Why do we often get sick during the transition season?

Transition season is the transition season from one season to another, usually occurring in March to April (which is the transition period from the rainy season to the dry season) and from October to December (the transition from the rainy season to the dry season). The transition season is characterized by strong winds, rain that comes suddenly in a short time, tornadoes, hot air, and irregular wind direction.

The transition season is also associated with various types of diseases such as asthma, headaches, flu, and pain in joints. How can weather changes cause these diseases?

Asthma

Asthma attacks occur because the airways become inflamed. When the ambient temperature is low, the cold air entering the air ducts is also cooler. The airways will react to this cold air and inflammation occurs. This is compounded especially if you are doing strenuous activities or exercising in open spaces. The rapid exchange of air during strenuous activity prevents the air from being warmed up first, increasing the risk of inflammation caused by cold air. And if one of the triggers for a recurrence of your asthma is pollen, strong winds, and frequent storms during the transition season, this can make your situation worse.

A study published in the journal Allergy states that wind, especially during storms, can carry pollen on the ground, causing many asthmatics to receive treatment for asthma attacks.

Headache

During the transition season, a drop in air pressure, a sharp increase in air humidity, or a sudden drop in air temperature can trigger headaches, especially migraines. According to one survey conducted on migraine sufferers in America, 53% of them stated that one of the triggers for their migraines is weather changes.

In addition, extreme cold weather or too hot sunlight can also trigger the instability of chemical components in the brain, which can lead to headaches. Weather that is too cold can also constrict blood vessels, thus blocking the blood supply to the brain.

Flu or cold

Research carried out by researchers at Yale University suggests that even a slight drop in temperature can make the viruses that cause flu multiply more quickly. In addition, cold air also triggers changes in the immune system. Molecules that function to detect viruses in cells and give orders to cells to fight viruses become less sensitive during cold temperatures.

Cold air can also inhibit the work of a special protein in the body that functions to turn off genes from viruses, inhibit the spread of viruses and kill cells that are already infected with the virus.

When the flu virus has entered the cells in the area nasal fossa (the area where the nostrils are located in the middle of the face), the cold air you breathe can trigger these viruses to multiply and cause the immune system to not work optimally.

If cold air affects the virus proliferation and the body’s immune system, the flu that occurs when the air changes from cold to warm is more due to changes in behavior. As quoted from Women’s Health, according to Marc I. Leavey, a primary-care physician from Mercy Medical Center Lutherville Personal Physicians, as the weather changes from a cold season to a warmer one, people go outside, take walks, and hang out more often. When large numbers of people gather, it becomes easier for disease to spread.

Joint pain

Although it has not been proven, a decrease in air pressure is suspected to cause joint pain. You can imagine the tissue around your joint like a balloon. Normal air pressure will hold the balloon so it doesn’t inflate. But low air pressure can cause the balloon to not hold it, so eventually the balloon or tissue around your joint will expand, and this is what causes joint pain.

Healthy tips during transition season

Bring a jacket or raincoat: one of the characteristics of the transition season is the extreme weather changes that can occur on the same day. It can be very sunny when you go outside, but it doesn’t take long for it to rain heavily. Don’t forget to bring a jacket or raincoat even if the weather doesn’t look cloudy.
Meet your daily intake needs: if your daily nutritional needs are met, your immune system can also work optimally to fight incoming diseases.
Adequate vitamin consumption: although all vitamins are equally important for the body, one of the vitamins that functions to maintain the immune system is vitamin C. By meeting the needs of vitamin C, your immune system can function optimally to fight various diseases. You can find this vitamin naturally in vegetables and fruits such as broccoli, oranges, papayas, and mangoes.

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