Winter sports are a lot of fun and something the entire family looks forward to all year. In order to participate in winter sports to the fullest, you should remain healthy, which means you shouldn’t develop an illness or injury that could prevent you from enjoying the sports safely.
There are steps you can take to stay healthy during winter sports and ensure you can participate throughout the winter season.
Bundle Up
Winter sports may cause you to sweat, but despite that, you need to stay bundled up. Be it skating, sledding, or snowboarding, dress warmly. You may feel hot as you sweat, so the trick is to dress in many layers, so you can peel off layers as you begin to feel hot. That way, you will never be in a position where you are unable to control your body temperature between hot and cold. Sweating and being exposed to the cold air can cause respiratory illnesses.
Keep Your Nose and Mouth Covered
With face-covering requirements at every public place, it’s never been easier to keep your mouth covered. Keeping your mouth covered protects against viral and bacterial particles from entering your nose and mouth. The cold air is dry and makes it difficult for your nostrils to stay moist, which is necessary to remove bacteria or viruses that you may inhale. This is especially important for those with asthma or COPD since the cold air can trigger or exacerbate your symptoms. Your lungs are already weakened or sensitive so you have to protect them.
Get Vaccinated
Winter season is flu season – did you get your vaccine? With COVID-19 a threat to your respiratory health, it’s never been more important to get the flu shot. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends getting an annual flu shot before the start of winter. Getting the flu can prevent you from enjoying winter sports.
Seek Urgent Treatment for Orthopedic Injuries
Ice skating, sledding, and snowboarding are extremely physical activities that can lead to an injury even with the best precautions. If you’ve sustained a sports injury from playing winter sports, seek urgent orthopedic care from a sports medicine doctor. Why? Because sports medicine doctors are orthopedic physicians who have further training that allows them to quickly diagnose and treat injuries related to sports and athletics.
Sports Medicine Doctor in Westlake & Avon, OH
The sports medicine doctors at Orthopaedic Associates, Inc. provide compassionate care and treatment to patients with orthopedic injuries such as sprains and strains, tendonitis, fractures, rotator cuff tears, shoulder impingement, skier’s thumb, and more. Our treatment plans are tailored to each patient for maximum benefits. We also make rehabilitation services available in our facility.
Your healthcare team will consist of sports medicine doctors and physical and occupational therapists, all of whom are experienced in treating all manner of sports injuries. If you have questions or would like to make an appointment with a sports medicine doctor, call (440) 892-1440.