We prepare our homes, cars and wardrobes for winter. But when did you last prepare your health?
October is when the change becomes difficult to ignore. The mornings are darker. The heating goes on. Summer holidays feel a long way behind us. And Christmas suddenly doesn't.
Yet when it comes to our health, many of us wait for January. We wait until New Year's resolutions tell us to lose weight. We wait until we're ill to think about winter vaccinations. We book a winter holiday before checking whether we need travel vaccines. We ignore the skin concern that appeared during summer.
At Longeva Wellness in Rochdale, we think October is a much better time to ask a simple question: How am I going into winter?
Here are seven things worth checking.
1. Have You Had Your Flu Vaccination?
Flu is not simply a bad cold. Influenza is a contagious respiratory infection. Although many people recover without medical treatment, it can cause serious illness and complications, particularly in people at increased risk.
Why is October important for flu vaccination?
The seasonal vaccination programme is designed to provide protection ahead of the period when flu activity typically increases. Certain people can receive a flu vaccine through the NHS, depending on current eligibility criteria.
Private flu vaccination provides another route for suitable people who want to reduce their risk but aren't included in an NHS eligibility group.
Can the injected flu vaccine give you flu?
No. The injected flu vaccines used for adults do not contain live influenza viruses capable of causing flu. Some people experience temporary effects after vaccination, such as soreness at the injection site, aching, headache or a raised temperature.
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2. Vitamin D: The Autumn Change You Can't See
From approximately late March or early April until the end of September, most people should usually be able to make the vitamin D they need from sunlight on their skin. During autumn and winter, NHS guidance advises people to consider a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms (400 IU) of vitamin D.
Why do we need vitamin D?
Vitamin D helps regulate calcium and phosphate in the body. These nutrients are important for maintaining healthy bones, teeth and muscles.
Who may need to think about vitamin D throughout the year?
Some people are at increased risk of not making enough vitamin D from sunlight, including people who are not often outdoors, usually cover most of their skin while outdoors, or have dark skin including people with African, African-Caribbean or South Asian backgrounds.
More vitamin D is not automatically better. Taking excessive amounts over a prolonged period can cause too much calcium to build up in the body. Follow appropriate guidance and seek professional advice if you're unsure.
NEED HEALTH OR MEDICINES ADVICE? SPEAK TO THE LONGEVA WELLNESS TEAM →
3. Why Wait Until January to Address Your Weight?
If your weight is affecting your health or wellbeing in October, why wait another three months?
Weight management shouldn't be treated as a New Year's resolution, and clinically supported weight management shouldn't be confused with a crash diet before Christmas.
A proper weight-management consultation starts with you
Depending on your circumstances, an appropriate assessment may consider weight and BMI, medical history, current medication, previous attempts at weight loss, eating habits, activity, relevant health risks, treatment suitability, realistic goals, monitoring and long-term weight maintenance.
Prescription weight-management medicines can be appropriate for some people. They are not appropriate for everybody.
The better question isn't simply “Can I have a weight-loss injection?” It is: “What is an appropriate, safe and sustainable weight-management plan for me?”
At Longeva Wellness, weight management is approached as a clinical service, assessing the individual rather than reducing somebody to an online questionnaire and a number on the scales.
BOOK A WEIGHT-MANAGEMENT CONSULTATION IN ROCHDALE →
4. Has Summer Left Its Mark on Your Skin?
After summer, people can become more aware of uneven pigmentation, dark patches, freckles, dryness, dullness, acne, post-acne marks, changes in texture or an existing skin condition that appears different.
But there's an important distinction between noticing a skin problem and knowing what that problem is.
Don't diagnose your skin from TikTok
A dark patch isn't automatically melasma. Redness isn't automatically rosacea. A breakout isn't automatically hormonal acne. And a changing pigmented lesion should not simply be covered with skincare or taken straight to an aesthetic clinic.
If you notice a new or changing mole or pigmented lesion—particularly changes involving its size, shape or colour—or something that is bleeding, crusting, itchy or otherwise concerning, seek appropriate medical advice.
BOOK A SKIN-HEALTH CONSULTATION WITH LONGEVA WELLNESS →
5. Planning Winter Sun? Check Your Travel Vaccinations Before Your Suitcase
Grey skies, dark evenings and British rain make winter sun understandably attractive. But while the holiday might be spontaneous, travel health shouldn't be.
Which travel vaccinations might you need?
That depends on your destination, where within the country you're travelling, length of stay, accommodation, activities, season, medical history, previous vaccination history and how soon you're leaving.
Depending on the destination and individual risk, travellers may need to consider vaccinations or preventative measures relating to Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Typhoid, Rabies, Yellow Fever, Japanese Encephalitis, Cholera, Meningococcal disease and other destination-specific infections. Malaria prevention may also be relevant for some destinations.
How early should you arrange travel vaccinations?
Where possible, seek travel-health advice around 6–8 weeks before departure. Some vaccination schedules involve multiple doses, while particular destinations or journeys may involve specific certificate or entry requirements.
Visiting friends and relatives overseas?
People travelling to countries they know well can sometimes underestimate health risks because the destination feels familiar. Familiarity with a country doesn't provide immunity against infectious disease.
BOOK A TRAVEL-HEALTH CONSULTATION IN ROCHDALE →
6. Do You Really Need to Wait Weeks for a GP Appointment?
Sometimes you absolutely should see your GP. Sometimes you need NHS 111. And some symptoms require urgent or emergency medical attention.
But there are also common health conditions that may be appropriately assessed through pharmacy-led services.
The important word is assessment. Ear pain isn't automatically an ear infection. A red eye isn't automatically conjunctivitis. A rash isn't automatically eczema. And persistent indigestion shouldn't automatically be dismissed as harmless acid reflux.
An appropriate clinical consultation can consider your symptoms, how long you've had them, medical history, medicines you're taking, possible red flags, whether treatment is appropriate and whether you should be referred elsewhere.
VIEW LONGEVA WELLNESS HEALTH CONSULTATIONS →
7. Take the Five-Minute Winter Health Check
This final one doesn't require a needle, prescription or treatment. Give yourself five minutes.
Vaccinations
Have I considered whether I need a flu vaccination this autumn?
Vitamin D
Have I thought about the UK autumn/winter vitamin D recommendation?
Weight
Have I spent months putting off dealing with my weight or related health concerns?
Skin
Has something changed since summer that I should have assessed?
Travel
Am I travelling overseas during the next few months? Have I checked the health risks for my actual destination and itinerary?
Medicines
Do I know what my regular medicines are for? Am I taking them as directed? Am I about to run out?
General health
Is there a symptom or concern I've been ignoring because I've been “too busy”?
What Should You Actually Do This October?
Not all seven. This isn't another online checklist telling you you're failing at life unless you've transformed yourself by Monday morning.
Choose what actually applies to you. For one person, that might mean arranging a flu vaccination. For another, it could mean finally asking for help with weight management. Someone else may need travel vaccinations before visiting family overseas. Another person may need a skin concern assessed rather than ordering their fifth serum from the internet.
That's what an October health reset should look like. Not perfection. Preparation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Autumn and Winter Health
When should I get my flu vaccination?
Autumn is the main period for seasonal flu vaccination in the UK because vaccination is offered ahead of the period when flu activity commonly increases. If you're considering a private flu vaccination, suitability can be assessed before vaccination.
Should adults take vitamin D during winter in the UK?
NHS guidance advises that adults and children over four should consider a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D during autumn and winter. Some higher-risk groups may be advised to consider supplementation throughout the year.
How early should I arrange travel vaccinations?
Ideally, seek travel-health advice approximately 6–8 weeks before travelling where possible. Don't assume it is too late if you're travelling sooner—seek advice because useful preventative measures may still be available.
Do I have to wait until January to start weight management?
No. There is no clinical reason weight management needs to begin in January. If you're concerned about your weight or its impact on your health, an assessment can take place at any point in the year.
Can a pharmacist help with common health problems?
Pharmacists can assess and advise on a range of common health concerns, and pharmacy-led clinical services may provide treatment where appropriate. Symptoms suggesting a more serious condition should be referred to the appropriate healthcare service.
Why Choose Longeva Wellness?
Healthcare can feel increasingly fragmented: one place for vaccinations, another for weight management, somewhere else for skin, an online company for medication and a different clinic for travel health.
Longeva Wellness takes a different approach.
From our clinic in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, we bring pharmacy expertise together with a growing range of health and wellness services. That means the conversation can start with “What do you need?” rather than “What can we sell you?”
Our services include health vaccinations, travel health and vaccinations, weight management, private health consultations, skin health, men's and women's health, smoking cessation, health and wellbeing support, and aesthetic treatments where appropriate.
Don't Wait for January to Look After Yourself
January will arrive soon enough. You don't need a New Year's resolution to protect yourself against flu, think about vitamin D, address your weight, have a skin concern assessed, prepare properly for travel, ask a pharmacist about a health problem or simply stop putting something off.
Make October the Month You Get Ahead
At Longeva Wellness, we're here to help you make informed decisions about your health with accessible, professional support and treatment where appropriate.
BOOK AN APPOINTMENT WITH LONGEVA WELLNESS →
Vaccinations | Weight Management | Travel Health | Skin Health | Private Health Consultations | Wellness
Not because it's January. Because looking after your health doesn't need to wait until January.
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