"So even if your body is not screaming of thirst, one must replenish oneself with a glass of water regularly," she added.
While caution should be practised by all, it's especially important for the very young, the elderly and those with respiratory problems. Cardiac patients too should be careful as the risk of coronary ailments increase with the dipping temperatures.
"As winter sets in, we see a rising number of cases of heart attack and other coronary artery diseases and this is a trend every year. This is because viscosity of blood increases when temperatures drop. Therefore those with cardiac problems should be careful around this time," Vikas Ahluwalia, senior consultant of internal medicine in a multispeciality hospital in Delhi, told IANS.
He also advised diabetics and those with hypertension to take extra caution.
"Diabetics, those with hypertension and heart ailments should take care to keep their blood pressure under control. Food habits also change during winter, and we often tend to eat food with high calorie and high sugar content. So care should be taken on that front," the doctor added.
Budhiraj further said that allergies because of dust and pollen also increase during winter. Coupled with the heavy smog, cities like Delhi are heavily hit.
Precautionary measures, like keeping the house dust-free, as also the curtains and shades, vacuuming the carpet once or twice a week and keeping your pets clean should be practised.
"Most of the house allergens are inhaled during house cleaning. So cover your nose and mouth and preferably wearing a pair of gloves is advised," Gokhale added.
