As winter sets in, people start getting all kinds of allergies; but a little caution can make them enjoy the season.

My eyes were puffy. I was sneezing and heavily breathing because of asthma.

“Here comes the winter season,” said my son, “and brings all these troubles for my mom.”

I am one of those unfortunate people who develop an assortment of allergies and diseases as winter sets in. The latest in the series of ‘troubles’, as my son says, is asthma, which I call an ‘occupational hazard’, as it was triggered while I was at work.

People who have worked in a shoe-box type of environment will easily understand what I mean: no ventilation system in air-conditioning that works through the year. And someone smoking in that room could aggravate the situation (and it has ruined my relations with many of my colleagues who smoke).

Winter is the season of partying, festivities, weddings, campfires, woollies and piping hot coffee. It is also the season that brings with it a feeling of joy and lifts your spirit. However, that is just one side of the picture. The change of weather for many of us, brings illnesses. As the sun sets and cold winds begin to blow, it lowers the body’s energy levels and saps vitality.

This naturally provides a perfect breeding ground for host of ailments. Some of which include asthma, cough, flu, cold, catarrh and sinus, fever or high temperature, arthritis and different kinds of allergies.

Flu is one of the most common and there are only three flu viruses, each one being variable. It is not as common as cold but a bout of flu could be unpleasant and you could feel absolutely miserable.

Some of the signs and symptoms of flu are high temperature with sweating, aching and weak muscles and a headache plus the usual symptoms of itchy throat and cough. It may last from seven to 10 days and can exhaust the patient. Catarrh and sinus problems also get aggravated in cold weather.

The common cold affects all sections of the population, and children are especially susceptible. On average they get four to eight colds a year. As children grow they develop resistance to other types of cold viruses. The cold symptoms are mild in the beginning and build up slowly. They start within 24 hours of infection with a scratchy, irritating throat, muscle aches, headache, postnasal drip, decreased appetite, sneezing and can increase over the next two days with a sore throat and a runny nose.

The common cold normally lasts about a week but may drag on a couple more weeks. Many physicians say that there’s no remedy for a cold: “A cold will disappear in a week if you treat it,” says an old doctor, adding “and it will go away in seven days if you don’t!”

Another annoying winter problem is the seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Physicians identify the malady by noticing annual episodes of depression in the cold season which disappears in the warmer and brighter summer months. The main reason for such incidents is the lack of sunlight during the day which imbalances the body’s functioning.

Dr Nadeem Rizvi, a leading chest specialist at the Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre (JPMC), says: “There are many reasons for the increase in the incidence of different diseases and infections in the winter season. The first and foremost is the sudden exposure to cold winds which causes reduction in the flow of blood to the upper respiratory tract. It affects the normal defence mechanism making a person prone to various upper and lower respiratory tract infections.”

There is a phenomenal increase in asthma cases in winter, Dr Rizvi says. “New asthma cases are noted in the season and those who are already suffering from it, their condition worsens. Again the causes are viral chest infections, sudden exposure to cold and our urban lifestyle.”

In centrally air-conditioned offices, some people contract the disease because of the lack of oxygen and fresh air. Moreover, air ducts are not cleaned properly and sprayed, as a result fungi get into the respiratory system and trigger asthma, he adds.

All of that makes winter dull and depressing. However, it can be made enjoyable by a little precaution.