Traditionally, February is one of the coldest months of the year where I live, but our winter has felt like anything but. I think we have gotten a grand total of three or four inches of snow all winter which doesn’t hurt my feelings at all, having grown up in California, but has left my husband grumbling. He doesn’t think it is winter without a foot or two of snow on the ground. Despite how warm it has been, it seems like everyone has been sick anyway. I think it is especially easy for those of us who live in a cold winter climate to forget that temperature isn’t the only contributing factor to getting sick.
No matter what climate you live in, try to minimize the amount of wind that gets on your head and chest. Dress in layers and stay warm but not overly so, especially if you’re in and out all day long. For young children, this is especially important because their immune system and lungs are not fully developed in the first few years of life. Make sure you are getting plenty of rest, because a tired immune system is a weakened immune system. Try not to shock your immune system by consuming something cold when you want to stay warm. It takes more work for your body to stay warm and stay healthy when it is dealing with cold foods or drink.
When the weather is changeable and is warming or cooling drastically in a short period of time it is easy to forget to take the appropriate precautions to keep from getting sick. You’d think that after almost 10 years of living in Ohio I’d remember this by now but it gets me every time. My husband’s favorite statement regarding Ohio’s weather is, “Don’t like it? Wait a few minutes and check it again.” It might be a slight exaggeration, but only just.
