Does being cold make you sick? This myth has been passed down from one generation to the next for centuries. Grandmothers have always insisted that their grandkids stay away from drafts, wear warm hats in cold weather, and avoid going out with wet hair.

Despite it being called the common "cold”, being exposed to lower temperatures does not make you sick. This makes the statement more a myth than a fact.

However, if this is a myth, then why do flu and cold symptoms peak in the colder months? The answer is both complex and fascinating.

In fact, the direct opposite happens as cells in your body increase whenever you go into the cold. Here are a few facts you need to know if you want to cozy up to better health in the winter months.

Is There a Connection Between Lower Temperatures and Getting Sick?

1. The Real Causes of Being Sick

• Rhinovirus – This is the most prominent cause of the common cold and may be associated with exacerbations of chronic bronchitis and asthma. The virus enters the body through the mouth, eyes, or nose, and it is spread through droplets in the air whenever someone who is sick sneezes, coughs, or even talks. The virus is most prominent in early fall, spring, and summer, but you can get them at any time of the year.
  
  
• Other Viruses – While fifty percent of colds are due to the rhinovirus, other common cold-causing viruses include human parainfluenza, human metapneumovirus, coronavirus, adenovirus, human respiratory syncytial virus, and enterovirus. There also many other viruses that haven't been identified by doctors. In fact, about 20 to 30 percent of colds in adults are due to "unknown” bugs.

2. Virus Behavior in Cooler Environments

In order to answer the question, "Can you get sick from being cold?”, you actually have to look into how the viruses identified above work in cold environments.

When it comes to infectious illnesses, germs are what make you sick and not the cold weather itself. To catch a cold, you need to encounter one of the viruses identified. Likewise, you need to get infected with an influenza virus in order to contract the flu.

While the cold air isn't the actual cause of getting sick, there's a connection between being cold and becoming sick. Cold air seems to contribute toward creating conditions that are ideal for viruses to flourish.

In fact, some viruses seem more likely to spread in cold weather. For example, the rhinovirus replicates better in cooler environments (33 to 35 degrees Celsius) as compared to the body's core temperature (33 to 37 degrees Celsius).

For years, research has shown that the rhinovirus readily replicates in colder environments. However, it isn't clear whether the viruses work better in colder temperatures or the human immune system becomes weaker in colder weather.

3. Immune System Behavior in Cooler Environments

Does the cold make you sick? The second part of answering this question involves looking at how your body's immune system behaves in the cold.

Your mother might have warned you that you'll get a cold in cold weather, but it's only recently that scientists finally proved cold weather can indeed make people sick. Researchers realized that colder temperatures result in a sluggish immune response that leaves you susceptible to infection. Your immune cells respond slower and weaker in cold conditions, enabling the rhinovirus to attack and multiply.

A Yale research team has realized that immune cells are less likely to commit intentional suicide (apoptosis) in order to prevent the spread of viruses to other cells. In warmer conditions, cells are more likely to sacrifice themselves to protect your body. When you breathe in cold air, the temperature inside your nose drops, leaving your immune cells ineffective when viruses and other pathogens invade.

In cold weather, most people spend more time indoors. This means they are not exposed to as much sunlight, leading to a decrease in vitamin D which causes a weakened immune system. With sufficient vitamin D levels, your immune system's T-cells react to invaders and protect you from serious infections.

In fact, T-cells need vitamin D to work and become ruthless immune cells that seek out and destroy all foreign pathogens in the body. When T-cells don't find enough vitamin D, they can't activate and thus leave you vulnerable to diseases and infections like the common cold.

Breathing cold air through your nose has a role in increasing incidences of colds and illnesses. Your nose plays a vital role in your body's immune system protecting you from illness.

Further Information

1. Effects of Indoor Humidity and Ventilation

Colds are most common during the fall and winter seasons in the United States. This is mostly due to the start of the school year and the tendency of people to remain indoors.

Indoor environments tend to be drier than outside. The dry air actually dries up nasal passages and leads to infection. In addition, humidity levels are usually lower in cold weather, and this makes an ideal environment for cold viruses.

2. How to Prevent a Cold

Since the viruses that cause a cold are so many, it is hard to develop an effective vaccine. However, there a few precautions you can take to avoid catching a cold. Some of these include:

• Avoid close contact with infected individuals
• Use and discard a tissue when coughing or sneezing
• Wash hands regularly
• Keep surfaces in the kitchen and bathroom clean
• Avoid touching your face, especially around the mouth and nose
• Eat plenty of vitamin-rich vegetables and fruit to keep your immune system strong

Take Home Message

If you already have a cold, it's important that you get plenty of rest and eat a high-fiber, low-fat diet. In addition, drink plenty of fluids and warm chicken soup to help soothe symptoms and congestion.

Does being cold make you sick? As shown above, cold temperature alone doesn't make you sick, but it does create a perfect breeding environment for more than 200 cold-causing viruses. You can click on the following link and watch this video for more information: