8 unhealthy ways of cold

We are ending autumn and making the beginning of the year. winter next December 21. Even though it was difficult, the cold came to our door and one thing that many people do not know is this: affects our healthand more than we think to a number of groups, especially infants and the elderly.

For this reason, Dr., an internist at the Hospital de La Princesa in Madrid. Berta Moyano explains to Infosalus that extreme ambient temperatures, both hot and cold, affect our health, and explains what’s what in this article. main effects of cold in our organism.

Yes, first of all, keep in mind that the normal temperature of our body can vary from one person to another, and different variables affect this, such as food, drink, what time of day we are (lower in the first hour and lower thereafter). 4 p.m. higher), our nutritional status, our percentage of fat and fat-free mass, those with chronic diseases, as well as outside temperature, percentage of humidity and physical activity we do.

“But it is also a fact that body temperature moves within certain parameters, so we can say that the normal temperature in humans is between 36.5 and 37.5 ºC. This is the temperature at which our thermoregulatory center tries to protect our body. However, if the temperature drops below 36ºC, hypothermia, If it rises above 37.8ºC, it is considered to be a risk of hyperthermia.”

When it comes to environmental cold, Dr. Moyano states that it causes a drop in our temperature perceived by the hypothalamus (the part of the brain responsible for thermoregulation), and as a result, this sets off a series of actions. mechanisms that raise our body temperature.

The first of these mechanisms is vasoconstriction. “The blood vessels of the skin and the most acral regions, such as the nose or the fingers and toes, constrict so as not to lose heat and maintain the warmth of vital organs.”

If a cold persists or if the person has an arterial disease such as arteriosclerosis (more common in people who smoke, have diabetes or have high cholesterol, or are obese or sedentary), this doctor will indicate vasoconstriction of the vessels. that nourish the heart and cause angina pectoris or heart attack or arteries in the brain and cause stroke.

Dr. Moyano also emphasizes that the cold can support bodily processes. clot formationincreasing the risk of developing heart attack But it doesn’t stop there, according to this expert from La Princesa University Hospital, as the cold can also affect our mood and support or exacerbate depressive states.

In contrast, it claims that the cold causes an increase in blood pressure and heart rate. In fact, he advocates it at the time. hypothermia increases the risk cardiac arrhythmias and pulmonary edema. “The cold increases the work our heart does, and this can cause illness in some people,” she warns.

On the other hand, it is striking that the cold can reduce the mechanisms by which our respiratory system has to defend us against viruses and bacteria, allowing them to reach the pharynx, trachea, bronchi and lungs, and consequently promoting respiratory infections, which are much more numerous. It is more common in colder months.

Cold does not completely inhibit the immune response, on the contrary. alters the immune system and can increase the risk of infectious disease: “Because the cold can alter our immune barriers at the respiratory and skin level, it makes us more vulnerable to certain infections. This, together with the fact that some viruses become stronger and spread more easily in the cold during this period, explains why some pathogens are transmitted more frequently in the winter.”

On the other hand, he underlines that the cold can cause joint pain in people with rheumatic diseases, as well as affect the corneas and vision.

“It can crack and abrade the skin, support the entry point of skin microbes, facilitate infections of the skin and subcutaneous cell tissue. Cold causes thermal discomfort, alters hand performance, and impairs physical capacity due to body and muscle cooling,” continues Dr. Moyano.

There’s a common belief that we can get cold afterwards if it’s cold and we don’t get dressed enough. We asked the doctor if this was a belief or a myth, and he points out that the way people protect themselves from the cold is to stay warm, because warm clothing helps us maintain body temperature and avoid the consequences of a cold. The aforementioned decrease in our body temperature.

“If we don’t take care of ourselves thermoregulator It will activate the mechanisms necessary to keep the temperature constant, and as a result, the effects we mentioned earlier will be produced.”

For this reason, it is important for people who will spend a lot of time to be exposed to the cold due to their work or leisure time to wear adequate warm clothing, thermal shirts and socks, hats, earplugs and quality gloves. , for these areas to prevent heat loss.

According to the doctor, in these cases, it is also ideal to try to eat calorie foods every 3 hours and, if possible, to carry hot drinks and a thermos that maintains its temperature.

In fact, the internist emphasizes that it is true that during the coldest seasons, when eating calorie-dense foods rich in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, it is essential not only to be warm, but also to be well hydrated to avoid eroding the skin. Blue and white fish, nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, peanuts, pipes, etc.), olives, olive oil or avocado; Get hot food from time to time as well.

“If you see vulnerable people such as beggars, alcoholics, drug addicts, or children lying on the streets or in parks in extreme temperatures, notify the authorities, Social Sable or the police and take them to centers or hospitals and avoid the dreadful damage caused by hypothermia before it’s too late.

As a result, Dr. Moyano emphasizes that the groups most vulnerable to the cold are: extreme ages, such as the elderly or infants; dependent persons due to neurological diseases due to cerebrovascular accidents, traumas or degenerative pathologies; mentally handicapped people who cannot express their discomfort as people who do not have these pathologies; malnutrition conditions; People with endocrine diseases such as insufficiently controlled diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, adrenal insufficiency or panhypopituitarism; and also people being treated with certain medications such as barbiturates, antidepressants, opioids or antipsychotics.