Stay Well this Winter!

NHS Choices have launched the Stay Well campaign to help you to look after yourself and your loved ones during the cold months. Stay Well explores the most common Winter illnesses and offers simple and practical advice on how to prevent and treat them without braving the elements to get to a health care establishment if it isn’t necessary.

The top Winter complaints are:

1. Colds

2. Sore throats

3. Asthma

4. Norovirus (sometimes called the Winter Vomiting Bug)

5. Flu

6. Cold sores

7. Painful joints

8. Dry skin

Each of these complaints can be looked after by you at home. Not all require medication to treat and some can even be prevented.

For example, painful joints can be treated by making sure any troublesome areas are kept warm during particularly cold days and dry skin can be prevented by applying a lotion daily, which are readily and cheaply available from all kinds of places from supermarkets to discount stores.

Cold weather doesn't have to go hand in hand with illness. Here are some simple suggestions from the Stay Well campaign to help yourself stay well this winter.

1. Keep warm

2. Eat well

3. Get a flu jab

4. Top up your medicine cabinet

5. Fight fatigue with Vitamin D rich foods and supplements

6. Get a good night’s sleep

Lots more handy is information available at http://www.nhs.uk/staywell about each of these precautions.

However, if you are very ill during the Winter months and think you might need to see a health professional, who should you call?

NHS Choices advise following the below guidelines in step, leaving A&E for life-threatening emergencies and traumatic accidents only.

If you’re not sure which service you need, call 111 first and go from there.

1. 111

2. Pharmacy

3. GP

4. Urgent Care

5. A&E

Following this advice could see you stay well this Winter.

For more advice, hints and tips please do visit the Stay Well website and, importantly, share it with your friends and family so they can Stay Well too.