Stay Warm and Well During the Cold Snap
With the cold weather setting in this week, it’s important to take extra care to make sure you stay fit and healthy. Those with long-term respiratory problems need to take extra care as the damp, cold conditions can make you more vulnerable to catching those pesky winter bugs.
If you start to feel unwell, even if it’s a cough or a cold, don’t wait until it gets more serious. Seek advice from your Pharmacist.
Follow these simple tips below to help you and your loved ones to stay fit and well over this cold snap.
- Try and keep your home heated to at least 18C.
- Draw your curtains at dusk and keep doors closed to block out draughts
- Wear several layers of clothes rather than 1 chunky layer. Clothes made from cotton, wool or fleecy fibres help to maintain body heat.
- Have at least one hot meal a day. Eating regularly helps keep you warm.
- Have hot drinks regularly throughout the day.
- Stay active – even moderate exercise can help keep you warm.
- Wrap a scarf loosely around your mouth, wear a hat and shoes with good grip when outdoors.
- If you have a heart or respiratory problem, stay indoors during very cold weather.
- Check in on elderly relatives and neighbours. If you are concerned about a relative or an elderly neighbour, contact your local council or ring the Age UK helpline on 0800 00 99 66.
If you need help with heating costs, you may be able to claim financial and practical help with heating your home. Grants available include the Winter Fuel Payment and the Cold Weather Payment.
Help Us Help You to Stay Well this Winter
Winter conditions can be seriously bad for our health, especially for people aged 65 or older, and people with long-term conditions such as COPD, bronchitis, emphysema, asthma, diabetes or heart or kidney disease. Being cold can raise the risk of increased blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes.
It’s important to keep warm in winter
Keeping warm over the winter months can help to prevent colds, flu and more serious health problems.
- Heat your home to at least 18°C (65°F)
- Keep active when your indoors, try not to sit still for more than an hour
- Wear several layers of light clothes, several layers trap warm air better than one bulky layer
- Close your curtains at dusk and keep doors closed to keep out any draughts
- Get your heating system checked regularly by a qualified professional
You may be able to claim financial and practical help with heating your home. Grants available include Winter Fuel Payment and Cold Weather Payment.
Feeling unwell? Don’t wait – get advice from your nearest pharmacist
At the first sign of a winter illness, even if it’s just a cough or cold, get advice from your pharmacist, before it gets more serious. Act quickly. The sooner you get advice from a pharmacist the better. Pharmacists are fully qualified to advise you on the best course of action. This can be the best and quickest way to help you recover and get back to normal. If you can’t get to a pharmacist yourself, ask someone to go for you or call your local pharmacy.
Have you had the flu jab?
The flu virus strikes in winter and it can be far more serious than you think. Flu can lead to serious complications such as bronchitis and pneumonia, and it can be deadly. That’s why the flu jab is free if you’re aged 65 or over, or if you have a long-term health condition. If you have young children or grandchildren they may also be eligible for a free flu vaccination. And if you are the main carer of an older or disabled person you may also be eligible for the free flu jab. Just speak to your GP receptionist or pharmacist.
All About Flu and How to Stop Getting It Leaflet
Help Us Help You Leaflet
Embracing Self Care for Life across South Cheshire
You can be fighting off many minor illnesses this winter yourself, at home, by embracing Self Care for Life.
Next week (13th-19th November 2017) is Self Care Week, when teams from NHS South Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) will be out across the area, sharing the best tips for keeping yourself healthy.
Tips include knowing how long common illnesses take to go away and which over-the-counter medicines to have at home so you’re prepared to tackle minor conditions as soon as they start to develop, filling your medicine cabinet for less than £10.
Alongside information sessions at health centres, cafés and supermarkets, other companies are also embracing Self Care Week. Brio Leisure Lifestyle Centres in Winsford and Northwich are offering free sessions for a number of fitness classes, Rangers will be leading people on Wellie Walks around local beauty spots and Manchester Metropolitan University will take people on a Social Cycle around Crewe.
The week’s activities have been put together by Noreen Caldwell, Public Engagement and Involvement Manager at the CCG, who has also been named as a Self Care Champion by the Self Care Forum in recognition for her work with the local community, training members of the public to spread awareness of self care.
Noreen said: “Empowering local people with the confidence and information to look after themselves and giving them the options and skills to be able to select and chose the most appropriate and best care for them is the essence of our local approach to self care.
Dr Annabel London, GP and Primary Care Lead for the CCG, said: “The CCG are proud of Noreen for becoming a nationally recognised Self Care Champion in recognition for her hard work to help patients across South Cheshire and Vale Royal.
“Knowing about self care means then when you start to get those early symptoms of minor conditions like coughs, colds and sore throats, you can start tackling it straight away.
“You don’t need to wait to book an appointment to then be sent to your pharmacist, you can start getting sooner, quicker, using the over-the-counter medicines you’ve got in your cabinet.”
To find out more about self care and what activities are taking place near you for Self Care Week, visit the Self Care page.
