By Health Square desk Keeping your body and immune system as healthy as possible with the current pandemic is more important than always, though it is more difficult when stuck at home. Now is the best time to give yourself a pre-winter health MOT, whatever your current health condition is.
Regular health check-up is essential in all the seasons, but winter comes with lots of challenges. Due to a sudden drop in the temperature of the surrounding environment, our body finds it difficult to cope with changes. Weather changes such as low sunlight and lesser humidity cause lots of trouble for people with diseases. To prepare yourself for winters, you should go for preventive health check-ups.
From checking blood pressure to blood tests, here are reasons why you need a pre-winter health MOT to put yourselves best ahead for the coming year.
VITAMIN D Deficiency Can Occur in Winter
Vitamin D is the key factor for a winter health MOT. It is often overlooked when it comes to routine health screenings. Many people have a deficiency of vitamin D, even on brighter days. Many specialists recommend vitamin D supplements, especially in the winter months. It’s vital for the body’s healthy functioning, including supporting your bones and muscles to support your cardiovascular, respiratory, and autoimmune systems.
During the winter months, vitamin D levels are reduced even more due to limited sunlight exposure (sunlight is a natural precursor of vitamin D). It is advisable to have a pre-winter health MOT, including a vitamin D check-up to determine your vitamin D level in the blood.
Thyroid Gland Needs a Test
In winter, the thyroid glands need to work harder to keep the body warm and well. Cold weather may make it more likely that you’ll suffer from mild hypothyroidism even though your thyroid is healthy. Mild hypothyroidism, also known as subclinical hypothyroidism, impairs thyroid function, and the thyroid gland cannot produce sufficient thyroid hormone to meet the body’s needs. Thyroid problems are challenging and difficult to treat, so a pre-winter thyroid test is recommended as prevention to see where you stand.
The Immune System Is At Risk In Cold Weather
Immunity is at risk during the winters. In winters, we prefer to stay cosy and indoor. The foggy climate and less sunlight help bacterial growth, facilitating the speedy and easy transmission of diseases. Thus, health check-ups in winter are vital as a preventive step.
Medical Conditions Requiring Constant Monitoring
Regular checkups help you to be aware of certain diseases onset based on test results. Early detection is crucial to take the necessary treatment to reduce the spread or onset of a particular problem. Following problems need close monitoring in winter to avoid complications.
Heart Problems Can Increase In Winter
Older adults who suffer from heart problems should consider pre-winter health check-ups. One of the most common winter health facts is that heart problems are aggravated during chilly weather. The cold weather contracts the blood vessels reducing the amount of blood flow to the heart. Health screening results help your treatment/medication review by determining degeneration or improvement in your heart condition.
Asthma Check-Up
Asthma is related to problems in respiration. Low temperature, cold, dry air is a common asthma trigger and can cause bad flare-ups and lead to asthma attacks in winters. People facing difficulty in breathing should go for a preventive health check-up. An early diagnosis can help you take necessary and timely steps to avoid extreme pain and progression of the disease.Â
Arthritis Check-Up
In winters, the body stiffens up and causes joint pain in arthritic patients. The commonly known arthritis is osteoarthritis. In winters, persistent arthritis pains cause discomfort and depression. If you have arthritis or doubt it, go for the preventive pre-winter health check-up to diagnose arthritis.
Flu Check-Up and Flu Jabs
Flu is a viral infection of the body. It spreads and causes serious health problems in winters. Flu can cause a runny nose, sore throat and other issues. The disease can transmit and infect one person to another. In this case, the only way to stay protected is to stay away from infected persons and get the flu jab.
The winters are around the corner. The season is often related to coughs, colds, and other health problems, making winter health care imperative. Overall, health care in the winter is not complete without must-have health check-ups that are extremely important to avoid serious illness.