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Joy Morgan Dey
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Although ointments are best at healing and preventing dry skin, Dr. Susan finds that people are reluctant to get out of the shower and slather Vaseline on their body.
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Joy Morgan Dey
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New activities without training can lead to accidents, so take a lesson before trying an unfamiliar sport like skiing or snowboarding.
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Joy Morgan Dey
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Long-cooking stovetop foods contribute to moisture, so there’s another good reason for homemade soups, stews and porridges in winter.
Illustrations by Joy Morgan Dey
Heading into winter, you start to make those critical checklists of things to get done before the temperatures dip too far below freezing and the snow mounts too high to sweep away with a broom.
By the time of that first snow (or at least by the second), you’ve put on the snow tires, taped up the plastic on the windows and turned off the outside water spigot.
Your car, check. Your house, check. Your body, oh-oh.
Making a sort of checklist for yourself can be as easy as 1-2-3. In most cases, it turns out that three can be a healthy hat trick when it comes to winterizing your body.
You’ve Got 3 Minutes
For many, winter is synonymous with dry skin.
“It’s most often a problem on the extremities, on the lower legs or arms,” says Duluth Clinic dermatologist Susan Ash. This scaly skin, often called “winter itch,” is usually due to too much soap. So consider using soap, Dr. Susan recommends, “only on the important parts – the face, neck, underarms and groin.”
Most people control dry skin with moisturizer, but don’t know that it must be applied immediately after bathing or showering.
“Skin soaks up water in the shower, which you want to lock in with moisturizer. I tell people they have three minutes after bathing in which to get moisturizer on.”
Best of the 3 for Winter
There are basically three types of moisturizers: ointments, creams and lotions. Ointments work better than creams; creams moisturize better than lotions. Although ointments are best, Dr. Susan finds that people are reluctant to get out of the shower and slather Vaseline on their body. She suggests creams, especially in winter. Some consider gels a fourth category, but gels actually cause drying.
“We’re told to wash our hands often, which is drying. You might consider using an ointment on hands at night with cotton gloves, and cream immediately after each hand washing during the day.”
She recommends Vanicream, Eucerin cream, Cetaphil cream or ointments.
Don’t misunderstand; it’s good to bathe (even for Norwegian bachelor farmers). But don’t use soap all over every day. By “soap,” Dr. Susan means shower gels, body washes and bar soap. Or consider a soap-free liquid cleanser – such as Cetaphil – which is not the same as waterless hand sanitizers (they are ultra drying).
Treat dry, cracked or splitting nails the same way: decrease soap and moisturize with ointment or cream. Avoid all nail polish, even the clear type to harden nails, especially if you periodically take it off with nail polish remover, which is a solvent. Treating dry cracked nails takes a long time, as you must wait for the portion that was routinely moisturized to grow out and replace the dried nail. It may be helpful to use a home humidifier, but more on that later.
For sun protection (which you need even in winter), the party line from skin experts is to use a daily moisturizer with SPF 15. In winter this may be necessary only on your face, but it is essential when outside all day skiing or playing hockey.
Dr. Dan’s 3-Point Plan
While some folks are in tears over dry skin, others aren’t so lucky. Dry eyes are a common winter complaint. This dryness, due to low humidity and having the heat on, is especially bothersome to contact-lens wearers who drive for long periods in front of a car heater. Plus certain allergies are worse in winter, says Duluth Clinic ophthalmologist Dan Skorich, who sees an increase in bothersome dry-eye complaints around the time folks are bringing out their dusty holiday decorations.
Staring activities, like watching TV, driving, reading and working on the computer, are the big culprits. Dr. Dan tells people to train themselves to blink more often and to keep a bottle of artificial tears handy for those activities.
“People tend to under use artificial tear drops. Twice a day is not nearly enough if you’re symptomatic.”
He suggests using drops more often during staring activities, and don’t wait for your eyes to feel dry. Drinking more water helps all membranes, including the eyes.
So how about a humidifier?
“It’s hard to get the humidity levels high enough to help dry eyes, so over-the-counter artificial tears are probably more effective.” Dr. Dan suggests four to six times daily, plus more as needed.
A potential side effect of refractive surgery is dry eyes in the early months after an operation, so you may want to schedule such procedures for springtime.
Ever wonder why going out in the cold makes you cry? There are (here’s that number again) three types of tears: emotional – like a breakup or a sad movie cause; irritant – like onions cause; and baseline tears that you don’t even think about. Cold, like onions, irritates your eyes. Irritant tears aren’t good quality and tend to wash out the eyes rather than lubricate them.
Dr. Dan’s three-point plan to ban dry eye is simple: Blink more, Drink more and Think more (about using drops).
What Dr. Dan really wants you to remember is that protective eyewear is just as important in the winter as the summer. Wear safety glasses when involved in any “high-speed” activity such as snow blowing and even chopping wood, where a splinter can hit your eye at high speed. They also should be worn during activities where you are moving at high speeds and a branch could strike you – such as while snowmobiling, skiing and snowboarding. And, of course, just like you wouldn’t forget your sunblock, don’t forget your sunglasses.
Worth noting is that in a 20-year career as a corneal specialist, Dr. Dan says that he’s seen snow-blindness maybe once or twice, and despite frequent questions about it, he has never seen eye injuries from sauna heat.
Avoid 3 Bs: Breaks, ’Bites, Bacteria
When it comes to learning the 4-1-1 on winter’s 9-1-1, there are three basics to remember.
First, new activities without training can lead to accidents.
Physician Gary Foley, director of St. Mary’s Hospital emergency services in Duluth, says “You’re most likely to break a bone the first time out skiing or snowboarding.” Dr. Gary wants everyone to please take a lesson before trying either activity for the first time.
Does that hold true for experienced skiers who want to try snowboarding?
“Especially experienced skiers,” he says. “They must learn to distribute weight differently and aren’t skilled at going sideways down a mountain.”
Second, frostbite is another winter danger and a common winter emergency.
“If you need to begin treatment yourself, warm a cold digit or extremity in warm water, never hot,” Dr. Gary advises. “And don’t begin the warming process until you’re in a position to keep it warm. When an extremity is allowed to re-freeze the injury is worse than if it had never been thawed.”
Third, Dr. Gary says the two biggest advances in medicine that have saved more lives than even antibiotics are plumbing and hand washing.
“Hand washing and this: If you’re sick, stay away from people.”
Dr. Dave Choquette of Northland Ear, Nose and Throat in Duluth agrees with his colleague’s “stay home” warning. “We’re so hard-working these days that we’ve lost our common sense about avoiding people when we’re sick. Don’t go to the movies, to church or to work. No one wants to be around you.”
He describes Northland winters as “like living in indoor deserts” in close confines with others in dry, sealed buildings, which often have poor air quality.
To put it bluntly, Dr. Dave says, “We inhale what others sneeze out. It’s a race between the speed at which mucous can clear the upper airway and the rate of reproduction of bacteria. Some bacteria reproduce every 19 minutes. And as our mucous gets thicker in the winter, it takes longer to clear the bacteria.”
That’s why moms and doctors remind us to drink plenty of fluids.
The party line in Dr. Dave’s field is to wait six days before going to the doctor for a cold or respiratory flu; but call sooner if you have ear, eye or facial pain. Take a decongestant or antihistamine and go to the doctor if, after five to six days, you’re coughing up any of these three things: green stuff, yellow custard-like stuff, or blood. Now, moving (quickly) on …
There’s a phenomenon up here of escaping the cold by fleeing on crowded airplanes. But don’t just jump on a plane without precautions.
“Drink water to keep your mucous thin and have strategies in place, such as bringing hand sanitizer with you to get rid of germs. If you were really smart you’d probably wear a surgical mask,” says Dr. Dave who admits, however, that he does not fly masked. He does recommend immediately putting your travel clothes in the hamper and jumping in the shower upon arrival.
Inside your own home, the quality of your indoor air is crucial with children.
“Small children and smoke don’t go well together,” warns Dr. Dave. “Whether it’s cigarette smoke or fireplace smoke, in winter with no window open, kids re-breathe the smoke and their tiny tubes and small airways get easily congested.”
Humidifiers help keep mucous membranes moist, but they must be kept clean.
Local organic housekeeper Ellen Sandbeck is concerned about bacteria and mold growing in humidifier water and spreading when you run the humidifier. Here’s her 3-cents worth: Instead of using humidifiers, which vaporize water and anything in it, then spew that into the air, you should try “evaporative methods” like putting pans of water on radiators and near fireplaces. Houseplants add to your home’s humidity and because they respire, plants clean water before it goes into the air. Long-cooking stovetop foods contribute to moisture, so there’s another good reason for homemade soups, stews and porridges in winter.
3 As: Activity, Attitude, Adjustment
While that stew is cooking, you might take a walk. Psychologist Jane Hovland of the University of Minnesota Duluth Medical School advises folks to anticipate the winter doldrums by establishing good behavior patterns before it gets cold and dark outside. Some things are simple. Exercise daily and breathe fresh air. Turn off the TV and spend time looking forward to things you enjoy doing. Plan a vacation; if you can’t afford one, plan your spring garden. Or force bulbs indoors to have flowers blooming inside.
Watch your weight because if you feel down in winter, you’ll have even lower self-esteem if you gain weight. Make a rule not to snack at night.
And don’t focus on yourself (especially what’s wrong with yourself). Find ways to give to someone else. Walk a dog for a friend or shovel a neighbor’s walk. There are plenty of ways to get outside every day to enjoy this freezin’ season.
Live in Sunny 3-D
We all understand calcium’s importance to bone health, but vitamin D is often overlooked. Vitamin D is essential for calcium’s absorption, and D also contributes to blood-pressure control, colon cancer-prevention and muscle cell maintenance (to name just a few of its virtues). Vitamin D has an alias – the “sunshine vitamin” – because our bodies make it when sunlight touches our skin. Generally with less sunshine in winter, and less skin exposed to it, we need to rely on food sources of vitamin D.
Unfortunately there are not many natural food sources beyond things like cod liver oil and fatty fish. That’s why foods are fortified with vitamin D, such as fortified milk and fortified cereals.
One cup of commercial milk (8 ounces) contains 100 milligrams of vitamin D. Adults need 400 milligrams of D daily, and the elderly need 600 milligrams.
Some folks rely on cheese for calcium. But most cheese is made from pre-fortified milk (before the vitamin D is added). That’s also true for many yogurts, so look for vitamin D as well as calcium when you read labels.
There are two good Websites to help with nutrition advice any time of year. Go to the American Dietetic Association at www.Eatright.org. Click on “Tip Of The Day” in the upper right-hand corner. Or the Canadian dietitians’ Website at www.dietitians.ca. Select “Eat Well, Live Well,” then “Tip Of The Day.” At both sites, past tips are listed alphabetically.
Pets need protection, too (or 3)
In winter pets need special attention, says Duluth veterinarian Roger Pitts, who is also board certified in animal internal medicine.
“Even dogs used to being outside shouldn’t be left out when it’s 10 (degrees Fahrenheit) or less, unless they’re accustomed to it and well cared for.”
Roger reminds us to protect animals from the three elements of cold, wind and wetness.
“Raise doghouses off the ground and insulate them with straw or foam. Keep this house dry and out of the wind. Protect and inspect your animal’s feet and ear tips because dogs can get frostbite.” (Cats can, too, but Roger is not a fan of cats being outside at all).
Provide a water source that is not frozen and keep animals fed to provide energy for staying warm.
Ann Treacy is a Duluth dietitian who knows her foodstuffs.