Unless
you have been lucky
enough to take a winter holiday in the sun, you're probably spending quite a bit
of time indoors at the moment. Short days and the dreadful amount of rainy days
around at the moment mean you could be lacking in vitamin D, usually made when
the body is exposed to sunlight. Lack of vitamin D also increases the chances
of osteoporosis, high blood pressure and certain types of cancers so it may be
a good idea to top up your intake of this vitamin by eating oily fish, magarine
or cod liver oil. Some cereals are also fortified with vitamins which include
vitamin D so check the carton.
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With
the amount of coughs and colds around at this time of year children can
be particularly vulnerable. Although we do our best to keep them wrapped up in
the chilly weather they easily fall prey to germs as their immune system is young.
A child with a congested chest and nose will have difficulty sleeping
and may lose their appetite because of the difficulty in breathing. Although children's
colds are more frequent than adults, the discomfort they feel is the same, so
do try to ease the symptoms as best you can. | Using
a decongestant such as Karvol Vapour Rub at night can aid sleep. This is a formula
especially for children and can be used from 6 months onwards. If you're child
has particularly sensitive skin you may want to apply6 it to their vest rather
than directly onto the chest area. Karvol also do a range of decongestant products
so have a word with your pharmacist.
It's not easy for children to grasp
the process of nose blowing but persevere. Once they do get the hang of it make
sure they blow only one nostril at a time and encourage them to put used tissues
in the waste-paper bin. Children love the fun, printed tissues in their favourite
characters, but if a chills nose is particularly sore, use cotton handkerchiefs
for softness and a thin smear of Vaseline around the nostrils should help. |
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With
the lack of sunshine
and short days it's no wonder some of us feel less than cheerful in January. But
for some people, this time of year can be really depressing - not just that less-than-cheerful
feeling but real feelings of despair. People who suffer from Seasonal Affected
Disorder experience more than just the 'winter blues' with low energy levels,
bad sleep patterns and a deep lack of general enthusiasm often leading to quite
severe periods of depression.
Many find huge benefits from light therapy,
a system which involves relaxing in front of a 'light box' for an |  |
hour or two at a time, especially in the mornings. In fact, tests have show that
within a few days of therapy, spirits were lifted and even those who were suffering
most reported significant improvements in mood.
A supplement of Vitamin
D may also help (see article).
'BriteBox' is available www.britebox.co.uk |
 | Remember
- if you are lucky enough
to be jetting off somewhere warm this time of year, the same rules apply to your
sun protection as would in the summer months.
Even if the weather is just
above warm the skin still needs protection from long exposure to sunlight.
And
if you're ski-ing for the first time, take special advice from your pharmacist
on which skin-care to use, making special provision for the delicate areas such
as cheekbones and lips. |
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