What is it and what causes it
Spring exacerbation is a collective term that refers to changes in the body during the first warm months.
There is no such concept in medical reference books: an exacerbation is usually understood as a complex of symptoms such as mood swings, drowsiness and depression. Mood changes occur due to the fact that the body gets very tired during the winter: as a rule, we do not get enough sunlight, and our food is not particularly rich in vitamins. With the arrival of warmer weather, the body, exhausted by the cold, is subjected to additional stress and begins to urgently adapt to new environmental conditions: increased temperature, changes in pressure and increased daylight hours. This process may not be easy.
This is what can cause seasonal exacerbation.
Changes in melatonin production
Melatonin is a hormone that controls our circadian rhythm, that is, it synchronizes the body's functioning with the time of day. When sunlight hits the retina, melatonin production decreases and increases in the dark. This gives the body a signal that it is time to sleep.
With the arrival of spring, daylight hours become longer, the amount of melatonin decreases, and we tend to sleep much less. Changes in biorhythm and adaptation of the body to a new regime lead to problems with sleep and provoke poor health - the internal clock needs time to get used to new conditions.
Lack of vitamins and minerals
After a long winter, we often experience a deficiency of vitamins and minerals, because during the cold season we tend to eat heavy carbohydrate foods. In addition, the choice of vegetables and fruits in winter is quite scarce. Therefore, we meet spring with a weakened immune system, and it is more difficult for the body to adapt to the change of season.
Spring depression: spring and our mood
It turns out that for our body it is not so important what changes occur, but what is important is that they occur at all. Psychologists even have a special term - spring depression, although we often hear about autumn depression.
How do experts explain this condition? Some of them believe that it’s all about the biorhythms that govern all living things on our planet. That is why in different seasons we have different health, ability to withstand mental stress, and the emotional background changes. This may be because the concentration of certain hormones in the blood begins to change dramatically, especially in women.
In summer and winter we feel much more balanced, but in the spring, as well as in the fall, a radical restructuring begins in the body. Metabolism begins to accelerate, new cells grow, rapid processes take place in all organs and systems - it is not surprising that the body loses its rhythm, problems with well-being appear, as well as an exacerbation of diseases, which is called seasonal.
For example, gastritis and ulcers worsen because in the spring our digestive system works more actively, and protective enzymes do not have time to be released in sufficient quantities. Bad mood and depression are also the results of a disruption in biorhythms, especially since there is a transition to daylight saving time in our country.
However, not all experts think so. For example, official medicine does not yet consider the doctrine of biorhythms so serious that it can be used to explain seasonal problems with mood and well-being.
What symptoms should you pay attention to?
You experience a loss of strength, become irritable, and get tired quickly. I constantly want to sleep, apathy appears. Headaches or dizziness occur. All these are the consequences of body fatigue after a long winter and adaptation to new weather conditions.
But sometimes the reason for poor health is much more serious: all these signs may indicate a special type of depression, seasonal affective disorder. The disease usually manifests itself in the autumn-winter period, but can worsen in the spring.
Seasonal depression differs from spring exacerbation in that it is much more severe. Its symptoms include:
- depressed state for a long time;
- loss of interest in things and activities that previously brought pleasure;
- lack of energy;
- irritability and tearfulness;
- difficulty concentrating.
Insomnia, loss of appetite, weight loss, and increased anxiety may also indicate seasonal affective disorder.
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Spring and mood: how to cope with spring depression
Researchers dealing with these problems can only recommend how to cope with this condition, but most of us have long known these methods: an active lifestyle, proper nutrition, sports, new acquaintances, hobbies and entertainment. Psychologists call treatment with new impressions the term “distress,” and this approach best helps to get rid of unnecessary experiences.
You can protect yourself from the effects of sudden weather changes by staying outside longer during daylight hours, preferably in the middle of the day, and at the same time trying to get at least some physical activity - for example, walking over rough terrain. If you have to be indoors - at work or at home, then think about the lighting - the brighter the better.
Everyday contrast shower also helps, but temperature changes should be increased gradually, over the course of a month - this is the minimum period.
Coloring clothes and umbrellas can also help lift our mood if we choose warm, bright colors. Wear bright sweaters and blouses, and when going for a walk in the rain, take a red or yellow umbrella, and don’t be afraid to seem extravagant - besides, the color of your umbrella can cheer up not only you.
Who is at risk
If you fall into one of these categories, be especially attentive to your condition.
People with chronic diseases
In spring, it is much more difficult to resist pathogenic bacteria due to a decrease in the body's defenses, a lack of vitamins and minerals, and mood swings. All this causes exacerbation of chronic diseases, such as sinusitis or cystitis. It’s worth mentioning allergy sufferers - spring is especially difficult for them.
Emotionally unstable people
If you know first-hand what emotional burnout and frequent mood swings are, be careful - these conditions may worsen in the spring.
People with mental illness
This can be either a manifestation of seasonal depression or an exacerbation of other diseases, such as bipolar disorder.
Spring skin care at home
Homemade peelings and scrubs are no worse than store-bought ones. If prepared correctly, they will be an excellent addition to basic care. The basis for them can be what is always at hand: sour cream, honey, cream, oatmeal. By mixing the base with coffee grounds, salt or sugar, you can achieve wonderful results. Those with dry and combination skin should choose a more oily foundation. If the reflection in the mirror is too “glossy”, you can experiment with cosmetic clay.
People with acne or rosacea and similar unpleasant things need to be especially careful when preparing scrubs - small abrasive particles can aggravate the problem. Since the skin in such cases is often dry, it is better to use a proven moisturizer. EVO elbow and knee cream would also be a good idea. It can rightfully be classified as a “must-have special care product for your special skin.” It is effective when it comes to combating darkening and dryness. Regular application of the cream allows you to enjoy the results after seven days. You just have to be a little patient, and in a month you will only remember about the rough skin on your elbows and knees!
If the peeling is severe and periodically turns into itching, then after a shower, bath, and, especially, after visiting a bath or sauna, it is recommended to use moisturizers with dexpanthenol. Panthenol EVO body milk contains this well-known component in optimal concentration. It not only restores damaged tissue, but also helps accelerate metabolism in epidermal cells. To top it all off, panthenol helps collagen fibers remain in the required volumes.
How to make this period easier
If you are one of those people who struggles in the spring, try the following methods.
Maintain a sleep schedule
With the arrival of spring, you may suffer from insomnia or, conversely, excessive sleepiness. Therefore, it is very important to establish your routine: adequate sleep will help tidy up the nervous system and adapt to longer daylight hours.
Get outdoors more often
Due to the fact that in the spring we receive more sunlight, more vitamin D is synthesized in our body. It strengthens the immune system and helps fight depression. Effects of vitamin D - just what we need in the spring.
Don't forget about physical activity
Regular exercise reduces stress levels and improves your mood.
Contact your doctor promptly
If you notice that your condition has worsened and the symptoms of spring exacerbation or seasonal depression interfere with your usual lifestyle, go to the doctor immediately. Only he can choose the right treatment and help you get back on your feet.
How spring affects your mood
Spring is just a season, although for us humans it has remained a mystery for many centuries. After all, this time is truly unusual: on the one hand, it is revitalization, the awakening of nature and vitality, positive emotions and pleasant excitement, and on the other hand, weakness, bad mood, fatigue and irritability. One might think that all these are stereotypes, but Pushkin also complained about the spring blues: “How sad your appearance is to me, spring, spring, time for love...”, and the classic hardly suffered from stereotypical thinking.
Why does spring affect us so much? It is clear that depression can overtake us in the fall: daylight hours are decreasing, leaves are flying away, the sky is gloomy, cold, it often rains, and winter is ahead. But in spring, everything is the other way around: it becomes warmer and lighter, the sun is bright and summer is ahead.
Details matter
Hair is another way to freshen up your look at minimal cost. There are a lot of options! You can experiment with new hairstyles, curl romantic curls, or add accessories (currently ribbons, headbands, hairpins, pearls and rhinestones are top of the list).
A more radical, but most effective way is fresh hair coloring. Balayage, shatush, coloring, natural highlighting, soft natural or extremely bright colors - the current trends have something to offer you!
A new manicure will help create a spring mood in your look. Graceful flowers, stones, feminine patterns, cheerful inscriptions, twigs and leaves will come in handy. In spring manicure, delicate pastel shades come to the fore. Even a monochrome finish, carefully created at home, will refresh your look.
If you have a decent collection of different polishes, you can create trendy multi-colored nail art. The main thing is that the participating shades are harmoniously combined with each other. To do this, you can choose representatives of a light or pastel palette, or create a spectacular gradient from nail to nail.
Interesting: The best banana masks for facial skin
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Emphasis on the waist
When your everyday look gets boring, it's time to add accessories. A great idea would be to accentuate the waist with a contrasting belt, belt or silk scarf. This trick can be done with almost any clothing, and this photo selection is excellent proof of this.
The belt in all the proposed examples is an effective way to create a feminine and complete look.
The simpler the better
We have already said that with the onset of spring, it is time to rebuild your body to simpler and more easily digestible food. Replace all heavy dishes that require a lot of time to prepare with products with minimal industrial and thermal processing. For example, it would be better to replace gourmet meat dishes with lean boiled chicken or beef, which will make you feel full for a long time, help boost your immunity and strengthen the general condition of the body, which is already weakened by vitamin deficiency.
Load up on fresh vegetables and green salads, and don’t forget about fermented milk products (forget about sweet yoghurts and give preference to fresh natural products - for example, kefir and low-fat cheese).
With regard to carbohydrates, the main rule of losing weight and cleansing the body “simpler is better” is slightly turned upside down: you need to exclude simple carbohydrates from your diet (sweets, ready-made juices, white bread, flour confectionery, “healthy” snacks with an unreasonably high amount of sugar), which will certainly will result in extra pounds and an increase in fat reserves. But complex (slow) carbohydrates, on the contrary, should be included in your diet: thanks to fiber, your metabolism will improve, hunger will bother you less often, and all harmful substances will be successfully removed from the body. Complex carbohydrates include beans, grains, grains, some vegetables, bread and pasta.
Cleansing the body
Short days, lack of sleep, constant hypothermia and systematic overeating provoked the formation of a large number of toxins and wastes in your body. The beginning of spring is a great time to renew and cleanse the body, but you should not get carried away with strict diets and unreasonable restrictions. The fact is that spring vitamin deficiency or fasting will definitely affect your well-being in the context of a reduction in daily calorie intake, and therefore you should approach cleansing the body carefully and competently.
Remember that the most important spring cleansing foods are beets, avocados, green vegetables and citrus fruits.
Basic rules for the simplest cleansing: switch to fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as drinking plenty of liquid, be it plain water with lemon or vitamin and nutritional smoothies.
