This is something that I have been wondering for a pretty long time. And I still never get a straight answer when I ask people! They (people) say that if you're exposed to the cold weather for a long period of time, or if your exposed to extreme cold in general, you can catch a cold Now... as far as I know colds are viral. It's a bug in our system, a germ, if you will. What does that have to do with the climate? I never understood the cohesiveness between the two.
The role of body cooling in causing the common cold is controversial.[15] It is the most commonly offered folk explanation for the disease, and it has received some experimental evidence. One study showed that exposure to the cold causes cold symptoms in about 10% of those exposed, and that the subjects experiencing this effect report far more colds overall than those who do not.[16] However, a variety of other studies do not show such an effect.[15]
Cold weather
The traditional folk theory is that a cold can be "caught" by prolonged exposure to cold weather such as rain or winter conditions, which is where the disease got its name.[61] Common colds are seasonal, with more occurring during winter. The experimental evidence for this effect is uneven: many experiments have failed to produce evidence that short-term exposure to cold weather or direct chilling increases susceptibility to infection, implying that the seasonal variation is instead due to a change in behaviors such as increased time spent indoors at close proximity to others.[9][22] However, other experiments do find such an effect for both body chilling and cold air exposure, and a number of mechanisms by which lower temperatures could compromise the immune system have been suggested,[15] while other experiments have shown that exposure to cold temperatures may instead stimulate the immune system.[62][63]
Colds and flus are viruses like you mentioned and transferred by mammals - not wind, snow, rain, etc.
You can still get them in the summer.
You typically produce more mucus in the winter which is a hot bed for viruses. And that's the best my memory from physiology class can do at this hour, sir.
Bear in mind your body's reaction to viruses, etc is what you perceive as a cold. The running nose, nasal congestion, watery, red eyes, etc. is your body over-reacting. You can have a cold virus and feel fine - without showing symptoms - if your body doesn't react to it.
Hence, having a strong immune system that strongly fights every exposure to cold viruses can make you feel sicker, more often, than a "weaker", less reactive immune system that lets those cold viruses pass through without reaction.
The study, by researchers at the Common Cold Center in England, was conducted on 180 volunteers. Some were forced to keep their bare feet in icy water for long periods, and others stayed dry. Within five days, 29 percent of those in the cold group developed sore throats and runny noses, compared with less than 10 percent in the second group.
The cold weakens your immune system and that makes you more likely to catch viruses you come in contact with. It also means you are more vulnerable to bacterial illnesses.
Another possible contributing factor is that during colder periods, people tend to close up their homes and places of work. If someone sneezes or coughs out some nasty airborne bug while they're indoors, it's likely to stay indoors rather than getting cycled outside with the air. Trap enough nasties in one spot, and anyone who enters that spot is more likely to catch something.
Apple_Addict
Bronx, NY
March 2005
NOV 08, 2010 06:36 PM