It is a disease that usually appears between 45 and 55 years
We can suffer falls that end up generating trauma and musculoskeletal injuries as a result of the impact of the body with the ground.
These falls mainly cause injuries to the bone-joint system when trying to cushion the blows. The elbows and wrists are the ones who suffer the most from these impacts and the ones that can break more easily.
But not only them. Our head is also one of the areas that we must protect the most since the consequences of suffering an impact can cause from mild headaches to a concussion.
This traumatic injury would affect our brain functions temporarily, the most common, or irreversibly in the most serious occasions, which although they are very exceptional, they are still a real risk.
The most common symptoms that would indicate some type of concussion injury are headache, memory loss, and confusion. In case of observing them for more than 24 hours after a fall, we must go to the emergency services.
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The method of avoiding falls
There is a method that has been tested in nature for hundreds of years with which we can counteract the effect of ice when we walk.
The key is to do it by taking shorter steps than usual.
At the same time, our body must be perfectly aligned with the front leg, tilting the head slightly forward to keep the axis of the body straight, which will make us more stable.
Carrying a slight sway in our walk that goes along with each step will also improve our stability. In addition, steps in which it is important to fully support the sole of the foot that is leading.
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And who have been in charge of testing this particular way of walking with which to avoid falls due to ice? Well, none other than penguins.
Get inspired by them. They have been walking on ice for thousands of years without falling, and they are the clearest example of how we must move around the city these days.
If to this new gait you can add a fulcrum in the shape of a cane, you are able to reduce the normal rhythm of walking and it does not even occur to you to put your hands in your pockets, you will be able to face one of the greatest dangers that Filomena has left behind.
Think that no matter how cold it is, your hands are a very necessary tool in case of skidding. Essential to maintain balance, stop the blow, reduce the impact and even to change the direction of the fall. But if we carry them in our pockets so they don’t get cold, we can end up ‘braking’ with our faces against the ice.
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If we have to fall, we must fall well
Sometimes the fall will be irremediable, but we can make it less painful and harmful to our bones, muscles and joints. How? Knowing the best way to fall
The experts of the Spanish Society of Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine advise us to avoid falling on the knees, the spine or any other limb since they are really fragile areas.
If possible we must guide our body to impact on soft areas such as the thighs and preferably on the side.
It is a matter of tenths of a second, but modifying the trajectory of our body in the air can avoid greater evils.
In the event that the dreaded fall occurs, we must first check the state of consciousness of ourselves or of whoever has suffered the blow and then observe the area of impact.
In case of considerable damage, the priority is to immobilize that part of the body and contact the emergency services as soon as possible.
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Jan 14, 2021 at 10:57 CET
How many times have we heard our grandparents or parents predict a change in the weather just because pains appeared in their joints? Countless. And it was not a fake or an invention of age. The alteration of the meteorological conditions, in particular the drop in temperatures, directly affect one of the most widespread rheumatic diseases among the population, but one of the least known, arthritis.
The Spanish Foundation of Rheumatology defines this serious pathology as a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the joints symmetrically. For example, both wrists.
In arthritis, certain cells of the immune system attack the membrane that covers the joints, destroying it over time.
In our country about 200,000 people suffer from this pathology and the majority are women. It is a disease that usually appears between 45 and 55 years of age.
The most common symptoms among those who suffer from it are pain, swelling and stiffness, especially when waking up in the morning or after long periods of rest.
And although, as experts clarify, cold does not cause arthritis in any case, some climatic factors are capable of increasing pain or stiffness. We refer to cold weather, humidity from rain or snow, a drop in barometric pressure, and the typical increase in humidity just before a storm. For these last two reasons, they are so often correct in predicting weather changes.
In addition, cold, humidity, rain or snow increase the pain and stiffness typical of this rheumatic disease. In fact, many patients experience an improvement in discomfort when they move to warm, dry areas.
So, these days where degrees with negative values are the norm on thermometers, and the rain has reached many areas, osteoarthritis patients may be experiencing especially the effects of bad weather.
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Tips from the Arthitris Foundation to protect yourself
Arthitris Foundation And as it seems that there are still days ahead where the cold will be freezing and the rains will be very present, it is important that patients with osteoarthritis know the best way to protect themselves from low temperatures in order not to worsen their symptoms.
From the Arthitris Foundation they point out that the key to avoiding the cold is to protect the body by covering it from the inside out. Thus, it is advisable to put underwear under street clothes (T-shirts, tights …), avoiding that they are made of cotton and opting for insulating fibers.
Once the first layer of clothing is ready, we will complete the clothing with light woolen garments and coats that insulate us from the wind and humidity.
And for now we are going to leave the jeans in the closet. Let’s take out fast-drying wool or moisture-proof pants for a walk.
The extremities deserve special attention. Wool socks will keep your feet warm and dry. For the hands, there are gloves on the market made of waterproof and insulating materials.
It will also be good to protect the head and wear it covered, both because of the cold and the humidity that it can get and the time it takes for the hair to dry.
And let’s not forget the neck, which next to the head is a particularly sensitive area for detecting cold. A scarf, a neck warmer, a balaclava … will help prevent the neck and face from freezing.
Footwear, in addition to being comfortable, must also be waterproof.
Sleep well, a good hot shower …
In addition to these recommendations for the extreme cold that we are experiencing, there are another series of measures indicated as a general rule for these types of patients to improve their symptoms, and that should not be lost sight of.
The first thing is to rest at night, trying to sleep between 8 and 10 hours a day. And as the stiffness typical of osteoarthritis is more pronounced when getting up, starting the day with a good hot shower will reduce the stiffness of the joints.
Finally, and although the most advisable thing during these days is not to leave the house to avoid accidents, it is important to do some physical exercise, even if it is indoors.
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Jan 17, 2021 at 2:58 pm CET
With the low temperatures that the country is experiencing, we must take extreme precautions to guarantee the correct use of our masks.
For a few days the focus of our lives may have shifted from the coronavirus to snow, ice, low temperatures. It seems that we have parked the pandemic for a week and the conversations began to focus on the climate not only in the north (where it is quite common) but in more than half of Spain.
But the new numbers of infections are making us put our feet back on the ground and now, even more than before, we must bear in mind the pandemic and take extreme precautions to stop the curve of infected.
And we have to do it knowing that it is scientifically proven that the cold benefits SARS-CoV-2, just like other respiratory viruses, since it allows better conservation and makes its transmission easier.
In addition, since temperatures have plummeted, we are all noticing a new phenomenon, generally quite unpleasant and even dangerous for our health: the condensation that wets our noses and faces when we go down the street.
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Condensation and masks
It is true that temperature alone does not affect our masks, unless the mercury marks figures that make our breath crystallize (approximately -40ºC), which almost never happens in our country.