How to Navigate Winter When Challenged with Chronic Conditions

Winter has a way of making all of us feel more vulnerable to the persistently colder temperatures and beat down as the season lingers on. For those who suffer from chronic conditions – from skin conditions to joint pain or respiratory challenges to cardiovascular issues – winter can feel especially brutal.

But winter doesn’t have to feel like months of misery.

With some thoughtful planning and tailored due diligence, seasonal challenges can be addressed head-on to help you better manage chronic conditions. By doing so, you’ll be more comfortable and content as winter slowly winds its way toward spring.

Breathe better

Clear winter days don’t always equate to clear breathing. Winter’s cold, dry air can make it difficult to breathe as dry air irritates and narrows bronchial passageways to your lungs and creates challenges when breathing through your nose. What often gets overlooked is our indoor environments, which can be just as dry, leading to coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath that complicate breathing.

Whether you suffer from chronic bronchitis, asthma, COPD, seasonal allergies, or find yourself at the mercy of a cold or flu, here are some ways to address winter’s cold impact on respiratory issues.

• Wear a scarf over your mouth. This helps warm the air you breathe. Then, breathe in your nose and out your mouth. Keep in mind that air pollution can also be just as prevalent in winter months as it is in summer, which also makes a mask an option.
• Keep indoor environments clean and free of dust, allergens, and pet dander that can aggravate breathing.
• Use a humidifier to bring needed moisture to indoor environments as thermostats crank out warm, dry air.
• Drink plenty of fluids to help break up any congestion in the lungs.
• Have fast-acting relief and prescribed medication ready in case of flare-ups, especially for those with asthma, COPD, or chronic bronchitis.
• Consider cough and cold suppressants for relief stemming from respiratory symptoms related to the common cold or flu.

Protect and soothe your skin

Your winter skin – with its cracked, scaly, and often irritated appearance – is one that most people welcome shedding come early spring. But rather than simply endure winter, our skin can still thrive in these less-than-hospitable conditions when we give it what it needs: protection and replenished moisture.

People with eczema and psoriasis know that cold, biting winds only worsen their symptoms, and so does warm air that isn’t humidified. And when you can’t control the climate indoors, let alone outside, consider these ways of mitigating your skin’s negative reaction to the worst of winter’s conditions:

• Humidify indoor air. Keep indoor air from being overly dry and aggravating the skin.
• Layer up when going outside. Wear water and weatherproof clothing to keep wind, rain, and snow from penetrating. Be mindful of fabrics against the skin, like wool, which can itch and irritate.
• Lather up in lotion. Protect and soothe your skin with lotions and oil-based moisturizers that help lock in moisture and hydrate skin.
• Use sunscreen, even in winter. UV rays are just as harmful to the skin in winter, and can cause further damage to wind-burned and unprotected skin.
• Being wet or damp doesn’t lock in moisture. While a hot shower might feel great in winter, it doesn’t offer lasting relief and should be followed up with oil-based moisturizers to help hydrate. If your winter clothes get wet from being outside, replace them immediately with dry clothes so the skin doesn’t become irritated.

Stifle the stiffness

The cold can keep us locked indoors and safe from the elements. But being locked in place isn’t the best thing for joints, as we become more sedentary when inside. This is especially true for people living with arthritis.

While the Arthritis Foundation suggests there are no definitive studies that prove a cause-and-effect outcome between cold weather and joint pain, many people do experience increased pain when the temperature plummets, and for good reason.

When the barometric pressure drops, our bodies adjust to that pressure with bones and joints expanding and contracting. This pressure can cause joint pain. Further, low temperatures can affect the fluid (called synovial fluid) that lubricates joints, making it thicker and resulting in stiffness and pain.

However, it is inactivity that remains a major contributor to joint pain, and it is often made worse during winter.

Here are some actions you can take to minimize joint pain:

• Maintain an active lifestyle. Remember that a body in motion stays in motion.
• Take medications as prescribed. This helps keep inflammation under control and avoids sudden reoccurrences of joint pain.
• Keep weight in check. Cold weather hibernation and a sedentary lifestyle can quickly pack on the winter pounds. Added weight can lead to greater pressure on your joints.
• Monitor the weather and understand if barometric pressure or shifts in temperature directly affect your personal situation.
• Dress warmly. Don’t forget thicker socks and gloves for joints in your extremities that can get colder, quicker.
• Acknowledge your mood. Gloomy weather can lead to a gloomy mindset and a greater focus on pain. Find ways to keep your mindset positive, including a seasonal therapy light that helps brighten your space and mood.

Use Your Head to Help Your Heart

Cold temperatures and snowfall represent obvious changes in weather conditions. But often, what doesn’t change is our actions or awareness of what’s at risk – especially something as insulated as the heart.

As temperatures fall, blood vessels begin to contract and arteries constrict, slowing the normal flow of blood. This can lead to elevated blood pressure or hypertension and increase your likelihood of a heart attack or stroke. This is particularly problematic for individuals who have coronary artery disease with already narrowed arteries due to plaque build-up.

You might not recognize it, but when you’re outside, your body is at battle. The heart automatically works harder to help warm the body and maintain a healthy core temperature, while at the same time, wind and cold are working to rob your body of heat.

Our risks are compounded through activities such as shoveling wet and heavy snow or simply walking through thick or compacted snow, which requires more effort than we might believe we’re exerting. Strenuous work in a season when we are likely to be less active only increases the risk of a cardiovascular event.

Caring for your heart in winter isn’t much different than any other time of year, except that you’ll need to use your head – and remember, you’re not as youthful and invincible as you’d like to think.

• Give yourself permission to go slower. Take frequent breaks from shoveling and other strenuous outdoor work, and go indoors frequently to warm up. There are no medals for how fast or how much you shovel, so be heart-smart and go slower.
• Dress for the weather. Wear layers, gloves, and a hat to help trap heat and keep the cold from adding stress to the body.
• Maintain a heart-healthy diet. Good nutrition is vital year-round to maintaining heart health, not just in winter.
• Be mindful of alcohol consumption. Excessive amounts of alcohol can distort your judgment and fuel a false perception of warmth that can be dangerous when out in the cold.
• Monitor your vital signs (heart rate, blood pressure) and be aware of any changes or abnormalities.
• Seek medical attention if you experience chest pain, and be aware of the signs of a potential heart attack, including dizziness, shortness of breath, extreme fatigue, cold sweats, and pain and numbness in your back, shoulders, neck, or jaw.

There’s no doubt winter weather can be tough on the body. But much like the purpose of the seasons, winter affords us with a time to slow down, reset, and renew focus on healthy habits we can take forward as the weather eventually warms up.

Getting through winter still requires activity to stay fit and making smart choices to protect our bodies – from the skin level to all that lies beneath it. Your body will thank you for the care and consideration you give it – both now and once the cold weather is no longer a factor.

If you are navigating through chronic conditions, especially during winter and beyond, seeking support is vital. Explore our services page for valuable resources and guidance on managing chronic conditions effectively, regardless of the season.