How to manage your health in the changing seasons of autumn
Temperature difference of 10 degrees or more … body temperature is unbalanced
Keep indoors at 20-22 degrees and humidity at 40-60%.
Taking antihistamines for mild rhinitis and asthma
Gout in the morning … You should cut down on alcohol consumption
Cold, dry wind blows, so a moisturizer is essential
The sweltering summer has passed and autumn has arrived, a good time to be active, but if you neglect your health during this time, you can get sick. As the temperature difference between day and night increases, people get tired easily and immunity weakens, so respiratory diseases such as colds and flu are rapidly increasing and the number of patients with cardiovascular diseases such as myocardial infarction or stroke is on the rise. We listened to experts on how to take care of our health to safely overcome the changing seasons of autumn.
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[감기] The most common ailment during the change of seasons is a cold. Most people think it’s easy to catch a cold when it’s cold, but the cold itself isn’t the direct cause of a cold. If there is a temperature difference of more than 10 degrees or excessive heating, such as in the change of seasons, or if there is a large difference between the internal and external temperature, the body temperature balance will be disturbed and you will catch yourself easily a cold. When the respiratory mucosa is dry, the ability to defend itself against viruses, bacteria and dust decreases. It is recommended to keep the room temperature at 20-22 degrees and the humidity at 40-60%.
The quality of sleep also affects the cold. Research has shown that reducing the average amount of sleep per day by 2-8% can increase the risk of catching a cold five times compared to those who get a good night’s sleep. People under constant stress are two to three times more likely to catch a cold. Nutrition, sleep, humidity, temperature, and mental health all have a complex effect on colds.
Cho Soo-hyeon, professor of family medicine at Chung-Ang University Hospital, said on the 12th: “To prevent seasonal illnesses, personal hygiene such as washing hands and brushing teeth after going out is important.” , he advised. A cold will improve on its own over time, but if it persists for more than 3 weeks, you should visit a hospital to see if there are any complications. If you cough for more than 8 weeks, chances are it’s not a simple cold, so you should seek help from a professional medical staff with asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, or tuberculosis in mind.
Se-won Lee, a professor of pulmonology at Seoul Asan Hospital, said: “If you have symptoms such as a frequent runny nose down the back of your neck and a cough that gets worse when you lie down, post nasal drip could be the cause of the chronic cough “We should think of reflux esophagitis, in which stomach acid flows back into the airways and coughing occurs when a person coughs paroxysically while sleeping,” he said. “Asthma can also be the cause,” he said. In this case, taking cough medicines alone will have no effect.
[비염] If the daily temperature difference increases, allergic rhinitis or asthma can worsen. If symptoms are not severe, take antihistamines for prevention during the change of seasons and adjust.
Professor Kim Kim-young from Gangnam Severance Hospital’s Department of Respiratory Medicine said: “As the summer rainy season passes and autumn comes in, various factors that exacerbate asthma such as virus infections, internal allergens such as house dust mites. domestic allergens such as weeds and grass pollen and a rapid rise in daily temperature need to prepare for this, “he stressed.
In this winter, there is a high chance that COVID-19 and flu (flu) will spread at the same time, so it’s best to get vaccinated from October. The COVID-19 vaccine and the flu vaccine can be administered simultaneously without an interval between vaccinations.
[통풍] During the change of seasons, gout manifests itself well also due to the strong temperature difference between the days. Gout is a type of metabolic disease and auto-inflammatory disease in which a substance called uric acid is not metabolized properly and builds up in the body, causing an auto-inflammatory reaction. Song Jeong-soo, professor of rheumatology at Chung-Ang University Hospital, said: “If your body temperature drops sharply at dawn after being extremely hot during the day, suddenly a lot of solid uric acid occurs and after eating lots of alcohol and meat in the evening, an attack in which unbearable pain occurs at dawn the next day. ” “We need to correct bad habits that cause or worsen gout, such as excessive drinking, overeating and lack of exercise,” he said. Beer is the representative alcohol that gout patients should avoid.
[심혈관] Acute myocardial infarction or stroke is a disease that increases especially during the change of seasons. In particular, cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in the world and the second leading cause of death in Koreans, is one of the most dangerous diseases that occur during the change of seasons.
Professor Park Deok-woo of Cardiology at Asan Medical Center in Seoul said: “Exposure to cold increases the load on the cardiovascular system, such as constriction of blood vessels, sudden increase in blood pressure and rapid loss of heartbeat, “he explained. . Blood pressure drops in the summer and rises around this time when cold winds begin to blow. People with a family history of atherosclerosis, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease should pay more attention during the change of seasons.
Professor Park said: “Avoid morning exercise or mountaineering that might be exposed to cold winds, and when you go out, wear enough clothing to keep your body warm and maintain an adequate core temperature.” Avoid going out when your blood pressure is higher than normal.
[피부염] Dry skin can occur in the fall when the cold wind blows and dries. Continued exposure to a dry environment worsens the skin’s moisture content, leading to dryness, which leads to itchy, dead skin cells and red, itchy, stinging dermatitis.
Ko Ju-yeon, professor of dermatology at Hanyang University Hospital, said: “Scratching itchy skin can cause dermatitis or secondary infections. After washing your face or taking a shower, apply a moisturizer before it dries. and it is best to avoid direct exposure to cold wind.
[관절염] Arthritis also worsens during the change of seasons. Although it is not clear why arthritis worsens when the weather becomes colder, in general, patients with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis complain of joint pain as the seasons change.
Choi Chan-beom, professor of rheumatology at Hanyang University Rheumatology Hospital, said: “When it’s cold, our body’s tissues contract to prevent heat from escaping. Professor Choi said:” It can It can be helpful to keep your body temperature constant by wearing several layers of light clothing and to raise your body temperature with a slight stretch when starting an activity in the morning and then moving on. “
Journalist Lee Hyun-jung
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