Parkinson’s (PD) can increase an individual’s sensitivity to cold temperatures, and winter weather can make it harder to stay warm.
Here are a few tips to prepare during this winter:
Keep a winter emergency kit handy in your home.
Be sure to include several emergency light sources like battery-operated lanterns, as well as spare batteries. Navigating a dark home can be particularly dangerous with balance difficulties.
Watch out for depressive symptoms.
Depression is fairly common in PD patients. Everyone feels sad from time to time and people with PD should be conscious of their increased susceptibility to seasonal depression, which can be brought on with shorter days and colder winters.
Read more about combatting depression and PD: https://www.parkinson.org/sites/default/files/attachments/Combatting%20Depression.pdf
Be careful of slippery conditions and ice.
Speaking of colder weather, ice and slippery conditions can be particularly hazardous if you’re having trouble with balance. Walk in cleared walkways as much as possible, wear shoes with non-slip tread and bring along a cane or walker. Fall prevention is an important component of living with PD. By talking to the healthcare team, exercising, and making the home safer, a person with PD can decrease his or her risk of falling and increase quality of life.
Read more about fall prevention: https://www.parkinson.org/sites/default/files/attachments/Falls-Prevention.pdf
Keep yourself and your house warm.
PD affects the nervous system, which controls body temperature, so people with PD can be more sensitive to heat and cold. Make sure you wrap up warm – inside and outside the house and keep active, getting some light exercise will help you keep warm.
‘Tis the season – for colds, flu, and the continuation of the Covid-19 pandemic. By this point we all know to wash our hands, wear masks, and socially distance to help reduce the spread of germs, but what about boosting the immune system? Our immune system is designed to help prevent or limit infection within our body. When our immune system is working overtime without adequate support (i.e., proper nutrition) we are at a greater risk of one of those unwanted germs taking hold. By building a healthier immune system, we can help our bodies fight off many infections, and in cases where we still end up sick, having a healthier immune system can lend itself to lessening the severity of the illness.