Silver Age Health丨Highly Prevalent Diseases that Elderly People Need to Prevent in Winter

As winter quietly approaches, the air becomes colder and drier. For the elderly, this season is particularly important to pay attention to their health, because low temperatures, dryness and other environmental factors can easily induce a series of high-incidence diseases. This article aims to explore the six major types of diseases that the elderly need to prevent in winter, to help everyone build a warm and healthy defense line for the elders at home.

▏ Common diseases that elderly people need to prevent in winter

1. Heart disease

In winter, the temperature drops sharply. In order to maintain body temperature, the human body's blood circulation speeds up, and the heart burden increases. For the elderly, especially those with a history of heart disease, this is undoubtedly a huge challenge. Cold stimulation can cause blood vessels to constrict, increase blood pressure, and increase the risk of heart attack. Therefore, the elderly should take medication regularly in winter, monitor blood pressure and heart rate regularly, and avoid strenuous exercise and mood swings. At the same time, keeping the room warm, wearing warm clothes, and reducing the time spent outside are all effective measures to prevent heart attacks.

2. Cerebrovascular Disease

Cerebrovascular diseases, such as stroke, are also more common in winter. In low temperature environments, cerebral blood vessels will also contract, affecting blood supply and increasing the risk of cerebral hemorrhage or cerebral infarction. The elderly should pay attention to keeping their heads warm, wear hats, scarves and other cold-proof items, and avoid exposing their heads directly to cold air. In addition, a balanced diet and moderate intake of foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids (such as fish and nuts) can help reduce blood viscosity and protect cerebrovascular health. Regular cerebrovascular examinations to promptly detect and deal with potential problems are also key to preventing cerebrovascular diseases.

3. Respiratory diseases

Dry air and closed indoor environments in winter can easily lead to dry respiratory mucosa and decreased immunity, thus increasing the incidence of respiratory diseases such as colds, influenza, and pneumonia. The elderly are more susceptible to the effects due to decreased respiratory function. It is recommended that the elderly drink more water in winter to keep the respiratory tract moist; use humidifiers indoors, but pay attention to regular cleaning to avoid bacterial growth; wear masks when going out to reduce direct stimulation of the respiratory tract by cold air; get flu and pneumonia vaccines to improve body resistance.

4. Nervous System Diseases

Cold weather may also aggravate some neurological diseases, such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. In a low temperature environment, the blood circulation of the human body slows down, which may affect the blood supply to the brain and aggravate neurological symptoms. The elderly should maintain good living habits and do moderate exercise, such as walking and Tai Chi, to promote blood circulation; ensure adequate sleep and avoid overwork; at the same time, family members should give more care and companionship, and promptly detect and respond to patients' emotional changes and abnormal behaviors.

5. Joint diseases

Winter is the peak season for joint diseases such as arthritis. Cold and dampness can cause muscles around joints to contract, blood circulation to slow down, and joint pain to intensify. The elderly should pay attention to keeping their joints warm, wear warming equipment such as knee pads and elbow pads; maintain a suitable temperature indoors and avoid being in a cold environment for a long time; perform appropriate joint exercises, such as yoga and water sports, to enhance joint flexibility and muscle strength; if necessary, consult a doctor to use hot compresses or physical therapy to relieve joint pain.

6. Skin diseases

The dry climate in winter not only affects the respiratory tract, but also poses a great challenge to the skin. The skin barrier function of the elderly is weakened, making them more prone to dryness, itching, and even cracking. While keeping the skin clean, avoid using cleaning products that are too alkaline; after bathing, apply moisturizing lotion in time to lock in moisture; drink plenty of water to moisturize the skin from the inside out; adding foods rich in vitamins A and E, such as carrots and nuts, to the diet can help improve dry skin. In addition, pay attention to the moderate use of heating at home to avoid excessive dryness indoors.

▏Winter Health Knowledge Guide for Elderly People

1. Keep warm first and resist the cold

1. Dress in layers and be flexible

The temperature in winter is changeable, so the elderly should learn to dress in layers. Choose a material that absorbs moisture and wicks away sweat for the inner layer, focus on keeping warm in the middle layer, and choose a windproof and waterproof jacket for the outer layer. This way of dressing can not only effectively keep warm, but also allow you to flexibly add or remove clothes according to the temperature difference between indoor and outdoor, thus avoiding colds.

2. Protect key parts

The head, neck, waist and feet are the key parts for the elderly to keep warm in winter. Wearing a hat, scarf, waist protector and warm socks can effectively reduce heat loss and prevent headaches, cervical spondylosis, back pain and frostbite of the feet caused by the cold.

3. Suitable indoor temperature

Keep the indoor temperature between 18-22℃, which is neither too cold nor too dry, which is beneficial to the blood circulation and metabolism of the elderly. When using heaters or electric blankets, pay attention to maintaining a certain humidity to avoid dryness and discomfort in the respiratory tract.

2. Eat a healthy diet to improve your physique

1. Increase calorie intake and balance nutrition

In winter, the human body needs more calories to maintain body temperature. The elderly can appropriately increase their intake of protein and fat, such as lean meat, fish, soy products and nuts, and at the same time combine them with fresh fruits and vegetables to ensure balanced nutrition.

2. Drink more warm water and less cold drinks

Winter is dry, so the elderly should drink more water, preferably warm water, which helps promote blood circulation and relieve dry skin. Avoid drinking too much cold drinks to avoid irritating the stomach and intestines and causing indigestion.

3. Diet therapy to improve health and strengthen physical fitness

Eating some warming foods, such as mutton, red dates, and wolfberries, can strengthen your physique and improve your resistance to cold. At the same time, pay attention to reducing the intake of greasy and spicy foods to avoid adding burden to your body.

3. Exercise moderately to promote health

1. Safety first in winter sports

In winter, the elderly should exercise every day to the best of their ability, which is very beneficial for strengthening physical fitness, preventing diseases and maintaining health. Appropriate outdoor activities in sunny and windless weather can prevent diseases and improve the ability to resist cold, but attention should be paid to the amount and method of exercise. It is not advisable to exercise on an empty stomach in winter, especially when just getting up in the early morning, otherwise you may die suddenly due to hypoglycemia and heart disease. It is not advisable to exercise suddenly in winter. You should do some simple limb exercises before exercising to prevent ligament and muscle sprains. Choose a gentler way to exercise, such as Tai Chi, walking, aerobics, etc., and do not participate in strenuous activities. Patients with asthma, hypertension, coronary heart disease, angina pectoris, and stroke should be cautious in doing cold-resistant exercises, because the cold can easily cause acute attacks of these diseases and cause danger.

2. Exercise moderately and within your capacity

The elderly should choose the exercise intensity and time that suits them according to their health conditions. They should warm up before exercise and stretch appropriately after exercise to avoid sports injuries.

3. Keep exercising and persevere

Exercise requires long-term persistence to be effective. It is recommended that the elderly develop a reasonable exercise plan and exercise at a fixed time every day to make exercise a part of life.

4. Psychological adjustment and a happy mood

1. Be social and avoid loneliness

In winter, the daylight hours are short, and the elderly are prone to feeling depressed. Actively participating in community activities and keeping in touch with family and friends can effectively alleviate loneliness and improve happiness.

2. Cultivate hobbies and enrich your life

Hobbies such as reading, calligraphy, gardening, and cooking can not only enrich the lives of the elderly, but also cultivate their sentiments and improve their quality of life. Finding fun in busyness can nourish the soul.

3. Maintain an optimistic attitude and face it positively

Facing various challenges in winter, the elderly should maintain an optimistic attitude and actively face the difficulties in life. They can regulate their emotions and maintain inner peace and tranquility through meditation, deep breathing and other methods.

5. Regular physical examinations to prevent diseases

1. Focus on chronic disease management

Chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes are common health problems for the elderly. The large temperature changes in winter can easily aggravate the condition. Therefore, the elderly should regularly monitor blood pressure, blood sugar and other indicators, take medicine on time as prescribed by the doctor, and keep the condition stable.

▏Suitable diet for the elderly in winter

1. Dietary principles for the elderly in winter: warm, nourishing, and easy to digest

1. Warm ingredients to keep you warm

Winter is a cold season, and the metabolism of the elderly slows down, making them vulnerable to cold weather. Therefore, the diet should include more warming ingredients, such as mutton, beef, walnuts, and red dates, which can help warm up the yang, promote blood circulation, and enhance the body's resistance to cold.

2. Nourishing and nourishing, strengthening the body

As the body functions of the elderly gradually decline with age, they need to pay more attention to nourishment in winter. You can choose foods rich in high-quality protein, vitamins and minerals, such as fish, eggs, soy products and fresh fruits and vegetables, to supplement the nutrients needed by the body and improve immunity.

3. Easy to digest, reducing the burden on the stomach and intestines

The digestive function of the elderly is relatively weak, so their winter diet should be light and easily digestible, avoiding greasy, spicy or cold foods to avoid increasing the burden on the stomach and intestines and affecting health.

2. Recommended winter recipes for the elderly: balanced nutrition, warm body and mind

Recipe 1: Red Dates and Wolfberry Lamb Soup

Ingredients: 500 grams of mutton, 10 red dates, 20 grams of wolfberry, 3 slices of ginger, and appropriate amount of salt.

Method: 1. Wash and cut the mutton into pieces, blanch and remove the fishy smell; 2. Wash the red dates and wolfberries and set aside; 3. Put the mutton, red dates, wolfberries and ginger into a casserole and add appropriate amount of water; 4. Bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat for 1.5 hours, and add salt to taste. Efficacy: Mutton is warm in nature and has the effects of warming the spleen and stomach, replenishing qi and nourishing blood; red dates and wolfberries can nourish yin and kidney, nourish the liver and improve eyesight. This soup is very suitable for the elderly in winter, which can not only drive away the cold and keep warm, but also nourish and maintain health.

Recipe 2: Yam and Pumpkin Porridge

Ingredients: 100 grams of yam, 200 grams of pumpkin, 50 grams of rice, and appropriate amount of white sugar.

Method: 1. Peel the yam and cut into pieces, peel the pumpkin and remove the seeds, cut into pieces; 2. Wash the rice, add appropriate amount of water and boil; 3. Add the yam and pumpkin pieces, continue to cook until the porridge is thick; 4. Add sugar to taste and serve. Efficacy: Yam and pumpkin are common ingredients in winter. Yam can strengthen the spleen and kidney, and pumpkin is rich in dietary fiber and vitamin A, which helps protect eyesight and promote digestion. This porridge has a delicate taste and is easy to digest, which is very suitable for the elderly to eat in winter. Recipe

Three: Tofu and crucian carp soup

Ingredients: 1 crucian carp, 200 grams of tofu, 3 slices of ginger, appropriate amount of chopped green onion, a little salt and pepper.

Method: 1. Remove the scales and internal organs of the crucian carp and clean it. Cut the tofu into pieces for later use; 2. Heat oil in a pan, add ginger slices and sauté until fragrant, then add the crucian carp and fry until both sides are golden brown; 3. Add appropriate amount of water, bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat for 20 minutes; 4. Add tofu cubes and continue to cook for 10 minutes, season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with chopped green onions. Efficacy: Crucian carp is rich in protein and various minerals, while tofu is rich in plant protein and calcium. The combination of the two is both nutritious and delicious. This soup has the effects of strengthening the spleen and removing dampness, replenishing qi and nourishing blood, and is suitable for the elderly to nourish in winter.

3. Personalized diet, pay attention to individual differences

Although the above recipes are good choices for most elderly people, everyone's physical condition and eating habits are different. Therefore, when formulating a winter diet plan, the elderly and their families should fully consider individual differences and consult professional nutritionists or doctors when necessary. Winter is a critical period for the elderly to maintain their health. A reasonable diet can not only provide the body with necessary nutrition, but also effectively resist the cold and enhance physical fitness. I hope that every elderly person can develop a winter diet plan that suits them according to their physical condition and taste preferences. Let us warm our bodies and minds with warm food in the cold winter and enjoy our old age.

(Picture from the Internet)

Author | Han Mei is a practicing pharmacist who has worked in a well-known national tertiary hospital for more than 30 years and has rich medical care experience. She has represented the hospital on many occasions to go out for exchanges and study. She is an expert in food hygiene and nutrition, has a national nutritionist qualification, and is a science enthusiast.

Preliminary review | Chen Jiaqi

Review | Wei Xinghua

Final Review | Zhou Yang