According to a clinical instructor of internal medicine at NYU Langone health, Dr. Albert Ahn, the weather changes along with our mind and body. We have studied how winter can affect the human body and what you can do to prevent it from happening. Read on to know the changes that can occur in your body during the winter:
Your Body Burns More Calories
Research shows that wintertime causes our bodies to burn calories simply by just experiencing the cold. This phenomenon is an attempt to stay warm, but it isn’t significant enough to lose considerable amounts of weight.
You’ll get smaller fingers
Cold weather constricts the blood vessels to help maintain core body heat while hot temperatures make our fingers and toes swell up, Dr. Ahn explained. You may experience extra pain your extremities Some people experience Raynaud’s disease a lot more during the winter. It’s a condition that makes certain parts of the human body feel cold and numb. It usually happens in the feet, hands and ear areas that are caused by excessive constriction of the smaller arteries limiting blood supply to the skin. It’s not a life and death situation, but it is excruciating. Good news is that people can help ease the symptoms by keeping yourself warm and avoiding exposure to the cold for extended periods.
Cold weather can affect your vision
Prolonged exposure to cold temperatures affects human vision. The sun rays bouncing off the snow can cause injury or burn the cornea. An expert’s advice would be to wear proper eyewear when traveling outside a snowy path.
You may get rosy cheeks
When it’s winter, and your eyes and cheeks suddenly become colder, know that your body is redirecting the blood from those areas to important organs like your heart or lungs to survive. When you get warmer, the blood will return to its respective areas and start flushing your face with reddishness.
Chances of a heart attack are higher in the winter
Keep in mind that winter can increase heart risks. The body requires the heart to pump more blood during cold temperatures to preserve body heat.
You may get the blues
Wintertime sadness is real, and it’s because there’s less sunlight and Vitamin D. There are cases that range from mild to severe, but some people experience extreme cases like depression related issues and seasonal effective disorder to name a few. Fight off these issues by getting plenty of exercises and exposing yourself under the sun for as long as possible. Vitamin D supplements can also aid in dealing with mood issues. If symptoms persist, we suggest seeing a doctor immediately.
80 Watch out for frostbite and hypothermia
A wind chill of -50 degrees Fahrenheit in a matter of five minutes might cause considerable skin damage as well as fatal frostbite. For older people, developing hypothermia can be induced with prolonged exposure to the cold weather. Also, when these people experience a drop in body temperature, their heart, kidney, and liver might be at serious risk.