Season of chills & ills

Season of chills & ills
Brrr, it’s cold — Bangalore is shivering. This is the sneezing and wheezing season. Winter can be a cold discomfort. Team TOI gives you some warm tips
TIMES NEWS NETWORK


The cold wave is here to stay at least for the next 48 hours. Thanks to the deep depression in Bay of Bengal.
Interestingly, the mercury is out to trick you. The day’s maximum temperatures have dipped down by as much as 6 degree C than normal in the past couple of days. But the minimum temperatures have however been hovering around 17 degrees which is in fact a degree more than normal minimum.
While normal maximum temperature should have been around 26 degree Celsius, the past two days witnessed a consistent decrease from 25.6 deg on Wednesday to 23.6 degree on Thursday. The day minimum on Friday was 20.2 deg.
It is forecast that generally cloudy conditions with light rains will be the order of the day for the next 48 hours.
SMOG ALERT
Smog contributes significantly to Bangalore’s ill-health during the winter. This particular winter smog occurs when vertical dispersion of air pollutants is not possible. In simple terms, temperatures are usually lower in the high layers of the atmosphere. Heated layers of air near the earth’s surface usually rise, carrying along with them the air pollutants. Air pollutants are thus dispersed. But in the winter, the ground temperature is at times lower than temperatures in the upper atmospheric layers, causing the air to stay put instead of rising. This ‘cooler’ layer traps pollutants as well, causing a winter smog. Smogs mainly cause breathing problems and eye irritation.
WEIGHT AND WATCH
Watch your weight this winter. Resist the temptation for fried foods, warn dietitians. “Chuck your habit of gulping down cups of coffee as caffeine has an adverse effect on health. Instead, sip steaming hot herbal tea or make it a habit to drink lukewarm water at regular intervals to maintain the fluid balance in your body,’’ says Sheela Krishnaswamy, nutrition expert.
Have this to fight cold: a dash of ginger, garlic and pepper in your food.
Common winter ailments
Cough and cold
Viral fever/flu that begins with a sore throat. Needs no medication as long as it does not stretch beyond 5 days Viral diarrhoea Allergies Bronchitis Asthma Pneumonia Dry skin and flaking need personal care and not medication DOS AND DON’TS
Avoid cold, bitter, deep-fried or sour foodstuffs. Chilled chaas, tangy pani puri and ‘coloured’ falooda are among the things to avoid, especially since the spice in the pani puri and colouring agent in the falooda can trigger allergies as well
Avoid coffee and cold drinks
Drinking chilled beer is not advisable
Eat roasted peanuts, boiled corn, par-boiled salads, and fruits and vegetables (antioxidants) to fight the effects of pollutants
Drink warm water, milk, clear soup, herbal tea Doing yoga helps
Doing steam inhalation also helps
Wear warm clothes at all times
Gargle regularly with warm salt water
Avoid smoke and dust
Take extra care if you work in an AC cabin
Take brisk walks to build resistance, but avoid earlymorning walks or jogging. Wait for the maze of pollutants, which tend to hang in the air for longer periods in winter, to clear before you step out for exercise