EAST LANSING, Mich. — Winter often brings a range of unique health issues. Michigan State University has a number of health professionals who can discuss these problems and offer tips to assist in preventing them.
Watching winter weight
It’s winter. A time we eat more. Move less. Put on a few pounds.
Health care professionals say gaining a little weight over the winter months is not that unusual. Nor is it all that unhealthy, unless one sees his or her weight fluctuate at dangerous levels.
“Up and down weight gain – which often happens when people think ‘well, I’ll gain some weight over the holidays but take it off in the spring’ – predisposes people to obesity, since it’s often very hard to take off those winter pounds,” said Edward Rosick, an MSU physician who also counsels patients on weight issues.
Winter weight gain, said Rosick, is as common as snowflakes in January.
“The combination of physical inactivity, mental lethargy due to decreased sunlight and the consumption of high-sugar, high-fat foods associated with the holidays make it nearly impossible for many people to lose weight,” he said.
What to do?
Keep exercising (there are many indoor gyms and running tracks) and don’t totally avoid the seasonal cakes, pies and cookies.
“Eat holiday goodies in moderation and keep up a high intake of vegetables and water so you’re not hungry all the time,” Rosick said.
Rosick is an assistant professor of family and community medicine. He also runs the Integrative Medicine Consult Service within the Family Medicine Clinic in the MSU Clinical Center.
Contact Rosick at (517) 355-0214 or rosick@msu.edu.
Chilblains – funny word, not-so-funny cold-weather danger
While most of us are aware of the dangers of frostbite, very few are familiar with chilblains, a painful condition that affects the extremities when they are unprotected in the cold. Although not as bad as frostbite, it too can cause long-term tissue damage.
Chilblains are dangerous because they can happen quickly, even when it’s not all that cold outside. MSU physiology professor Thomas Adams said the condition occurs even from short-term cold exposures.
“It takes no more than a few minutes under the right conditions to get chilblains,” said Adams, who is also the author of “Guidelines for Surviving Heat and Cold.” “They develop even though the person feels warm and is otherwise comfortable. You don’t have to be chilled to get chilblains.”
Chilblains develop because of direct cold damage to blood vessels. This causes them to dilate and leak lymph and other clear fluids from inside the blood vessel into spaces between cells that result in the reddening of skin and tissue swelling.
“Although typically not painful when it develops, the condition is excruciatingly painful later on during rewarming,” Adams said. “Fortunately the pain usually subsides and the swelling goes down over a period of several hours.”
Adams said the best way to avoid chilblains is to make sure gloves and boots fit well and are dry and clean. The best treatment, he said, is to warm the affected area with tepid – not hot – water. Washing with soap is a good option too, in order to avoid infections that can sometimes accompany it.
Contact Adams at (517) 355-6475, ext. 1130, or adamst@msu.edu.
Be aware of cold-weather dehydration
One of the biggest health mistakes people make in the winter time is to let themselves get dehydrated.
“Participation in winter activities such as shoveling snow, skiing or skating can cause perspiration and increase your chances of dehydration,” said Ronda Bokram, a nutritionist at MSU’s Olin Student Health Center. “Even if you are inside, circulated heated air evaporates the moisture on your skin, requiring replenishment of any water loss.”
The average adult, said Bokram, loses about two-and-a-half quarts of water each day. She said drinking eight to 12 cups of water throughout the day will keep you well hydrated.
Bokram noted that a drop in body temperature stimulates appetite. Eating “stokes the furnace,” generates heat and helps warm the body.
The best foods that help take the chill away – carbohydrates, especially hot cocoa, mulled cider and steaming soup, as well as oatmeal, pasta and chili.
Contact Bokram at (517) 355-7593 or ronda.bokram@ht.msu.edu.
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