Tips for Surviving the Fall and Winter Months

It’s important to stay healthy during these late months in the year when people tend to get ill with everything under the sun. Stomach bugs, common colds, flu season on top of general ear infection, laryngitis, upper respiratory issues just to name a few.

Often symptoms from these illnesses can trigger flareups and attacks in #tinnitus #hyperacusis and #vestibular patients. Today, I’m going to be sharing tips and tricks for surviving the fall and winter months that have helped reduce not only getting sick during this time of year but flareups as well.

Gloves: As soon as the cooler weather starts to drop into the low 50’s and colder, I start wearing gloves. Why? Because people start sneezing, sniffling, getting scratchy throat, and coughing. They may not be ill. This can be due to sinus dripping and not everyone covers their mouth and nose. Have you ever watched a video of someone sneezing? Thousands of tiny particles go out into the air. So touching anything they touch, could have germs that might make you sick.

Tissues: Not only do I stock up on tissues but I also get a specific kind “Vicks tissues. Why? Because Vicks tissues help keep my sinuses clear so I can breathe easy. If you start getting congested that can lead to pressure buildup in the sinus area and head. I have also found just by adding these two things to my routine, I’m less likely to get sick and even more so it reduces the severity.

Hydrate: You might not feel thirsty but keep a drink with you at all times. Staying hydrated is already very important when it comes to reducing flareups, but even more so important because there is nothing worse than getting ill and being severely hydrated which can prolong any illness. Even now, while writing this, I have a drink on my desk that I’m occasionally taking sips from. You don’t have to be gulping tons of fluids. A good sign of knowing you’re well hydrated is you won’t have dry skin, your nails won’t be prone to breakage or not growing, and your hair will look healthy.

Dress For The Weather: When people feel cold their body tends to get tense and stiff. If you’re someone with neck and back issues this is important because being tense and stiff can cause flareups. I like to dress in layers. If I get too warm I can just take something off.

Because I’m a petite person, I tend to get cold easily. A person with poor circulation issues might have the same problem. You want you body to feel relaxed, flexible reducing the chance of flareups.

Healthy Eating Habits: I’m not just talking cut back on salt or greasy food. It’s important to make sure you are eating. Skipping a meal can affect your body making you more prone to fatigue. Maybe you have high blood pressure issues. This can cause flareups as well. Having healthy eating habits is just as important to reducing severity and the chance of flareups and attacks.

By following these FIVE tips I hope you enjoy the fall and winter seasons just as much as I do. Remember to protect your ears and wear the correct footwear during these seasons when a person can be more prone to falls. #AllCanFall #HearingHealth