Winter’s Effects on the Body and Health

The weather is getting very cold, which is having some effects on the body and mind that were not expected. Yes, experts in medicine agree that when the weather changes, our bodies and minds also change in many ways. Keeping these changes in mind is important if you want to stay healthy all year. Here, you’ll learn about some of the surprising ways that cold weather affects the body.

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Yes, this is a great benefit of cold weather, and medical research shows that when it’s cold, our bodies burn more calories to stay warm. However, this isn’t a big enough change to get rid of obesity completely. But you can lose a lot of the extra fat if you exercise and use other methods at the same time.

Fingers shrink

Have you ever noticed that when it’s cold outside, the ring on your finger gets looser? It’s not your imagination. When it’s warm outside, the bones in your fingers and toes swell up. In the winter, this process goes backward, making your fingers and toes “shrink.” So, the body tries to maintain its heat and keep its core temperature steady.

Some people experience more bone pain in the winter because their small blood vessels constrict in response to the cold. This usually happens in the hands, feet, and ears. When the blood supply goes up a lot, it is not dangerous, but it can hurt. To avoid this, people should wear warm clothes and not spend too much time outside.

Vision may be affected

Extreme cold temperature, head wind and snowfall etc. can affect vision, it is important for people to use sunglasses in areas where it snows.

Redness of the face

If you have a cold and your nose or cheeks are red, it’s because the blood in these areas is being sent to more important organs, like the heart or lungs. This means that less blood is going to your face. But when you go into a warm room and your blood flow goes back to normal, some parts of your face will turn red like a tomato.

Increased risk of heart attack

People over 65, especially those who already have heart disease, are more likely to have a heart attack during this time of year. A study found that when the body tries to keep its temperature steady, the heart has to work harder to pump the blood, which raises blood pressure to some degree.

Fluctuations in mood

When the temperature is low, its effects on mood are negatively affected by vitamin D deficiency due to less time in the sun, whose severity depends on the weather’s severity.

Dryness of the nose and eyes

When it’s cold, the air’s humidity goes down, too. This makes the eyes and nose dry so that the body can keep the moisture in other organs.

Persistent runny nose

As the body fights against dryness in the cold, you may find that your eyes are always wet or that your nose keeps running, since tears and mucus production can go up when things are dry.

Excessive urination

In cold weather, your vital organs get more blood, which makes you urinate more. This is because the extra blood flow raises your blood pressure, so your kidneys filter out the extra fluid to lower the pressure. can do.

Difficulty breathing

If it’s cold outside and you have trouble breathing, it’s because your lungs aren’t getting enough air. As the volume drops, it gets harder to breathe, especially for people with asthma and other lung diseases.

Homes, Lindsay. “7 Odd Things That Happen to Your Body When It’s Cold Outside.” HuffPost, 15 Nov. 2017, http://www.huffpost.com/archive/in/entry/body-in-cold-weather_a_23282509.

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Author: DoctorMaryam.org

3rd Professional Medical Student. Karachi Medical and Dental College.

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