WINTER HEALTH Slide xx – Winter Health Presenter notes: Allow approximately 2 mins for this slide   The following slide contains some useful information about winter health . >>>> Go to slide xx

KEEP WARM, KEEP WELL Keep yourself wrapped up to help prevent colds, flu and also more serious health conditions like heart attack and stroke Keep your home warm – if you have a health condition such as heart or lung issues you should heat your home to at least 18C Eat well in winter. Include lots of fruit and vegetables as well as hot meals and hot drinks Exercise is good for overall health but staying active in winter will help you keep warm. Try not to sit for longer than one hour Check on older relatives and neighbours to make sure they are cosy, safe and stocked up with food and medicines   Slide XX– Keep warm, keep well Presenter notes: Allow approximately 2-3 mins for this slide Cold homes have a significant impact on people's health. If you have reduced mobility, are 65 or over, or have a health condition such as heart or lung disease, you should heat your home to at least 18C. It's a good idea to keep your bedroom at this temperature all night if you can. During the day you may prefer your living room to be slightly warmer. Make sure you wear enough clothes to stay warm. If you're under 65 and healthy and active, you can safely have your house cooler than 18C, if you're comfortable. Why not use a hot water bottle if you have one while you’re in bed ? Eat well in winter - food is a vital source of energy and helps keep your body warm. Try to make sure that you have hot meals and drinks regularly throughout the day and keep active in the home if you can. If you can stay active, even moderate exercise can bring health benefits. If possible, try not to sit still for more than an hour or so. Remember to speak to your GP before starting any exercise plan. Wrap up warm, inside and out. Wear lots of thin layers - clothes made from cotton, wool or fleecy fibres are particularly good and help to maintain body heat. Wear shoes with a good grip to prevent slips and falls when walking outside. If possible, stay inside during a cold period if you have heart or respiratory problems. Got any elderly neighbours or relatives? Make sure they're safe and well, warm enough - especially at night and have stocks of food and medicines so they don't need to go out during very cold weather.

WINTER TIREDNESS Winter tiredness is linked to reduced sunlight. Your body produces more melatonin which makes you feel sleepy Open your blinds or curtains to increase the amount of sunlight in your home, get outdoors in natural daylight as much as possible – a brief lunchtime walk is perfect Try to get a good night’s sleep of around 8 hours and make your bedroom conducive to sleep Fight winter tiredness with regular exercise Learn to relax and reduce your stress – exercise, yoga, meditation and deep breathing exercises can help alleviate some of the pressures Eat the right foods – you’ll have more energy if you include plenty of fruit and vegetables in your meals   Slide XX– Winter Tiredness Presenter notes: Allow approximately 2-3 mins for this slide Do you find it harder to roll out of bed every morning when the temperature drops and the mornings are darker? Blame the lack of sunlight. Less sunlight means that your brain produces more of a hormone called melatonin, which makes you sleepy. Because the release of this sleep hormone is linked to light and dark, when the sun sets earlier your body also wants to go to bed earlier – hence you may feel sleepy in the early evening. While it’s normal for all of us to slow down generally over winter, sometimes lethargy can be a sign of more serious winter depression. This health condition, known medically as seasonal affective disorder, affects around one in 15 of us but can be treated. If your tiredness is severe and year-round, you could have chronic fatigue syndrome. We don’t technically need any more sleep in winter than in summer. Aim for about eight hours of shuteye a night and try to stick to a reliable sleep schedule. Go to bed and get up at the same time every day. And make sure your bedroom is conducive to sleep – clear the clutter, have comfortable and warm bedlinen, avoid the use of phones and laptops and turn off the TV. Exercise may be the last thing you feel like doing on dark winter evenings, but you’ll feel more energetic if you get involved in some kind of physical activity every day, ideally so you reach the recommended goal of 150 minutes of exercise a week. Exercise in the late afternoon may help to reduce early evening fatigue, and also improve your sleep. Winter is a great time to experiment with new and different kinds of activity. There’s no quick-fire cure for stress but there are some simple things you can do to alleviate it. So, if you feel under pressure for any reason, calm down with meditation, yoga, exercise and breathing exercises. Once the summer ends, there’s a temptation to ditch the salads and fill up on starchy foods such as pasta, potatoes and bread. You’ll have more energy, though, if you include plenty of fruit and vegetables in your meals. Winter vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, swede and turnips can be roasted, mashed or made into soup for a warming winter meal for the whole family. And classic stews and casseroles are great options if they’re made with lean meat and plenty of veg. Try to avoid foods containing lots of sugar – it gives you a rush of energy but one that wears off quickly.

WINTER ILLNESSES Help your body deal with health problems, such as asthma, sore throat and cold sores that are worsened by cold weather Wash your hands regularly to help prevent colds Gargling with warm salty water with help soothe a sore throat If you have asthma, take extra care on cold days. Wear a scarf over your mouth and nose and keep inhalers with you at all times If unfortunately you are affected by the winter vomiting bug or norovirus, drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration Dry skin is often worse in the winter. Have warm showers rather than hot and moisturise straight after your bath or shower   Slide XX– Winter illnesses Presenter notes: Allow approximately 2-3 mins for this slide When an infected person coughs or sneezes, they release droplets of mucus into the air, or into their hand if they use their hand to cover their mouth. If you get these droplets on your hand (for example, by shaking hands or touching contaminated objects such as doorknobs), you can pass them into your eyes or nose when you touch them. Most of us touch our eyes and nose more often than we realise. A duct links the eyes and the nasal cavity, and the virus travels easily from the eye to the nose and throat, where it can cause infection. You can help avoid being infected by washing your hands thoroughly. Sore throat - Sore throats are common in winter and are almost always caused by viral infections. There's some evidence that changes in temperature, such as going from a warm, centrally heated room to the icy outdoors, can also affect the throat. People with asthma should be especially careful in winter. Be extra vigilant about taking your regular medications, and keep rescue inhalers close by and in a warm place. Norovirus - also known as the winter vomiting bug, norovirus is an extremely infectious stomach bug. It can strike all year round, but is more common in winter and in places such as hotels and schools. The illness is unpleasant, but it's usually over within a couple of days. By drinking oral rehydration fluids (available from pharmacies), you can reduce the risk of dehydration. Dry skin is a common condition and is often worse during the winter, when environmental humidity is low.The best time to apply moisturiser is after a bath or shower while your skin is still moist, and again at bedtime. Top tip: Have warm, rather than hot, showers. Water that is too hot makes skin feel more dry and itchy. Hot water will also make your hair look dull and dry.