why are cold and fever symptoms worse during the night and better during the day?
In: 10
There are several factors, I will say the most interesting ones in my opinion
Circadian rhythm: Your body functions work following your body’s natural clock (which usually follows the day-night cycle so one period every 24 hours), and your immune system is most active at night. Cold symptoms are not the virus or bacteria itself, but the immune system fighting with the virus or bacteria, so yeah, that’s one of the reasons.
Body position: Did you know that when you have less oxygen in your body you will have a headache? Well, that’s your mucus in your throat and airways because you are laying horizontally, making it harder to breathe and at the same time, making your sinuses (behind your nose and below your eyes) hurt.
And the psychological factor: Distractions. During the day you may not notice all your symptoms because you are distracted by other things: The symptoms are there, you just don’t notice them. Lying in bed at night not being able to sleep is one of the most boring things while having a cold, so yeah… You will feel absolutely everything.
Is it not related to the secretion of the stress hormone cortisol that is highest during the day but lowest during the night? Cortisol inhibits the immune system (which is causing most of the symptoms)
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