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Handy Tips to Keeping Warm as You Grow Older

You can grow old gracefully but being cold doesn't help matters in that area. Growing older means you are more susceptible to temperature changes. So if you have a drafty house or are dressed inappropriately, you could literally develop a cold. Therefore, it makes sense to do what you can to retain warmth around your body and your home.

Check out your home

Sometimes, it is your home that is the cause of your lack of warmth. When you are cold due to a drafty house, you are not only making yourself susceptible to illness, you are also losing money on your electric bill because the heat is escaping your home. Those cracks and crevices need to be plugged up and more insulation might be necessary in the walls of your home or even in the attic space.

When you lose body heat for prolonged periods of time, you allow yourself to become more susceptible to illness and you also compromise your immune system. A lower body temperature lowers your resistance to germs.

Helpful hints in the home that will keep you warm

Hire a professional to inspect your home for problem areas where cold air could be seeping in. Sometimes, it might be a matter of installing a storm door or just caulking around your windows. Weather stripping around doors is an important move too. You can also use draft stoppers around the base of your doors and windows. These draft stoppers can be purchased or you can make your own out of old socks filled with dried beans or dried rice.

Sometimes, some drafts cannot be prevented. Therefore, there are a few things you can do to get around that problem. First of all, you can purchase a few safety-rated space heaters, preferably the ceramic kind. These can quickly warm up small rooms. Just don't forget to unplug them when you are no longer in the room.

Reverse the rotation of your ceiling fans. Instead of pushing cool air out, the reverse rotation will push warmer air down toward the floor. Rearranging your favorite furniture that you use often could be a simple solution. Just move your favorite chair to a location where a draft is not felt.

Dressing up for warmth

Keep throw blankets handy in several rooms. A few on the couch or a favorite chair is easily accessible. Wrap the blanket around your shoulder or lap area for warmth. Fleece is lightweight and yet perfect for providing warmth.

Wear slippers for warm feet and several layers of thin clothes for body warmth. When you wear layers, warmth gets trapped between each layer. As you get warmer, you could always remove one layer; or add one layer if you get colder. Finally, you could use a heating pad or create a heating pack made from a material bag filled with dry rice or beans that could be heated in the microwave.

There are a variety of ways to keep warm so you should explore them and discover which ones work the best. Remember, your health depends on your ability to keep warm, especially during the cooler months.