain or snow. This increases the number of people catching colds and increases the viral load that people are exposed to. Even those people who are protecting themselves against the changes in weather find themselves exposed to an increased amount of sick people and thus increase their chances of catching something.There is no easy answer. Everyone needs to be vigilant, especially as the winds of spring begin to create more variability to the environment.
Common sense advice for staying healthy and avoiding colds;
- Dress in layers, be prepared for worse weather than you expect. Hats, scarves, rain gear, windbreakers, warm socks all help.
- Wash hands often and avoid being close to people who are already sick.
- Eat hearty winter foods like soups, stews and warm beverages like hot cider with cinnamon, these can help your body function well in winter. Save the Summer salads for summer.
- If you do catch a cold- do everyone a favor and stay home and get it cleared quickly before you give it to someone else.