However, the colder months, shorter days and drier air lead to a number of health issues that many people may still be unaware are connected. If you’re starting to feel itchy or see a little more hair than usual in your shower drain, the cold weather could be to blame. Cold air has a harder time holding moisture, leading to low humidity levels and overall drier air outdoors. Heating the air indoors can also dry out the air. Studies show that drier air can lead to the development of skin rashes, scalp problems that can cause hair loss and breathing problems. Although less common, bundling up to protect yourself from the cold could also cause problems – as constantly taking off and wearing a hat can cause a rare form of alopecia that only one per cent of people suffer from. People who suffer from asthma may suffer from irritated airways caused by dry air which worsens their symptoms. Arthritis sufferers may also notice that their joints become stiffer and painful. When it’s cold, the body directs blood to key organs, leaving joints stiffer and causing nerve endings to be more sensitive – leading to more pain. Lack of daylight can also cause damage to both physical and mental health. You may have heard of the “winter blues”, which is not just a myth, but a symptom of a recognized medical condition. Not getting enough time in the sun can deprive the body of vitamin D, leading to loss of skeletal tissue and brittle bones. More darkness outside can even disrupt a person’s circadian rhythm, causing seasonal depression — and worsening symptoms for some people who already suffer from mental health issues. During the pandemic, many learned the hard truth that winter changes our behavior, forcing us to spend more time indoors to protect ourselves from the elements, increasing the risk of spreading viruses. This has led to increased rates of Covid cases and hospitalizations during the winter months in recent years. While Covid has receded in 2022, flu and other respiratory viruses have taken its place. MEDailyMail.com reveals which health problems could flare up this winter – and how to deal with them Many health problems occur for people during winter. These include seasonal depression and brittle bones caused by changes in sunlight, coughing, hair loss and dry skin caused by a lack of moisture in the air, and joint pain caused by the temperature itself.
Dry skin
A Japanese research team wrote in 2013 that dry skin during winter is caused by a drop of a molecule called ceramide in the stratum corneum, the outermost layer of the skin. Ceramides are fats that help the skin retain moisture and strengthen the skin as a barrier to the outside world. Dr Christine Ko (pictured), professor of dermatology at Yale University, told DailyMail.com that dry winter air can strip a person’s skin of moisture and lead to itching and rashes Japanese scientists recommend eucalyptus extract – derived from the leaves of a tree native to Australia and Oceania – as a way of rejuvenating and protecting ceramides in the skin. Going from outside, where the weather is extremely cold, to indoors, where the heat reverberates, could cause skin problems, according to Dr Christine Ko, a professor of dermatology at Yale University. “What about the winter and the cold, and after the heat, people who are prone to rash [will suffer one]” explained Dr. Ko. Changes in temperature and exposure to dry air can make symptoms worse for people with eczema. Hydration is key to skin health, and outside air can rob a person’s skin or moisture, causing dryness and flaking or even a rash. She also says that the indoor air during the winter is a challenge for your skin as well. Because many buildings have their heat on all the time, indoor air is extremely dry. Dr Ko said that when a person turns on indoor heating they should also start applying lotion every day to keep their skin soft. A humidifier could also be a valuable tool for humidifying indoor air. “If you know that every winter you get less than before you turn on your heat – or when you turn on your heat inside – then it’s time to [start putting the lotion],’ he said. Scratching a rash could be the worst thing a person does. By rubbing the itch, a person removes some of the protection their skin has and makes the condition even worse. The Yale expert describes this as the “itch-scratch” cycle, where a person will make their rash worse by trying to deal with it by scratching. In the most extreme examples this can lead to bleeding at the site of the rash or even infection if bacteria enter a wound. Dr. Ko recommends that patients use an oil-based moisturizer every time they get out of the shower. Lips can be an often overlooked spot for dry skin as well. He recommends frequent use of chap-stick or petroleum jelly. For people with severe rashes, he recommends seeing a doctor to treat their condition with topical steroids. In very rare cases, a person’s skin could even be allergic to the cold. Cold urticaria is a rare condition where a person will experience symptoms such as hives and swelling of the hands and lips within minutes of being exposed to the cold. The exact cause is not known. It affects about 0.5 percent of the population. It is more common in younger people. There are no set treatments for cold urticaria and sufferers are advised to bundle up and spend as little time outdoors as possible during the cold months.
Hair loss
WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF HAIR LOSS?
It’s perfectly normal for people to lose small amounts of hair as they regrow, and on average, people can shed between 50 and 100 hairs a day.
However, if people start losing entire patches of hair or large amounts of it, it can be more distressing and possibly a sign of something serious.
Pattern baldness is a common cause of hair loss as people age. At least half of men over the age of 50 will lose some hair during the aging process, according to the British Dermatological Association.
Women can also lose their hair as they age.
Other, more worrisome causes of hair loss include stress, cancer treatment such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy, weight loss, or iron deficiency.
However, most hair loss is temporary and is expected to grow back.
Specific medical conditions that cause hair loss include alopecia, an immune system disorder. an underactive or overactive thyroid; the skin condition lichen oans or Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a type of cancer.
People should see their doctor if their hair starts to fall out in clumps, falls out suddenly, if their scalp itches or burns, and if their hair loss is causing them severe stress.
Dry skin can also mean a dry scalp, leaving a person vulnerable to hair loss. Wearing a hat to keep your head and ears warm could also be a source of hair loss, experts warn.
Like the rest of the skin, scalp dryness is caused by the low humidity of the winter air outdoors and the dry heated air when a person is indoors.
A person suffering from dry scalp may feel itchy and inflamed scalp. This dries out and damages the hair follicles, leading to hair loss as a result.
Dandruff sufferers will also often see more flakes on their clothing as the dry air causes more flakes on their skin.
Itching of a dry scalp can also make hair loss more likely as rubbing damages hair follicles and can cause breakage.
A 2009 report led by manufacturing giant Proctor & Gamble wrote that people who experience dry scalp are less likely to maintain or grow their hair.
One of these conditions is psoriasis, a common condition where a person develops scaly and irritated skin on their scalp. Low levels of UV exposure from the sun and dry air during winter make symptoms worse.
Psoriasis is linked to hair loss as dry skin leads to broken follicles and itching can also damage the hair.
The cold weather itself is not the culprit in many of these cases, however. A Swiss study from 2009 found that temperature alone was not enough to cause changes in hair and that there is no natural cycle that causes hair loss at certain parts of the year.
This means that using shampoos and conditioners that replenish the scalp’s moisture can help a person prevent hair loss, even when the weather is cold.
Wearing a hat in the winter can also damage a full head of hair.
Constantly wearing a head covering and taking it on and off throughout the day can pull on the hair follicles and cause some to fall out.
This leads to a condition called traction alopecia. People who tie their hair in tight ponytails or buns can also suffer from the condition.
Although alarming, hair loss caused by dry scalp, psoriasis or traction alopecia is usually not permanent and a person’s hair will regrow with proper maintenance.
Seasonal depression
Cold weather comes with less sunlight during the day and experts warn that this could leave many people feeling down. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), often known as seasonal depression, is a condition that affects 10 to 20 percent of US adults. People suffering from the condition will often feel symptoms of depression during the winter doldrums that they did not have in the previous months. Dr Amin Etkin (pictured), a professor at Stanford University, told DailyMail.com that a lack of sunlight during winter can disrupt a person’s circadian rhythm and lead to mental health problems It is more common in women, younger people and those who already have a mood disorder. People who already suffer from anxiety or depression along with SAD will have worsening symptoms during these months. Dr Amin Etkin, a professor at Stanford University, told DailyMail.com the reason people feel sadder when they are…
