WINTER SKIN MAY BE IRRITATING FOR MANY,
BUT DOWNRIGHT DANGEROUS FOR DIABETICS
Diabetes Educator of the Year, Janis Roszler, Discusses
Tips for Enjoying a Winter Wonderland Without the Worry
Winter skin is rough! Although winter months bring many joys of the season like ice skating and snowball making outdoors and cuddling with a cup of hot cocoa inside by the fire, the cool temperatures, chilly wind and dry heat can impact the health of our skin.
Keeping warm and taking precautions while enjoying cold weather activities is particularly important for the more than 23.6 million people in the U.S. with diabetes. People with diabetes face unique wound care needs and a higher incidence of skin complications due to potentially slower blood circulation which can impair the healing process and increase the risk for wound infection. Many people dont realize that even simple skin irritations and scratches can lead to problematic wounds.
Diabetes expert and author Janis Roszler is here to encourage everyone to engage in a full and active lifestyle year-round with her tips on the many ways to enjoy cold winter weather fun:
Keep Toes Toasty Wear thick, dry socks to keep feet warm and promote strong circulation.
Stay Smooth Keep skin hydrated with a moisturizing body lotion or cream to relieve the itch associated with dry skin while preventing irritation and cracking.
Clean, Treat and Protect Check skin daily for cracks, and treat any problems straight away to help prevent infections. The American Diabetes Association recommends avoiding harsh antiseptics and talking to your doctor before using an antibiotic cream or ointment.
Be Prepared Have the right supplies on hand, such as the Johnson & Johnson Red Cross Brand Hurt-Free Products to cover and protect cracked skin or a minor cut or minor wound.
Take Advantage of the Winter Wonderland Live actively and build a snowman (create a game by trying to toss his hat on his head), sled, catch snowflakes on your tongue, make snow angels, ski, ice skate, roast marshmallows over a toasty fire find time to PLAY this season!
For more information, please visit www.jnjfirstaid.com
About Janis Roszler, RD, CDE, LD/N
Janis is a registered dietitian, certified diabetes educator, insulin pump trainer, columnist, radio host, and health media producer. She is the author of the popular “Dear Janis” column in Diabetes Positive!, columnist for dLife.com and Onetouchgold.com websites, and contributor to numerous publications including Diabetes Forecast, Diabetes Health and Diabetic Living. She was the host of Janis’ Jump Start to Good Health, a weekly radio show on WWNN Radio, and now hosts the dLife podcast series and dTalk Radio show on dLife.com. Her books include Sex and Diabetes (ADA), which she co-wrote with Donna Rice, Diabetes on your OWN Terms (Marlowe & Co) and The Secrets of Living and Loving with Diabetes (Surrey books), which she co-authored with William H. Polonsky and Steven V. Edelman. Janis was also executive producer of Sex, Intimacy and Diabetes, an award-winning DVD that she created with dLifeTV. She travels internationally as a speaker on diabetes and other health-related topics and is a consultant for Johnson & Johnson Consumer Products Company Division of Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc.
