They don't cease to exist at the end of winter, far from it. But they are much more frequent in colder weather, and can add to the fatigue caused by the lack of light. Winter illnesses are concentrated on the respiratory tract, with the exception of gastroenteritis, which attacks the intestines. Here's a non-exhaustive review of these winter ailments.
The common cold. The winter illness par excellence. It's an infection of the nasal passages. It is most often caused by a virus. Symptoms are similar to those of the flu, but much milder: fever, watery eyes, fatigue, aches and pains. A runny nose is a bonus.
When the virus spreads to the vegetations above the throat, we speak of rhino-pharyngitis. This is quite common in young children.
Another typical complication in infants is bronchiolitis, which occurs when the infection spreads to the lungs. It is characterized by a hacking cough, which is highly contagious.
Otitis is also very common: the ear canal is very close to the respiratory tract, especially in children: if secretions rise, they will infect the middle ear. Symptoms: severe pain in the affected ear and a fever higher than that of a cold. Otitis itself is not contagious. However, the common cold that often causes it is.
Throat infection. In most cases, this is viral, but it can also be bacterial (streptococcus, for example). Care must be taken in treating these infections, especially in children: a bacterial throat infection can lead to heart or joint problems.
Pharyngitis occurs when the throat and tonsils are affected as a whole.
If only one or two tonsils are affected, it's called tonsillitis. They are red and swollen, and may be purulent.
Angina is another classic winter ailment. Most often viral, it can also be bacterial. In fact, there's a strip test that doctors can perform in their offices: it can tell you whether it's strep throat or not. But just because the result is negative doesn't mean it's not a bacterial infection, since this test can only detect streptococci. This is why the doctor may still prescribe antibiotics. It's not an unnecessary precaution. In addition to a raging sore throat, angina can also be identified by the relatively high fever that often accompanies it (39°C) and the large swollen glands in the neck.
Bronchitis is characterized by a low-situated, oily cough accompanied by sputum. In children, it's often the consequence of a poorly treated cold. This is known as descending rhino-bronchitis. In adults, it may well be a primary pathology, i.e. not the consequence of another illness. Chronic bronchitis can also occur, generally when the bronchi are weakened (smoking, allergy, asthma...).
And let's not forget the inevitable flu, a merry mix of all the above symptoms. Typical symptoms include chills, fever of varying degrees, headache, fatigue and aches and pains. The flu virus is highly contagious. There are many versions of the virus, which mutate and change regularly. The 2009 vintage, for example, is reputed to be particularly aggressive, bedeviling even the most resistant among us.
There is a vaccine against the flu, but it cannot be 100% effective, given the variety of the virus. It's hard to predict from one year to the next which one will strike. What's more, patients vary in their receptiveness to this type of vaccine.
Every winter, viruses proliferate, and there are many different types of illness. Winter brings two kinds of pathologies. These are mainly respiratory infections (colds, pharyngitis, bronchitis) and digestive infections such as gastroenteritis. Discover our range of treatments for winter pathologies.
Contagious viral illness caused by the Influenza virus. It manifests as high fever, body aches, intense fatigue and respiratory difficulties. Influenza can lead to serious complications in the elderly, young children and the immunocompromised.
Inflammation of the stomach and intestines caused by viruses (such as norovirus or rotavirus), leading to diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
Soin-et-Nature offers a full range of products to help you get through the winter season while preserving your health and well-being. Here are the categories available:
These products, available on Soin-et-Nature, help you to protect yourself and stay fit during the cold season, thanks to natural and adapted solutions.
