As temperatures dip in Kashmir, I have started seeing more patients with chest infections, pneumonia and worsening heart failure at Moul Mouj Health Centre. Some arrive with their families, struggling to breathe or complaining of persistent cough and fever. Others call me on the phone, worried about an elderly parent whose breathing has become heavier, whose legs have started swelling or who has suddenly become too weak to get out of bed.Some of these patients need hospital admission. Others can be managed at home with timely medical attention, appropriate treatment and careful monitoring. But one thing is becoming increasingly clear: winter is not merely a season of discomfort for our elderly. It can become a season of serious illness, hospitalisation and even death.

Every winter, we need to remind ourselves that the cold affects older people differently. What appears to be an ordinary cough, a little weakness or a disturbed night’s sleep may be the beginning of something much more serious.Why does winter hit older people harder?Ageing changes the way our bodies respond to cold. Older adults may have reduced muscle mass, thinner skin and a less efficient ability to regulate body temperature. Some do not feel the cold as intensely as younger people, even when their bodies are losing heat.Their immune response may also be weaker, making it harder to fight infections. Many live with diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, chronic lung disease or kidney problems. These conditions reduce the body’s ability to cope with additional stress.Cold weather can narrow blood vessels, raise blood pressure and make the heart work harder. For someone already living with heart disease, this extra workload can be dangerous.

Winter also brings respiratory infections. Viruses........

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