You are more likely to catch cold or flu during winter and cold weather can also cause other serious health problems like pneumonia.
It is essential to keep warm in winter and there are some simple measures you can take to stay healthy, live well and keep warm.
There is also a range of financial support, which you may be entitled to, for helping you to keep warm and to put towards other home and emergency improvements.
As well as increasing the chances of slips and falls, cold winter weather can lower your body temperature and could lead to an increased risk of heart attacks, strokes and breathing difficulties.
The best way to get through winter is to keep warm and to follow a healthy lifestyle. What you eat and drink, and the exercise you take, can make a big difference. Making sure that you wear the right clothes is also important.
During the winter it is important that your home is safe and warm. Help is available to check your home and to prepare it for winter. Health Through Warmth (HTW) operates through locally based partnerships which aim to help vulnerable people whose health may be affected by cold, damp living conditions.
Warm Front help make homes warmer, healthier and more energy-efficient. The Warm Front grant provides a package of insulation and heating improvements up to the value of £2,700 (or £4,000 if oil central heating is recommended). It is a Government-funded scheme and it is managed by Eaga. If you own your home or rent it from a private landlord, you may be eligible for a grant under the Warm Front Scheme.
If you are over 60, there is money available to go towards winter fuel bills and you may receive payments if the weather gets very cold. A Winter Fuel Payment is an annual payment to help people aged 60 and over with the costs of keeping warm during winter.
There are some common-sense tips that will help you to keep well during the winter:
Dress well - wear several thin layers of clothes, rather than one thick layer so the warmth from your body will get trapped between the layers. In the coldest weather, the best way to keep warm in bed is to wear bed socks and a nightcap or scarf around your head, as well as thermal underwear and a warm nightdress or pyjamas.
Eating
- food is fuel. Try to eat a balanced diet and drink plenty of hot drinks on cold days. Have a hot drink before bedtime and prepare a thermos flask of hot drink to have by your bed in case you wake up in the night feeling cold.
Exercise
- moving around generates extra body heat, so stay as active as you can during winter, but do not take risks outside in wet or icy weather. Try not to sit down for long periods and spread chores out through out the day so you can alternate between rest and activity.