Winter health care, be careful not to fall into the误区 (pitfalls/misconceptions)

Staying warm in winter is the top choice for health preservation. Some improper health concepts, if not corrected, will allow diseases to quietly erode your health. The editor of NLE has listed common mistakes made during winter care. JMS should quickly check and correct them!

1. Sleeping with head covered

Covering your head while sleeping may feel warmer, but the oxygen in the quilt will decrease, while carbon dioxide and impurities will accumulate. Therefore, people who sleep with their heads covered often wake up feeling dizzy and weak.

2. Washing face with hot water

In winter, the face is stimulated by cold air, causing sweat glands and capillaries to contract. When exposed to hot water, they expand rapidly, but when the heat dissipates, they return to their low-temperature state. This expansion and contraction of capillaries can easily cause wrinkles on the face.

3. Drinking alcohol to keep warm

After drinking alcohol, one feels warm all over, which is the result of alcohol prompting the body to release its original heat energy. After the alcohol wears off, due to a large amount of heat being dissipated outside the body, one may feel goosebumps and even become colder after drinking.

4. Warming frozen hands and feet with fire

When hands and feet are exposed to the cold for a long time in winter, blood vessels constrict and blood flow decreases. If you immediately warm or roast them by fire, it will cause blood vessels to expand, increasing permeability and causing local blood stasis. In mild cases, chilblains form, and in severe cases, it can lead to tissue necrosis. Therefore, frozen hands and feet should only be gently rubbed to slowly return to normal temperature.

5. "Fully armed" against chilblains

Some people are prone to chilblains, thinking it's because of the cold weather and insufficient clothing and hats. So even before winter arrives, they wear cotton clothes, pants, and boots, wrapping themselves tightly, not knowing that this will weaken the body's adaptability to the cold. Moreover, since movement is restricted, peripheral circulation is insufficient, making it more likely to develop chilblains. The correct approach is to dress appropriately, participate in various sports, frequently rub hands and stomp feet, and soak in hot water.

6. Scratching itchy skin

When feeling itchy all over due to dryness in winter, never scratch with your hands, as this can easily break the skin and cause infection. The prevention method is to drink more water, eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, eat less spicy foods like sour and spicy, drink less strong liquor, bathe frequently, change underwear frequently, and apply body lotion after bathing.

7. Closing windows and doors at night

Sleeping with closed windows and doors in winter indeed reduces airflow and raises indoor temperature, but the harm caused by poor ventilation is greater. Because unclean air contains a large amount of bacteria, viruses, carbon dioxide, and dust particles, it affects the respiratory tract. Therefore, those who close windows and sleep greedily often suffer from colds, coughs, and sore throats.