By Penelope A. Domogo, MD
In the Cordillera, January- February is usually the coldest months of the year. Last week here in Baguio, the temperature dipped to 10.5 degrees C. Although, when I was much younger, I remember that the coldest month was December. The global thermostat must have been reset somehow. Anyhow, this cold weather is associated with colds and sniffles. The world is anxious nowadays because of the expected rise in covid cases because of the cold weather. Why is this?
The main reason is that when it’s cold, our blood vessels constrict to conserve heat and keep our organs warm. So you will notice that your hands and feet are cold and the tip of your nose gets cold. Then you will feel your nose dripping or stuffy. This is because with the constriction of the blood vessels, there are narrowed spaces for the blood to circulate in. The body then excretes the excess volume through your nose or through your kidneys (you will notice that you pee more often during cold weather than in warm weather). When your blood is thick and sticky because of the excessive foods you have been eating, then your mucus will also be thick and sticky. Let us review these foods that make the blood thick and sticky and which are also mucus-forming foods – fatty foods, sugars, read meat, eggs, dairy products, bread, cookies, pasta, fried foods. (Now, you are reminded of what foods to avoid.) Because the mucus is thick and sticky, they get stuck in your airways so you need to cough them out. Mucus, coughing and sneezing are defense mechanisms. A thin mucus normally covers the delicate membranes in our nose, ears, mouths and other openings of our body. They trap dust and germs (including the covid virus) so that these don’t enter further and cause disease. Coughing out phlegm is important because if you don’t cough these out, then your lungs will be drowned in phlegm, ugh. Sneezing is your body’s way of expelling foreign matter that enter your nose- an allergen, virus or bacteria. Unfortunately, sneezing and coughing are also ways of spreading the virus or bacteria. This is why one has to cover mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing. Reminding you to use your mask.
Another factor that contributes to the susceptibility to colds during the cold season is that people become more sedentary this time thus blood flow slows down and in effect, there are less white blood cells and other security guards in your nasal mucus membranes and so viruses can easily enter the body. So folks, we need to exercise even when the weather is cold.
Other possible effects of the cold weather are:
a) some viruses my replicate better at lower temperatures in the nose.
b) Lower temperatures may decrease immune response
c) Less Vitamin D levels in the body- because of shorter days (shortest day is December 21) and the cold, we have less exposure to the sun. Vitamin D, just like all other vitamins and minerals, is important for our immune system.
d) Staying indoors means closer contact with people thus allowing more spread of the virus. I am sure you will notice that when the weather’s cold, you and your housemates will tend to stay indoors and drink coffee, eat sweets and just loll around. The perfect recipe for a cold.
Be careful with coffee and black tea as these contain caffeine which is dehydrating. I have read somewhere that when you drink one cup of coffee, you need to drink two cups of water. Makes sense. Better yet, drink plain water or my newest favourite, camote leaves juice! Camote is such a super food. Just make a decoction of the leaves and drink as much as you like. A handful of leaves to two cups boiling water and boil for 5 minutes so the Vitamin C remains intact. The taste is delicate so no need to add anything, although you may add lemon. Me? I drink it straight and my grandchildren love it as is. This is very good for colds, too. Why I always promote eating camote is that it is available everywhere – lowland, highland. It can be grown anywhere- in the mountain or in your used vegetable oil container. There’s no reason for anyone to say that there is no camote.
Once you feel a cold coming, don’t wait for it to develop full blast (better said than done). Once you feel a little itch in your throat or a little chill, drink warm camote juice, like what my daughter does. Or just lots of warm water and eat lots of vegetables. You see, you want to thin your blood and these are the best ways to do it. The vegetables you have in your area are placed there for you. Please don’t look for carrots and cabbage in Tabuk because what God gave for you there is saluyot and okra and ampalaya. Then rest. There’s nothing that a good sleep can’t do. Although in the past, when people felt a cold coming, they would get up and sweat it out in the farm. Just listen to your body. Other natural cough and cold remedies are ginger, oregano, lagundi, sambong, eaucalyptus, etc.
There are also plant essential oils that you can rub or massage or diffuse. These work wonders, too. The best is prevention. Eat right, daily physical activity, keep warm, a positive and grateful attitude and trust in the Divine.**
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“And the natives showed us unusual kindness, for they kindled a fire and welcomed us all, because it had begun to rain and it was cold.” Acts 28:2
