Childhood 'Ahh..' what a wonderful thought, I can still remember those good old days, when we were much younger, rushing to go play outside even in those cold winter months and you hear your parents yelling at you to bundle up before going outside or you will catch a cold. Well with today's kids things have changed, children are dismissing this advice, So In this article, we'll answer this old wives' tale- Was your mom right all along?

Each year, a billion colds occur in the United States alone resulting in a $25 billion in lost productivity, so cold is a really common and 'costly' sickness. Even tho it's difficult to pinpoint' how to avoid getting a cold exactly, we can always use a good advice. So Can the Cold Give You a Cold?

Before we begin, let's talk a little bit about being cold and a cold:

Being cold means simply 'having' a low temperature, It's the sensation produced by low temperatures.

A cold is also known as the common cold is a viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory tract (especially your nose and throat).

The common cold:

Symptoms of a common cold appear one to three days after exposure to a cold-causing virus (Many types of viruses can cause a common cold even tho it might not feel that way. ), symptoms include a sore throat, coughing, runny nose, sneezing, headache, and fever.

As I said, over 200 virus strains are implicated in the cause of the common cold, rhinoviruses are the most common predominant cause.

Rhinoviruses are transmitted through contact with the saliva of nasal secretions of someone already infected by the virus, It also spreads through sneezing and coughing.

So basically, you will only catch a cold if you are exposed to a cold-causing virus.

Hypothesis 1

A study made by researchers at the Common Cold Centre at Cardiff University in England. placed the feet of 90 students in cold water for 20 minutes. These students were much more likely to get a cold over the next five days compared to students who didn’t get their feet wet.They concluded that blood vessels of the nose constrict in response to chilling in the feet.

Generally, In cold weathers, blood vessels of the upper respiratory tract constrict.unlike any inflammation where the vessels become leaky to allow the flow of white blood cells, Less blood flow=less immune cells.

Thus the superior respiratory tract become more likely to get infected ...

Also, another study on mice in Yale University showed that in cold temperature immune cells efficiency is decreased and the infection spreads faster.What happened was really a decrease in the self-destruction of white blood cells in order to limit the infection.

Hypothesis 2

Viruses responsible for common cold are generally rhinoviruses, coronaviruses, and adenoviruses.They generally travel in liquid particles, therefore, survive better in dry weather.With the drop of humidity rhinoviruses transmit much faster when it’s cold out there, found the National Institutes of Health.

This type of condition absorbs the extra moisture leaving the lipid coating of the virus becomes tougher at colder temperatures.

We also know that nasal mucus acts as a defensive barrier.In low humidity weather, mucus is more likely to dry off so you become more vulnerable to infections.If you have a runny nose in the winter like always, this is become your body try to balance the situation.

Hypothesis 3

Human behavior also is a crucial part of the equation.In cold weather, we tend to stay more indoors meaning we have more contact with each other.More contact=more chance for the virus to spread via air drops and mucus.That’s because viruses that cause the common cold love enclosed spaces with lots of people—the family room, the office, the gym.

Also now we know for a fact that vitamin D is important for a proper immune response.The lack of sun exposure in winter also plays a role.

A final point is that cold exposure triggers stress hormones release such as 'Cortisol'.This hormone is a corticosteroid known for its immunosuppression.This weakens furthermore the immune system.

Conclusion:

We may not have an exact answer to this question but a combination of factors is very satisfying to explain this myth.The next time your mother tells you to wear your coat ,don't be stubborn !





References :

https://www.menshealth.com/health/cold-weather-and-sickness

https://www.healthline.com/health/does-cold-weather-make-you-sick#asthmatics

https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2016/12/27/why-do-people-get-colds-in-cold-weather/#62a62130467c

http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/biosciences/research/institutes-and-centres/common-cold-centre

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