Cooling causes colds – Truth or Myth?

“Сhild – get dressed warm, otherwise you catch a cold “, “Just do not go outside with wet hair – yes you can you fetch the death!” – These or similar phrases has probably everyone in the course of his life have ever heard. But the weather is cold actually can make you sick? 

Frozen after a stroll in cold and wet weather? Ice cold feet because the bus is again not come on time? After swimming not had time to dry your hair? If you believe a widespread hypothesis can be a cold in such cases not long in coming. Due to the fact that the term “cold” the word “cold” and shivering contains the first symptoms of an impending flu infection counts, this assumption holds for decades. But the fact is: infections of the upper respiratory tract is exclusively caused by viruses (eg rhinoviruses) and caused in some cases also by bacteria. An infection occurs via droplet infection. By sneezing or coughing germs to enter via the hands or objects such as doorknobs on the mucous membranes and multiply – depending on the current status of the immune system.

And yet …

According to studies a correlation between cold and colds at least in the broad sense: Putting the body over a long period of time unprotected low temperatures, this has a negative effect on the Immune system. If there is already cold viruses in the body, they can breed more easily due to decreased defense. It is believed that this fact is due to a reduced blood flow in the cold: Cools the surface of the body, the blood vessels to contract – more heat losses are to be prevented in this way. The nasal mucosa is therefore good blood circulation; a reduced number of white blood cells to fight infection is the result. In addition, means cold stress for the organism – which in turn weakens the defense. The immune system has lost the battle against the virus once, the pathogens have an easy time and multiply unhindered. The first signs of incipient infection in most cases a cough and sore throat. If the immune system effectively supported at this moment worse can often be prevented.

Winter time – Colds.

Wet hair or cold feet so alone do not cause colds; the organism must already weakened by the presence of cold viruses. But then why is the risk of flu infection during the cold months especially big? This is due to the fact that cold air is moisture poorer than warm and dry mucous membranes therefore in principle (and thus vulnerable) than in summer. Dry heated air increases this effect. Moreover prefer the main cause of colds, namely Human Rhinoviruses, wet cold weather. And during the autumn and winter we often keep us warm, poorly ventilated, enclosed spaces – ideal places for viruses to reproduce. Although cold and colds are not directly related: Who wraps up warm in low temperatures, at least not go wrong.