5 Most Important Winter Doctors You Need This Season

Cold rains, chilly winds, snow, and thick fog – winter season is perfect for outdoor activities and traveling around. But is winter all about fun and excitement? Once we get carried away with the wintertime fun, we often forget it brings flu, flakey skin, extra pounds, and winter blues in baggage.

Precautions, like taking a warm bath, drinking hot beverages and wearing warm clothes, are good but winter healthcare is much more complex.

Here is a list of the top 5 doctors you can rely on if you get any winter troubles.

• Orthopedic

It’s not uncommon to experience severe pain in their joints, shoulders, and knees in winters. The same can be even worse for arthritis patients. A drop in temperature makes the joints stiff causing pain and discomfort.

To get a proper diagnosis of joint pain, it’s vital to consult an orthopedic doctor who can prescribe tests and medications to deal with the inflammation in bones and joints. They might also recommend visiting a Monroe NJ Orthopedic Surgeon if the symptoms are severe.

• ENT Specialist

Ear, nose, and throat problems can occur in any season. But they’re more likely to prevail in winters due to cold and dryness. Viral and bacterial infections like a common cold, influenza and strep throat can be irritating due to runny nose, itchy throat, fever, cough, and congestion.

Since viral infections have no cure, taking suitable antiviral medicines can help you control the symptoms. An ENT specialist can prescribe antibiotics or antihistamines so you can get better within a week.

An ENT doctor can also rule out infections like pneumonia which has similar symptoms like flu and can be life-threatening if left untreated.

• Dermatologist

Many people get dry, itchy skin in winter as it’s cold and less humid. Though this nuisance is a gift of winter and there are ways to combat skin problems, sometimes it can be a sign of a serious skin problem.

It’s normal to get cracked skin in winters due to dryness. However, if the crack is not given attention to, germs might enter the body through the crack and cause bacterial infections. A dermatologist can recommend antibacterial ointments, clean and bandage the cracked skin to prevent infections.

A dermatologist can also help to treat other severe skin conditions such as eczema and chronic dryness so that you can have soft and supple skin in winters.

• Psychologist

Many of us aren’t aware of the fact that winter sadness is a real thing. As the weather gets chilly, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) can creep into our lives making us feel tired, gloomy, and anxious. For some people, the lack of sunlight in winters can disturb the circadian rhythm or the internal body clock.

Due to SAD, the shortage of sunlight pushes the brain to do extra work generating melatonin i.e. a hormone that controls the sleep patterns and body clock and is often linked with depression.

A psychologist can help you with SAD by recommending light therapy, medications, or other forms of psychotherapy to restore your mental health.

• Nutritionist

Ever wondered why wintery weather increases our cravings for comfort food and carbs? Satiating our cravings makes us happy so more serotonin is released in the body. This results in irrepressible cravings.

Besides, we tend to ditch our regular exercise plans due to the cold and windy weather outside. Eating carbs and not working out might lead to weight gain and an unhealthy lifestyle. That’s why it’s wise to visit a certified nutritionist who can guide you through a balanced diet and workout plan. This will help you satisfy your food cravings in winters without letting you feel lazy.

The Takeaway

Keep an eye on any other symptoms that are disrupting your immune system and find a suitable doctor concerning that issue. Always visit a general physician for a checkup if you have any unusual symptoms so that they can redirect you to a specialist concerning the issue.