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Ask
the Pharmacist By Ron and Marla Chapleau |
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Q: Now that winter has finally arrived, what are the facts I need to know about keeping my kids warm while they play outside or when I brave the elements to exercise? A: By now, we all know that a hat is absolutely essential. In fact, you lose about 50 per cent of your body heat through your head so it’s uncommon to see most young children or athletes without such protection. But what we do see is a frequent failure to protect the face and this is almost as important for maintaining body temperature. A 2011 United States Army study showed that volunteers who spent an hour in a cold chamber wearing a balaclava had measurably warmer hands and toes than those who did not. The science behind this is not difficult to comprehend. Your body will always try to keep your brain warm and it does so by shunting blood away from your extremities. So if cold hands or toes tend to be a problem, a scarf or balaclava is a must. They are also a good idea for those who find winter air causes them to cough or feel short of breath. It has been determined that cold-induced lung issues are not caused by the cold temperature itself, but rather by the dryness of the winter air. By covering your mouth, water vapour from your airways that would normally escape is trapped, and subsequently moistens the air you inhale. Staying dry is also critical to remaining warm since water can transmit heat away from your body 70 times quicker than air. For both kids and athletes, it's a good idea to wear, as an under layer, some of the new high-tech clothing that wicks away moisture while still remaining breathable. Another solution is to minimize sweating. For athletes, dress so that you feel unpleasantly cold for the first five minutes and then remove layers before you start sweating.
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And lastly, as the winter
drags on, don’t be fooled by your body as it adjusts to the
continued cold. While it is true that the more often we are exposed
to cold the less we notice it (hence, 10 degrees Celsius feels “colder” in early
December than it does by late February when we have become somewhat
acclimatized), it still has the same potential to damage skin through
frostbite. For more information about this or any other health-related questions, contact the pharmacists at Gordon Pharmasave, Your Health and Wellness Destination Scrolling stops when you move your mouse inside the scroll area. You can click on the ads for more
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