When I was a kid and i learnt about diseases in school it was that micorganisms of various kinds cause them. However since growing up I’d always been told by my parents to cover myself properly when being exposed to the cold e.g. wearing warm clothes after getting out of a hot shower in winter even though you might not immediately feel cold.
I asked my science teacher and he told me that when exposed to temperatures outside of what our body is normally used to, our body becomes more susceptible to being ill because our immune system is compromised. I think about this every now and then if I’m ever cold or sick because I didnt feel fully satisfied with his answer. I’ve also read in some places on the internet that this is just an old wives tale. Would someone give me a definitive answer to this query? ( I am currently on sick leave after being in a cold place for a while and I was thinking about this again)
In: Biology
For a long time, it was thought that colder temperatures didn’t actually make you more likely to get sick. Instead, people spent more time in close proximity to each other indoors during the cold season, and thus were more likely to spread disease.
Last year, some research showed your body actually is worse at fighting infections in colder temperatures. Your nose is essentially less effective at filtering germs when it’s cold (https://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/new-study-links-nose-temperature-and-immune-response).
Increased time together indoors is still a contributing factor, but it’s not the whole story.
Latest Answers