eli5: Why is covering your ears in the cold so important for not getting sick?
In: Biology
It’s not unless it’s incredibly cold out, though there is SOME truth to this belief.
Your ears have more skin exposed to the air than anywhere else on your head, so they’d act as better radiators. And the cold air would suck out the heat from them more efficiently than anywhere else on your head. And your body kinda goes into “power saving mode” when it’s cold, reducing cell production and weakening your immune system, this is the same reason why refrigerators preserve food. In the winter you’re generally cooped up with other people more often, leading to a higher infection rate over all.
TL:DR, it’s generally negligible, but getting cold for prolonged periods of time does make it harder for your body to fight diseases.
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