Just before the holidays, Vancouver Coastal Health is offering tips to help keep you healthy through the season and the rest of winter.
They focus on prevention and self-care, practicing healthy habits and preventing the spread of colds and illnesses. They add the goal is to have people proactively maintain their health and reduce unnecessary healthcare visits.
Tips include:
- Preventing slips and falls by watching for ice conditions, planning routes, choosing cleared paths, and using a slower and wider gate to prevent falls
- Staying active and playing safe by wearing protective gear like helmets, and pads, and learning about risk factors
- Keeping up with vaccinations like flu and COVID-19
- Practicing good hand and respiratory hygiene by regularly washing your hands, avoiding face touching, staying home when sick, wearing a mask when experiencing illness, and coughing into your elbow
“As winter sets in, we typically see a rise in viral respiratory illnesses, along with injuries linked to winter sports and adverse weather conditions. Seasonal depression also becomes more common,” said emergency physician Dr. Richard Chan.
“The choices we make every day, even the small ones, can greatly influence our health and safety during these colder months. Understanding when to seek medical attention is crucial, but knowing how to look after our health to prevent illness and injury is just as vital.”
VCH adds that choosing the correct care in case of illness is also a very important step and you should call 911 in case of an emergency or 811 to speak with a registered nurse.
More information can be found on the VCH website.
