KEEP IT WARM
You know those first few warm and sunny days of
the season? You’re so excited to see the sunny
blue sky that you ditch the scarf and coat, then
you realize that they don’t call it the Windy
City for nothing, as that lake effect turns a
normal breeze to an arctic chill. It’s no
joke! The minute the sun goes down
or temporarily hides behind that
row of high rises, brrrrr. You may
have switched seasonal wardrobes
too soon and that little chill turns
into sniffles. As much as you can, try
to keep your face, nose and throat
warm and avoid exposure to the brutal
elements.
When it’s cold out, a lot of people seem to
be a bit stiffer and move slower. Well, you know
all those tiny little nose hairs you have? The ones
where you pull one and tears instantly flood your eyes?
It’s a trick actors use to cry by the way. Those hairs are called cilia and although tiny,
they actually have a big
job to do. I’ve always
heard they act like a
filter to keep out bad
germs. But what they
also do is move . The cilia
, working with the mucus
membranes are
considered your first line
of defense to avoid sinus
and respiratory infections;
their purpose is to warm,
moisten, and filter the air
you breathe. The
membrane does this by
producing mucus that
traps bad germs, dust and
other irritants. Then the
cilia move the mucus,
along with any trapped irritants, out of your sinuses and down your throat to your stomach where they are destroyed by the strong acids in your stomach. Another way to rid your nose of the bad stuff? Sneezing. That’s the cilia moving the opposite way.
Like a lot of us, cilia don’t move as fast or work as well in cold temperatures. So you have to help them not only by keeping your sinuses warm, but also clean and moist.