• Food is fuel. Your body is a complex machine that needs the right combination of nutrients to keep it strong. Eating hot, nutritious food all winter will keep the cold at bay.
• Check your medications. Many prescription and non-prescription drugs can impair judgment, making it difficult to realize just how cold you really are. Of particular concern are sedatives, hypnotics, tranquilizers, and antihistamines.
• Sweet dreams. If you are tired, your resistance to practically everything is lower, so get plenty of rest.
• Don’t smoke. You may feel warmer when you smoke a cigarette, but as with alcohol, it’s not real warmth. Smoking actually narrows your blood vessels so that less blood circulates through your body.
• Dress for the weather. It is just common sense to keep your feet and hands warm during the win­ter, but do you ever think about your head? You can lose about 20 percent of your body’s heat through your head because of all the blood flow­ing through your neck and brain. So always wear a hat, scarf, or earmuffs to keep your head warm. Make sure they’re made of wool, acrylic, or the new “outdoor” materials. And remember to layer your clothing, even when you’re indoors.
• No singin’ In the rain. A wet chill can be more dangerous than dry cold, so always have a water­proof jacket available if you’re going to be outside. Take special care if you participate in outdoor winter activities around water.
• Set the thermostat. Winter is not the time to skimp on your heating. You should keep your house at a temperature of at least 65°.
• Stay active. Indoors or out, you should keep mov­ing. Avoid sitting too long at that park bench, and break up TV time with a few light chores or an errand. In this way, you can generate your own source of heat.

 Hypothermia comes, just like the fog, on little cat feet, and, more often than not, will leave you unaware that your physical and mental abilities are shutting down. Practice good preventive wintertime habits and you won’t get caught in the cold.

It’s time to see your doctor if you have arm, elbow, or shoulder pain and:

• Chest pain
• Lightheadedness, fainting
• Sweating
• Nausea
• Shortness of breath

 These are the warning signals of a heart attack, but not every heart attack has all these symptoms. If you notice several of them, don’t wait. Get help immediately.

•  You’ve injured it within the past 24 hours
• The injured area is misshapen
• You’re unable to move it

 It’s possible you have a fracture, dislocation, or serious injury. Get medical treatment at once.

•  Wheezing
• Chest pain
• Unexplained weight loss
• Weakness and fatigue
• Persistent coughing

Together, these symptoms could indicate lung can­cer.

•  Fever and chills

 You may have an infection that needs immediate medical care. Lyme disease is one example of a bacterial infection that affects the joints.

•  Morning joint stiffness
• Limited movement and dexterity

 This could mean osteoarthritis, a condition where the cartilage in your joints gradually breaks down. Usually, you will feel an aching pain when you move or put weight on your joints.

•  Tenderness and limited movement
• Worse pain when joint is bent
• Fever (sometimes)

 Bursitis is an inflammation of the soft tissue around your joints. Rest, along with aspirin or aspirin substitute, should clear up the problem in a few weeks. But if the pain persists, see you doc­tor.

•  Swelling
• Warmth In affected area
• Muscle pain or tenderness that Increases with motion

 If you have these symptoms, you may have ten­dinitis, an inflammation of one of your tendons. It is often caused by an injury, or by repeating the same motion over and over.

Many times our ankles will swell for simple, easily explained reasons.  If you have just ridden for several hours in the car or on an airplane, you may find your feet and ankles are swollen.  In this case, there is no medical problem. Next time you travel, simply try to move about more frequently and elevate your legs if possible.  The problem should not last for more than 48 hours. But sometimes, ankle swelling can mean something more Serious.

It’s time to see your doctor if you have ankle swelling and:

Joint pain / Redness and warmth in the joint

These could be the warning signs of arthritis, an inflammation of the cartilage and lining of the joints. Because the foot and ankle region has so many joints (33 to be exact), it is particularly vulnerable to arthritis. And remember, people over 50 are at higher risk. Don’t put off seeing your doctor.  Although arthritis cannot be cured, it can be treated; but if left unattended, the disease can become disabling.

• Take a prescription or non-prescription drug
• Consult a doctor on possible side effects or reactions to any drugs you are taking.
• A recent injury to your ankle
• Pain or tenderness
• Bleeding or bruising
• You can’t put weight on your ankle
• Numbness, tingling or paralysis in your foot
• No pulse in your foot

It is possible you have fractured a bone in your ankle or upper foot. As you age, your bones become thinner and more brittle. Even a slight injury can break one of the small bones around the ankle joint. Don’t delay seeing a doctor, especially if you are experiencing numbness, tingling or loss of pulse in your foot.  If you break a bone, setting it becomes more difficult after several hours.

Pain and a persistent itch in the affected area Distended veins in your ankles

You may not be experiencing an actual problem with your ankles, but rather a condition called varicose veins. This occurs when veins, usually in the legs, become swollen and twisted. They will appear larger and much bluer than normal. There are various causes of the condition, but few cures besides surgery.

• Pain in the ankle, calf or thigh which does not go away with rest.
• Tenderness and redness in the leg/foot area
• Pain when walking, raising your leg or flexing your foot
• Fever
• Rapid heartbeat

Sometimes after a long period of bed rest due to surgery or illness, blood pools in your veins, especially in the legs. If a clot forms within the veins of the lower legs and restricts blood flow, you may develop deep-vein thrombosis. Being overweight, smoking and taking estrogen increase the risk of this condition. You can help prevent it by giving up cigarettes, especially if you are taking estrogen; losing any extra pounds; and staying as active as possible even if confined to your bed.

• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, especially when lying down
• Fatigue or weakness
• A cough that is worse when you are lying down
• Wheezing
• Rapid or irregular heartbeat
• Low blood pressure
• Swollen neck veins
• Enlarged liver

These symptoms could mean you have developed a heart complication, called congestive heart failure, as a result of another disease or illness. High blood pressure, heart attacks, emphysema, or various infections can cause the heart to stop pumping as strongly as it should. Blood backs up into other organs, especially the lungs and liver, and these symptoms appear.

• Moderate to severe pain following an ankle injury
• Redness or bruising
• Difficulty moving ankle
• Difficulty putting weight on injured foot

You may have one of the most common injuries to the ankle: a simple sprain. This means you’ve stretched or torn your ligaments, the strong tissues attached to your bones. A sprain can happen any time the joint is stressed, usually if weight is placed on it at an awkward or unnatural angle. Sprains can range from mild to severe, and the pain can be slight to intense. If you find the discomfort is still quite strong, even after a couple of days, you should see a doctor or physical therapist.