The winter climate is unpredictable and erratic, making many people with chronic diseases enter a “high-risk” period for the onset of disease. According to statistics, the incidence of cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal diseases, diabetes and respiratory tract infections increases by 50% each winter. Medical experts reminded the majority of chronic patients to pay attention to the winter to keep warm and prevent the sudden onset of chronic diseases. These “vulnerable people” through the winter health measures are.
1, “old slow branch” – to prevent attacks
The winter is the most worried and fearful season for the “old slow-onset” patients, one careless cold and cold, it will trigger a serious acute attack. Many of the patients have spent the winter in “injections, medication and hospitalization”, and as a result, they suffer from great physical and mental pain, and the financial burden is also very heavy. Therefore, it is especially important to prevent winter flare-ups in patients with “old slow-onset”. Whistle experts suggest that the “old slow-onset” winter should pay attention to the following points.
(1) No smoking. Quit smoking is now the most effective measure to slow down the decline of lung function in patients with “slow-onset”. In the winter, when the disease is prone to flare-ups, an absolute ban on smoking is a must for every patient with “Lonichiasis”.
(2) Appropriate exercise is the most economical and effective means to prevent the onset of “old slow-onset”. Walking, running, boxing, whistling exercises and other exercises can not only enhance muscle activity and enhance the whistling function, but also enhance physical fitness. When exercising, you should pay attention to keep warm, and the time should be 20 minutes.
(3) Patients should pay attention to reasonable nutrition. Because malnutrition will not only damage the lung function, but also weaken the body’s immune mechanism. Usually, they should eat more vegetables, fruits and dairy foods, take reasonable vitamins and calcium supplements, and eat less raw, cold, spicy and greasy foods.
(4) We should actively improve the body’s resistance to prevent infection from colds and other diseases. For example, in the winter season, “old slow branch” can apply some immunomodulators or flu vaccine or pneumonia vaccine according to the situation to improve the body’s immunity and reduce “old slow branch” attacks.
(5) Beware of indoor air pollution. In the cold winter, most families keep their doors and windows closed to keep warm, which leads to indoor air pollution and bacteria growth. It is recommended to open the windows often, preferably for 20 minutes each morning, afternoon and evening to remove harmful indoor gases.
2, high blood pressure – beware of stroke
With the arrival of winter, hypertension patients enter the “danger period”. Every year, there is a significant increase in the number of elderly people who suffer strokes and cerebral hemorrhages due to hypertension in winter. Because of the cold season, the body is in a low temperature for a long time, the peripheral blood vessels contracted by the cold will make the blood pressure rise, heart and brain load increased, the chance of hemorrhagic stroke attack will greatly increase. In addition to the weather factor, many hypertensive patients ignore the changes in their own blood pressure, which is also a major cause of sudden strokes in winter. Generally speaking, hypertension is easier to control in summer. Therefore, in the early winter, many patients will take it lightly and ignore the fluctuations in blood pressure caused by temperature changes. Experts suggest that patients with hypertension should pay attention to the following points in their daily life in winter.
(1) Pay attention to monitoring blood pressure and adjusting medication according to blood pressure changes in a timely manner.
(2) Eat reasonably and stay away from the three high foods. The intake of a large amount of three high (high salt, high sugar, high fat) food aggravates atherosclerosis. Therefore, limit the intake of three high foods in winter, and eat more black fungus, hawthorn, onion head and other foods that soften blood vessels.
(3) Drink more water and eat more vegetables and fruits. High blood viscosity is a causative factor for elevated blood pressure. Drink more water, drink more porridge and soup, and eat more fruits and vegetables to dilute the blood and avoid the formation of high blood viscosity.
(4) Keep a reasonable temperature difference between indoor and outdoor. Middle-aged and elderly people have poor adaptability to cold and poor regulation of blood pressure, and their blood pressure is easy to fluctuate. Therefore, keep the indoor temperature at 16-23℃, ventilate frequently, and reduce going out in sudden cold and windy low temperature.
If a hypertensive patient’s face or limbs suddenly feel numbness, weakness, difficulty in speaking, or suddenly have a sense of vertigo, headache, and from intermittent to persistent, or accompanied by nausea and vomiting, these are the early signs of cerebral hemorrhage caused by hypertension, and emergency measures should be taken. At this time, the patient should be kept quiet and completely bedridden, and try not to move the patient or perform non-urgent examinations during the acute period of the initial attack. Otherwise, the bleeding in the brain will continue and aggravate the condition.
3.Coronary heart disease-Beware of heart attack
According to statistics, the number of people dying from cardiovascular disease accounts for about 45% of the total number of deaths in China every year, cardiovascular disease has become the “number one killer” that endangers the health of Chinese people. Cardiovascular disease is prone to deterioration or sudden attack in winter, which is due to the lower temperature in winter will cause the body’s peripheral vasoconstriction, resulting in vascular resistance and blood pressure rise, so that the heart load increases. In addition, the temperature difference between morning and evening in winter, the cold stimulation will lead to a higher blood pressure of patients suffering from hypertension at the same time, and some antihypertensive drug dosing will increase the burden on the heart. In addition, people suffering from bronchitis and other whistling system diseases, once the myocardial infarction combined with lung infection will be life-threatening. For this reason, coronary heart patients in winter should pay attention to the following aspects to keep their hearts safe through the winter.
(1) standardize the use of drugs: according to the changes in climate, under the guidance of doctors to make the necessary adjustments to the drugs usually taken, and actively control the recurrence of various chronic diseases, especially to control blood pressure.
(2) Pay attention to warmth: wind chill is the main trigger for the recurrence of coronary heart disease in winter, so pay special attention to the warmth of the head, hands and feet. Wear gloves, hats and scarves when going out, wear coats, scald your feet with hot water before going to bed, and pay attention to wearing clothes when going to the bathroom at night.
(3) reasonable diet: ginger, onions are rare winter tonic, often eat ginger is traditionally regarded as one of the key to health care, especially to strengthen the cardiovascular system. Ginger is rich in curcumin, the heart and blood vessels have a certain stimulating effect, can make the blood vessels expand, so that the veins smooth, normal supply. Onions contain flavonoids and other substances that can lower blood pressure, prevent thrombosis and atherosclerosis, is the ideal food to prevent cardiovascular disease. Coronary heart patients should not be “big fish and meat” in winter, should eat less high cholesterol, high animal fat food.
(4) Proper exercise: Proper exercise is beneficial for patients to improve their body resistance, and consistent exercise can improve heart function. However, it should be noted that patients with coronary heart disease should choose relatively high temperatures in the afternoon for moderate physical exercise, such as walking, jogging, playing tai chi, etc.. Exercise should be measured, to no discomfort as the degree, if too much will be harmful to health.
4, diabetic patients – beware of complications
The cold will stimulate sympathetic excitation, so that the body increased secretion of catecholamines, easy to raise blood sugar, platelet aggregation and the formation of thrombosis, increased blood pressure, stimulating coronary artery spasm, so that the symptoms of coronary heart disease aggravated, induced angina pectoris, etc.. The incidence of cardiovascular disease and the resulting mortality rate will greatly increase. In addition, some diabetic patients to the winter itchy body, which is a diabetic metabolic disorders caused by diabetic pruritus. Winter diabetic patients are also prone to induce foot lesions. Therefore, experts remind diabetic patients should pay attention to the following points during winter.
(1) pay attention to the monitoring of blood sugar, according to blood sugar changes in a timely manner to adjust the dosage of hypoglycemic drugs, to prevent complications of diabetes take advantage of the opportunity to attack.
(2) reasonable diet. The human appetite is strong in winter, coupled with less exercise, and people think that winter needs to be supplemented, often large fish and meat, many patients will gain weight.
For diabetic patients, it is more important to adhere to the diet in winter, light is the basic principle, and at the same time pay attention to a balanced diet.
(3) Insist on exercise. Exercise is the second prescription for diabetes treatment, and it is a recognized fact that exercise can enhance physical fitness and lower blood sugar and blood lipids. Therefore, even in the cold winter, diabetic patients should not ignore the importance of exercise. When exercising, patients should wear gloves, hats, warm cotton sportswear and comfortable sports shoes.
(4) Diabetic patients should pay special attention to foot warmth in winter, try to wear breathable, comfortable cotton socks, and improve local blood circulation by soaking feet before bed is a better health care method.
(5) Pay attention to skin care. Diabetic patients should pay more attention to keep the skin clean in winter. In the dry and cold winter, many elderly patients’ hands and feet skin will be dry and cracked, itchy and painful at night. Some patients do not pay attention to foot warmth, frostbite. For diabetic patients, any little break in the skin can lead to serious infections, and even an uncontrollable one.
5, gout – beware of acute attacks
Winter is a high incidence of gout, and the reason for this is mainly related to the cold climate when the uric acid in the blood is prone to the formation of microcrystals. In addition, winter coincides with the New Year’s Day, the Spring Festival, gout patients inevitably visit friends and relatives during the festive period, eating and drinking social, a little inattention, acute attacks will come to the door. Although climate factors are beyond human control, it is possible to prevent gout by reducing the intake of purine-rich foods. Therefore, the advice for gout patients during winter is to
(1) Reasonable control of diet. Those who are already suffering from gout should ban alcohol and meat, and avoid foods with high purine content, such as various animal offal and brain marrow, goose, partridge, sea cucumber, dried scallops, oysters, various gravies, sardines, fish roe, etc. Restrict the consumption of foods with higher purine content, such as beef, pork, chicken, rabbit, pigeon, lentils, etc.
(2) Develop water drinking habits. Drink more water to keep sufficient daily urine volume to facilitate the excretion of uric acid, and don’t wait until you feel obvious thirst before thinking of drinking water.
(3) Reasonable arrangement of life and living, avoid overwork, pay attention to warmth and cold.
(4) Proper exercise. It is especially important to arrange a certain amount of time for exercise and physical activity every day, especially for those who are engaged in mental work or sitting in the office for a long time; have a regular life, work and rest on time, and eliminate bad habits, especially playing cards, playing computers and watching TV all night long.