As health chiefs issue cold weather warning, experts reveal the common conditions which can be triggered by plunging temperatures
Health chiefs have warned the current cold snap could trigger serious health issues.
The Met Office warned that overnight temperatures could drop to as low as -10C this week with a big chill set to grip Britain.
In response, an amber cold health alert was issued yesterday by the UK Health Security Agency for large parts of the UK.
It will be in place until 8am on Saturday in the North East, North West Yorkshire and Humber, while a yellow alert is in place for the rest of England.
Worryingly, it means there will be an increase in demand for NHS services, particularly among those aged 65 and older, says the watchdog.
This is because extreme cold raises risk of heart attacks, strokes and chest infections, explained Dr Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at UKHSA.
But even without a ‘Beast from the East’ swooping in from Siberia, winter’s colder months, shorter days and drier air can usher in a host of health issues that many people may not be aware are linked to the change in weather.
The cold weather can trigger an array of health issues without many people realising
As the country braces for more cold weather, the Daily Mail has put together a list of health problems it can trigger…
Heart attacks
In temperatures below 0C (32F), research has shown the weather can increase a person’s risk of suffering the most serious type of heart attack by nearly 10 per cent.
The 2018 study found ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction—a severe type of heart attack—was more common on days with sub-zero temperatures.
It is thought the icy weather causes blood vessels to narrow, restricting the heart’s oxygen, lead author Professor David Erlinge from Lund University said.
But on the cause of the heightened risk, he added that respiratory tract infections and the flu are also risk factors, which are also sweeping the UK.
Concerningly, experts warned earlier this month Britain could be set to face the ‘worst flu season on record’, with medics preparing for a ‘quad-demic’ of winter illnesses—flu, Covid, norovirus and cold-like respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
Lung conditions
The cold weather can worsen symptoms which can be life-threatening in asthma patients
If you have a lung condition such as asthma, your risk of ending up in A&E doubles in winter, says the charity Asthma + Lung UK.
This is because, seasonal triggers like cold air, colds and flu as well as damp and mould make it harder to breath.
When it’s cold, the air becomes drier and if we turn the heating up, this dries out the air more.
The danger is that the cold, dry air causes your airways to narrow, increasing the amount of mucus you produce, making it more difficult to breath.
It can also irritate your airways and make symptoms like wheezing, coughing and breathlessness worse.
To stay safe outdoors, the charity says to breathe through the nose, wear a scarf and, if you have asthma, carry an inhaler with you at all times.
Meanwhile, indoors they recommend having regular hot drinks, using blankets or hot water bottles, and not sitting still for more than an hour.
Dry lungs
It isn’t just people with lung conditions that will feel the cold weather’s effect on the lungs
The cold temperatures can also cause problems for people without existing lung conditions like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Dr Raj Dasgupta, a pulmonologist at the University of Southern California previously told the Daily Mail the body’s effort to stay warm can cause stress on breathing.
‘When you are cold your body works harder to stay warm. That puts a lot of additional stress and strain on both your heart and lungs in general,’ he explained.
This can manifest as two types of lung issues, he explained—which can both be triggered by cold, dry air.
The first are obstructive problems where the air has trouble escaping the lungs, while the second are restrictive issues where the air has trouble entering.
‘A lot of research has shown that it’s not just the cold air, but it could be the dryness of the cold air,’ continued Dr Dasgupta.
‘[Cold and dry air] make your airways tighten. It decreases air flow in and out of the lungs… that tightening of the airwaves makes it a lot harder for air to get in and out.’
Even for people without a chronic lung condition, the dry air can make viral infections like the flu and the respiratory syncytial virus more common.
Joint pain
If you suffer with joint pain, this may also worsen during the colder months
In the colder months, people with conditions like arthritis, which causes joint pain, may suffer worse symptoms, says the charity Arthritis UK.
This was also previously the warning from Dr Shelby Johnson, a physical medicine specialist at Mayo Clinic.
‘We see it commonly where people with joint pain and arthritis have exacerbations or worsening of their pain in winter,’ she explained.
A 2020 study found 117 patients with rheumatoid arthritis reported more tender joints and harsher pain during winter when compared to spring.
Why exactly this is the case has not yet been determined by experts, but Dr Johnson had a few theories.
When the weather turns cold the body circulates less blood to the joints, instead devoting resources to the body’s core.
Dr Johnson says that this can lead to joint stiffness, and pain as a result.
The body is also more sensitive to pain in the cold, she says. This is because blood flow to the body’s nerve endings is limited.
Dry skin
The cold, dry air can also trigger and worsen painful skin problems
Cold temperatures make us crave the warmth of being indoors, but this sudden temperature change affects the skin.
Going from outside, where it is extremely cold, to indoors, where heat is blaring, can cause skin issues according to Dr Christine Ko, a dermatology professor at Yale University.
‘What happens with winter and with the cold, and then going in the heat, people who are prone to have a rash [will suffer one],’ she previously explained.
The changes in temperature and exposure to dry air can lead to worsening symptoms for people who suffer from eczema.
Hydration is key to skin health, and the outdoor air may rob a person’s skin or moisture, causing it to become dry and flaky or even break out into a rash.
So, she recommended if you’re turning on your indoor heating to put lotion on the skin each day and use a humidifier to hydrate the indoor air.
Hair loss
If you’ve noticed your hair falling out it could be due to the change in weather
Cold temperatures can also lead to a dry scalp, leaving you vulnerable to hair loss.
‘Dry hair and dry scalp together can cause breakage, thinning and hair loss,’ Abbas Kanani, superintendent pharmacist at online Pharmacy Chemist Click previously told The Sun.
‘The scalp can become more prone to dehydration with the cold weather and dry indoor heat.’
This problem can also be exacerbated by low levels of vitamin D, an essential nutrient that we get from sunlight.
‘The body creates vitamin D from direct sunlight on the skin when outdoors, but between October and early March we do not make enough,’ said Mr Kanani.
‘It is rarer, but hair loss from deficiency is possible.’
But luckily there are things you can do to prevent hair loss during these colder months.
Previously experts recommended not stepping outside with cold hair, washing hair at the right temperature between 37°C to 40°C (98°F to 104°F).
This was the advice of Jason Collier a celebrity hair stylist when speaking to Insider, and Dr Jaishree Sharad a dermatologist when speaking to Vogue respectively.
Seasonal depression
The colder months also bring shorter days which can trigger mental health conditions like seasonal depression
The colder months, with shorter days mean many people aren’t getting enough sunlight.
During this time many people have reported experiencing low mood and, in severe cases, depression.
Depression experienced during autumn and winter seasons typically improves in the spring and summer.
People struggling with the condition may experience persistent low mood, irritability, feelings of despair, decreased sex drive and increased sleepiness.
The NHS says the main theory of the cause is a lack of sunlight that affects a part of the brain called the hypothalamus.
Sufferers are thought to experience increased sleepiness due to an increased production of sleep hormone melatonin.
In contrast, when a person has reduced sunlight exposure their body produces less serotonin, a hormone linked to happiness.
If this wasn’t enough, it adds that a lack of sunshine also disrupts the body’s internal clock known as circadian rhythm.
These three mechanisms are thought to be behind the seasonal depression which many Britons struggle with.
