SHAlINI SAKSENA speaks to doctors about keeping common winter ailments at bay
Winters bring blues. Sneezing and runny noses become common. You forget to put on your jacket or cover your head and the next thing you know is that your nose is running. Runny nose is basically your body’s natural response to flush out germs or allergens that you have inhaled. During winter your immune system gets sluggish and you also stay in closed rooms to avoid the chilly weather outdoors. Some viruses and germs become more active when the temperature is cold and spread easily when an ill person is also inside the closed room.
“Several factors combine together to cause seasonal allergies that invariably lead to runny noses and sore throats. But dropping temperatures also make your joints hurt, especially if you are past the prime of your health. Cases of arthritic pains also go up significantly in winters,” ayurvedacharya Dr Partap Chauhan, director, Jiva Ayurveda says and lists some common winter maladies and how you can deal with them in Ayurveda.
Sore Throat: Winters can be a hard time for many of us. Either we’re shivering in our boots, looking for comfort under layers of warm clothes, or we’re sniffling and coughing the season away. A cup of Ayurvedic tea made with a medium sized fresh ginger and tulsi leaves will help. Add one tablespoon of honey and fresh lemon juice to the tea and sip it warm.
Cough: For dry coughs or mucus, roast three-four black pepper in a pan and crush them into powder. Take a tablespoon of honey and add the powdered pepper. Consume every morning, this will give relief in coughs. Meanwhile, don’t forget to keep your body warm and drink lukewarm water to help you tide through the winters.
Headaches: They are quite common during the winters, especially if you step out without covering the head. This happens because when you get cold, the nasal cavities fill with mucus and put pressure on the sinuses. The pain goes away once your cold is treated, but meanwhile, you can massage your forehead with clove oil. Mix a few drops of clove oil in coconut oil or sesame oil and gently massage your forehead. Keep your head and neck covered.
Joint inflammation: Joint pain can adversely affect the quality of your life especially for the elderly. The agonising pain not only affects your movements but can have a damaging effect on your social, professional and personal life. Don’t disregard joint pain. The sooner you go for treatment, better the results. Neem has been used in Ayurveda for its pain-reducing and anti-inflammatory properties. Joint inflammation is common in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. To get relief from joint pain, boil 100 gm of neem leaves in 250 ml of water for 30 minutes, or until the water is reduced to half. Drink 50 ml of this concentrate twice a day, for a month for relief. For proper treatment and relief, consider getting in touch with a doctor.
Take care of toddlers
According to Dr Virender Kumar, senior consultant, Pediatrics at Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute, winters are the healthiest season among other seasons in India but for toddlers’ winters brings lots of medical complications. “It is quite important to give extra care to your kids during winters, as this is the peak time when kids are more prone to get cold and cough, flu, respiratory diseases, joints pain, etc. To protect your kids from cold wind, ensure to cover their feet, hands, ears and head with dry woolen clothes. Do not put on over clothe your kids as it may suffocate them. Avoid over usage of heaters or humidifiers and use hot water bottles instead to maintain the room temperature from cold to warm,” Dr Kumar advises
Food to eat
In winter, there is natural accumulation of kapha due to the cold and wet environment so efforts should be made to keep warm. Vata may also become aggravated due to the cooler weather. Warm baths, Panchakarma (svedana) and sunbaths are beneficial. Heavy, warm clothes should be worn. In winter, massage should consist of mainly dry rubbing, if there seems to be aggravation of kapha. If there is aggravation of vata, warm oil may be used for massage. — Dr Chauhan