The 3rd quarter of the year marks the coldest season in the Philippines. It’s during this time that typhoons pay a visit in every part of our country and Filipinos bring out the best of their winter collection.

With it also comes the weather-related health problems that most of us encounter. Some suffer from common colds and coughs, others skip work because of the good ol’ fashioned fever, and some suffer from neuropathy—or to put it in our terms, glitch

Numbness.

Tingling sensation.

Everything that you can feel right on your nerves.

Pangangalay.

Panginginig.

Pamamanhid.

These things happen more when the weather drops.

Neuropathy—like most chronic pain—often gets worse as temperatures drop. Blood flow slows in your outer extremities when your body is exposed to the cold. Nerve pain—especially in your hands and feet—increases as your circulation decreases.

The cold weather affects almost every part of our body. It can also affect the symptoms of nerve damage in various ways. The cold slows the flow of blood to the hands and feet in an attempt to preserve the body’s core temperature.

This reduction in blood flow to the extremities can lead to both increased pain and damage to the peripheral nerves. Exposure to cold can also cause the muscles to tighten and spasm—pulling on the nerves as they do and resulting in intensified pain in the affected areas.

Steps to be glitch-free during the cold

Just by knowing these things, performing our daily tasks seem to be impossible, or if not, far from being hassle-free. Especially now that the cold season has come.

So how can we be able to remain glitch-free during the cold season? Keep in mind the following:

1. Incorporate exercise. People are generally less active in cold weather, thus joints and muscles get less blood flow. You don’t have to go to a gym to do simple stretches and exercises that can increase blood flow. Taking part in light cardio can help warm up your muscles and promote good circulation, warding off the neuropathy caused by the colder temperatures.  Try gentle movement exercises such as yoga, walking, elliptical and light weight training. Even a light swim in a heated pool could help to keep your body limber and ease away muscle tension. https://unsplash.com/photos/GpVak9-cL6E
2. Wear warm and dry clothing. Protect your hands and feet by wearing thick socks, thick mittens or gloves. Hands and feet are the two most common areas affected by nerve pain and are the most susceptible to poor circulation in the winter. Avoid tight fitting clothing as much as possible as it can further restrict circulation. https://unsplash.com/photos/YKNeBLEQUOI
3. Avoid caffeine. Getting that warm cup of tea/coffee is very tempting and, pretty sure, we can all relate to everyone who has that urge to drink them during the cold season. After all, we are always after that instant gratification! But be warned: Consuming high amounts of caffeine can cause blood vessels to temporarily narrow, restricting the blood flow to your extremities. This could lead to increased nerve pain.
4. Limit alcohol consumption. In the Philippines, the cold season is used as a perfect excuse to go out to enjoy good company and good spirits. And just like coffee, a little alcoholic drink to warm the soul becomes all the more tempting. Excessive amounts of alcohol can lead to vitamin deficiencies, which can result in aggravated neuropathic pain.
5. Take an indoor break. Walking outside with your complete rainy season get-up can be tempting. (It’s okay, we understand.) As much as possible, avoid staying outside for prolonged periods of times. Take breaks and stay indoors more often. In doing so let’s the warmth return to your body, blood flow to increase, and muscles to relax.

The rainy season can both be a blessing and a curse to most of us. A blessing because, after so many months under the intense heat of the summer season, we are now experiencing comfort thanks to a drop in the temperature. However, it is also a curse because with it also comes various inconveniences to our bodies: sickness and nerve damage, to list some.

During this time, it’s important that our body does not succumb to nerve damage. Our careers depend on our body’s condition.

Make sure your body is well-equipped with the right vitamins to combat these things! Stack up on vitamin B-Complex and start drinking it everyday. Vitamin B-Complex has essential nutrients that can help in fighting nerve damage and other forms of glitch that the rainy season brings with it.

Sources:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/health-matters/201410/does-rain-cause-painand-what-do-about-it

https://www.cancercare.org/questions/177

https://www.neuropathytreatmentgroup.com/how-winter-aggravates-nerve-pain-and-what-you-can-do-about-it/

https://ntc.lluh.org/blog/four-tips-combat-nerve-pain-during-cold-weather