Ah, winter. The season when we all bundle up and hunker down in our homes or apartments, leaving only when we have to and never for too long. Apart from the cold, one of the biggest dangers of the winter is the increased spread of illnesses like the common cold and the flu. In addition, it’s always important to keep general health facts in mind, no matter the time of year, but it’s all too easy to slip on the ice and break a bone. Here are five health and wellness facts and tips meant to help you make it through the winter.
1. Every Year, A Billion Colds Are Caught in the United States
That hefty figure means that on average, most Americans get 3-4 colds every single year! That’s a lot of sickness to go around, and if you’re one of the few who can avoid it altogether, you’re quite lucky. One way to avoid spreading the cold, and most other illnesses, is by washing your hands several times a day. Our hands are perfect vessels to spread disease, so keep them clean!
2. Dreading A Hospital Visit But Not Sure What Else To Do? Try an Urgent Care Clinic
No one ever likes going to the emergency room, or the hospital in general. It means a long way and an excessive at best bill at the end of your stay. If you’re dealing with something relatively minor, such as chronic but not debilitating pain, a minor fracture or something like the flu, an urgent care clinic is a far better choice compared to a visit to the local hospital. By going to the urgent care clinic, you’re saving time and money, and most of them are open seven days a week. In fact, some even stay open 24 hours a day, and many offer things such as sports physicals.
3. The CDC Has Measured That 22 Million School Days Are Lost Every Year Due to the Common Cold
Another astonishing common cold fact for you, this figure shows just how much school is lost if you combined every child who misses classes for a day for a cold. If we were to cut this figure down by even 10%, it would make a huge difference in the overall numbers. Trying to put an end to spreading the common cold should be a goal of every student, teacher and parent!
<>h3>4. Adults Can Get Strep Throat, Too
Though it is most common in children, it’s a common misconception that adults can’t get strep throat, as around 10% of all cases appear in adults. If you come down with strep throat, it’s important to visit an urgent care clinic or doctor and get on antibiotics, as well as quarantine yourself for at least 24 hours. Strep throat can be quite contagious before it gets under the control of the medicine, so better safe than sorry!
5. Americans Suffer Over One Million Broken Bones Every Year
As mentioned before, broken bones are an incredibly common phenomenon, especially due to ice falls in the winter. 80% of urgent care clinics will work on fractures, so you likely won’t need to go to the hospital unless the break is very severe or in a sensitive location. Stay safe out there on the ice this winter and try to avoid this one if possible!
There you have it! Those are our winter tips and facts for your health. Do you have anything to add? Let us know down below in the comments!