As an Eyes, Nose and Throat specialist in London, Dr. Jon Hughes helps his patients to take care of themselves throughout the year – but especially in the winter, when viruses can be more widespread and the cold weather can affect our bodies more. Today, we’re sharing some advice about getting through the winter season with five of our top tips.
Tip 1: Keep ears warm and dry
Your ears help with a lot of things beyond just listening. They can help with balance and are connected to your sinuses – a network of little cavities inside your face that drain the nose and keep it clear of bacteria. Caring for your ears is easier than you think: wrap up warm and wear ear muffs if you can to keep them dry; protect hearing aids from the cold; and watch out for signs of ear infection. These could include pain, nausea and fever.
Tip 2: Keep eyes moist
Are your eyes feeling gritty and dry? It might not be an infection or allergy, but could indicate your eyes aren’t as moist as they should be. Drops can help to prevent this from happening, or you could use a humidifier in your home. Other eye tips include taking breaks from screentime; visiting your optometrist for vision problems, and eating and drinking well.
Tip 3: Look after your throat
Lots of things can aggravate your throat in the colder months, like whispering, coughing, poor sleep and smoking. Over-the-counter relief can soothe a sore throat, or you can gargle warm salt water. Cold lollies and treats (not hot drinks) are also great for your throat.
Tip 4: Fight sinus problems
Your nose can really suffer in the winter, whether it’s stuffed up, running or irritated. Having your house too dry and heated can make this worse, as mucus dries higher in the sinuses and clogs them up, which can cause pain. Humidity, again, is essential for keeping your nose breathing freely. Like the throat, you can try a salt water solution, this time with a touch of baking powder, to clean out the nose. And one of ENT specialists’ top tips is to try and inhale steam from the shower, bath or a hot drink to keep your nose moist.
Tip 5: See an Eyes, Nose and Throat specialist
Sometimes, the best way to care for eyes, ears, nose and throat is to talk to our ENT specialist in London, Dr. Jon Hughes. We can recommend sinus treatments that will help you get through the worst of the winter weather – and ready for sunnier days.