Health Tips for Cold Winter

Apartment is covered up tight, therefore, internal temperature is high and humidity is low due to heating in winter. If gap of internal and external temperature becomes big, human body faces difficulty in adjusting to it and immunity reduces. Dried air dries mucous membrane of the respiratory organs such as nose, mouth, neck, etc, reducing resistance from virus or bacteria. So, it increases the possibility of getting exposed to virus or bacteria that causes infection in the respiratory organs such as cold, tonsillitis, sore throat, etc.

Especially, in case of new apartment, poisonous component, which comes from the new material, stimulates mucous membrane of respiratory organs. Children, who have low resistance power, should be more careful.

Winter becomes haven for leeches to stay in homes due to reduction in sunshine and increasing shadows. If window is closed due to cold, leech can live on piled dust. Leech causes sneeze, itching on nose and eyes, snivel, etc and makes worse allergy of nasal inflammation.

Many children have cold from the beginning of winter. If children get a cold, mother also has to suffer. Next are Health Tips to spend winter soundly given by Jeong Ha-won, chief of Cheongdam E.N.T. Clinic.

▽ Maintenance of proper humidity

It is good to use humidifier or wet towel or clothes indoors. Internal fountain or aquarium has good efficiency of humidification, too.

When your child is suffering from high fever, phlegm and some respiratory disease, you are advised to turn on a humidifier while getting a medicine for fever.

You have to clean the inside of the humidifier thoroughly to prevent germs from spreading out through vapor. Change water twice a day and keep the humidifier clean.

It is not good to put the humidifier near your bedside. When particles enter directly into the respiratory system, it might irritate mucous membranes. Keep the distance between your nose and the humidifier at least 2 to 3m.

It’s also not a good idea to maintain the air inside humid all day long. You need to turn down the humidifier to below a mid level when you go to bed. The suitable indoor humidity for human body is between 40 and 60%.

▽ Fresh Air for Every 2 to 3 Hours

Open the window often for a change of air. The key to staying healthy during winter times is to have fresh air in often times. Open the window every two or three hours. Small children, except for little babies, can adjust to cold air moving in.

▽ Green Plants Supply Oxygen

Apartment residents are advised to grow green plants since the greens give out fresh air and humid. Be careful, however, if there is someone in your family who have atopic dermatitis or allergic rhinitis.

▽ Drinking Enough Water

Drink enough water. For an adult, 6 to 8 glasses of warm water will be fine. Children are required to drink a little more than what they used to. Having fruits and vegetables will also be of help. Since they contain a plenty of vitamins and minerals as well as water, they can effectively prevent a cold.

Jin-Kyeong Kim kjk9@donga.com