Influenza, colds, pneumonia, bronchiolitis, influenza and Covid-19 are the most common illnesses during the winter season, experts said, who recommended washing hands periodically, ventilating rooms and updating vaccination schedules in a timely manner to protect yourself from these conditions.
“Respiratory diseases are exacerbated in winter. Cold air with very low or very high temperature or humidity causes changes in the body’s defense system and immune system,” explained pulmonologist Ana Stok.
The specialist noted that there is a decrease in the so-called interferon, which is an alert system that, when a virus or bacterium enters, causes the immune system to strengthen and fight it.
“When the environment is very cold, interferon lowers us, and this lowers our defenses and the immune system of the respiratory tract. In addition, during cold weather, viruses become more resistant and last longer in the environment, which makes it easier for them to infect us,” he said.
The most common winter illnesses are those that are contagious to the respiratory system, such as the flu, colds, pneumonia, and bronchiolitis in children and the elderly.
Specialist Maximiliano Gomez explained that contagious diseases must be distinguished from non-contagious ones.
“When we have no history and suddenly we have fever, cough, mucus and sputum, accompanied by pain, which can be at the level of the throat, chest and body pain, this indicates a contagious infectious disease,” he explained.
“The diseases that we see most often are the flu and the flu, as well as the coronavirus. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is also very common in children, causing bronchiolitis or rhinovirus,” Stock said.
The common cold is characterized by sneezing and watery nasal discharge, watery eyes, and is usually accompanied by mild fever and sore throat, sometimes with headache, but without worsening the general condition of the person.
In turn, the flu has similar symptoms to a cold, but also causes general malaise, body aches and fever, and can sometimes cause a cough, usually dry, while in colds, coughing can be caused by mucus from the nose getting into the throat. .
Both diseases are usually characteristic of this season, unlike pneumonia, which can appear at any time of the year, because “it depends on the immune status of people, although more often in the cold season,” Gomez explained.
Pneumonia is characterized by fever and a productive cough with colored mucus (not white or clear, as in flu or colds) and localized chest pain, with malaise or decay.
“People most susceptible to these diseases are children and the elderly, who already have slightly lower immunity than an adult or young person,” Stock said.
And he added that in the smallest cases, these viruses can lead to bronchiolitis, which is an acute inflammation of the bronchi, leading to severe coughing, fever, in some cases, discharge, wheezing and shortness of breath.
