You do your best to keep yourself and your family healthy, but despite your best efforts, you may still find yourself ill, especially during Winter. Here are some common Illnesses people fall prey to at this time:
Common Cold:
Colds are caused by several different types of viruses and can occur anytime during the year, although they occur most frequently in the winter months. Symptoms of a common cold include a sore throat, chest congestion, headache, sneezing, runny nose, etc.
Flu:
The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by a virus that goes by the name “influenza”. It can be mild or severe as well. Similar to the cold, a flu patient experiences body ache, sore throat, fever, headaches, etc…
Strep Throat:
A sore throat is very annoying and uncomfortable. But the strep throat is worse! A strep throat is a severe version of a sore throat, with fever caused by an infection. Strep throat is generally more prevalent in children, although adults who are in contact with children are susceptible to catching it as well. Symptoms of strep throat include difficulty and pain while swallowing food or water, headache, swollen lymph nodes, fever, etc…
Pneumonia:
Pneumonia is an infection in one or both sides of the lungs and can either be caused by a virus, bacteria, or fungus – there are more than 30 different causes of pneumonia. Those who are chronically ill or have a weakened immune system or health issues like heart issues, cancer, asthma; older people and younger children are at a higher risk of contracting the infection.
Bronchitis:
Children or toddlers below the age of 2 years often fall prey to Bronchitis. Bronchitis is a respiratory infection caused by RSV or the respiratory syncytial virus. RSV, a particular virus that is often the cause of bronchiolitis, although many different viruses can cause bronchiolitis. Symptoms include nasal congestion, cough, low-grade fevers, and wheezing.
Practice Prevention
No matter the time of year, it’s important to practice good hygiene, such as hand washing, coughing into a tissue, and avoiding contact with other people when you are contagious. If you find yourself sick during the winter months, your immune system will often handle it without any intervention. However, if you aren’t getting better or are getting worse, it may be time to see a doctor.
* All content published is for general information purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice.