Winter weather can bring snow, frost, and ice. Does it also bring health risks?
Yes, it does. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), more people die in winter than at any other time of year.
In the last few years, this long-term trend has been exacerbated by COVID.
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In England and Wales there are on average about 35,000 excess winter deaths each year. Public Health England |
So it makes sense to plan for winter to reduce the risks that cold weather brings.
But it’s not just extremely cold weather that’s the problem. It seems that moderately cold weather is responsible for more winter deaths than a spell of very cold weather.
Winter weather health risks
What are these health risks and what can we do about them?
- Respiratory diseases
- Heart attacks and stroke
- Hypothermia
- Slips and falls on icy pavements
- The lack of home insulation
Respiratory diseases
Most excess winter deaths – over a third of the total – are caused by respiratory diseases.
An American study found that flu is more likely in winter when there is low humidity, i.e., when the air is cold and dry. This may be because the flu virus survives longer in cold, dry air. So, take special care with hand washing and other flu precautions after a spell of crisp, clear winter weather. (The US study was conducted with mice, although human population studies have produced similar results).
Cold weather may also suppress our natural defences (the body’s immune system), perhaps partly because our bodies don’t produce summer sunshine’s Vitamin D.
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Helping us to build a stronger immune system is one of the many benefits of Vitamin D. |
Current advice from the NHS is that everyone should consider taking a Vitamin D supplement in the autumn and winter when there is less sunshine.
Heart attack and stroke
The number of deaths from cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and stroke go up in winter. The British Heart Foundation (BHF) explains that cold weather can affect your heart by:
- increasing your heart rate and blood pressure.
- making your heart work much harder to keep your body warm.
- causing changes to your blood that can increase the risk of developing blood clots and can lead to heart attack and stroke.
Some people are already at higher risk of heart attack or stroke, so they are even more vulnerable.
A healthy lifestyle (eating a healthy diet, taking regular exercise, not smoking, and not drinking too much alcohol) reduces the risk of both heart attack and stroke. Healthy lifestyle choices are a useful first line of defence.
Hypothermia
Older people are at risk
Hypothermia occurs when our body temperature falls several degrees below normal. Severe hypothermia can cause an irregular heart rate, which can lead to heart failure and death. During one year, about 1,600 people seen in hospital in the UK were diagnosed with hypothermia. Over 70% of them were aged over 60.
Who else is at risk?
Others at higher risk of hypothermia include people with arthritis, Parkinson’s Disease, or with diabetes, heart disease, respiratory diseases, poor circulation, memory impairment, and mental illness. Those living alone, in poorly insulated or damp homes, with limited income, are also vulnerable, especially if they have difficulty moving around to stay warm.
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Older adults may have a combination of these risk factors, so they need particular care. |
Precautions
Take some common-sense precautions to reduce hypothermia
- Wear layers of clothes and limit your time outside when it is very cold.
- Wear warm footwear and gloves outside, as toes and fingers can be vulnerable.
- Maintain a living room temperature of at least 64°F (18°C).
If you feel cold, ignore the thermometer and turn the heating up. - Keep your bedroom temperature at a minimum of 64°F (18°C). And keep that bedroom window shut – cold night air is not good for your health.
- Avoid activities that make you sweat a lot.
- Change out of wet clothes as soon as you can, as you lose body heat more quickly if your clothes are wet.
- Take your mobile or personal alarm with you if you’re going out in the cold.
Energy costs
With energy costs rising significantly, paying for heating can be a challenge, so check what help is available. In the UK, try the Energy Saving Trust and the Citizens Advice Bureau.
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If you were born on or before 26th September 1956, make sure you claim your Winter Fuel Payment. |
Slips and falls on icy pavements
One study in the UK found that the number of emergency hospital admissions due to falls can increase up to 18-fold during a particularly severe winter.
This risk is compounded if older people, for instance, have poor eyesight or have problems with balance or memory. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) advises that older people should try to avoid going out in very cold weather, and to ask friends and neighbours for shopping or for lifts. If you must go out, RoSPA suggests wearing good, sturdy shoes and taking a walking stick or a pole. Spiked soles (crampons) attached to your shoes also lower the risk of slipping on icy driveways, pavements, and roads.
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When walking in icy conditions, walk slowly and don’t rush. |
Fortunately, modern developments such as home food deliveries by supermarkets and restaurants, and free online communication with family and friends through Zoom, WhatsApp, Skype and similar systems can help you if you are housebound. One side effect of the Covid pandemic is that many more people have become used to using these online systems for food deliveries and communication. This has reduced the need to go out in bad weather.
The lack of home insulation
One study found, perhaps surprisingly, that Portugal, Spain, Malta and Cyprus were four of the five countries that had proportionately the highest excess winter deaths in Europe. And a 2013 report by the Association for Conservation of Energy found that winter kills proportionately more people in the UK than in Sweden, where temperatures regularly fall as low as -22°F (-30°C). In both countries, poor home insulation was a significant factor.
Friends of the Earth estimate that around 22% of all excess winter deaths in England and Wales could be due to poor home insulation and cold housing.
The safety hazards of heating
Keeping the house warm has its own safety hazards. Gas, coal-burning or wood-burning heaters can give off poisonous carbon monoxide fumes if they are not working properly. To reduce the risk of carbon monoxide building up in the house – carbon monoxide is invisible to us and has no smell – it’s worth investing in a carbon monoxide detector.
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Regular servicing of gas appliances by qualified engineers is a must. |
Conclusions
- In winter there’s an increased risk of respiratory disease, heart attack, hypothermia, falls, and carbon monoxide poisoning, as well as an increased isolation for the elderly.
- A healthy lifestyle is the first line of defence against heart attack and respiratory disease.
- Common-sense measures to stay warm and dry should protect against hypothermia. Seek help if your home is poorly insulated or you have difficulty paying energy bills.
- Home deliveries and social media can reduce isolation if you’re housebound.
- Plan ahead if severe cold weather is forecast.
Reviewed and updated by Michael Baber January 2022. Next review date December 2026.