Apparently going out in temperatures below 10c incorrectly dressed will cause you to catch a cold. Is this true?

Since I remember riding my bike with just a light base layer and a SS T shirt in the snow in the woods and I didn’t become ill.

The common cold is a viral illness, so getting a cold is all about coming into contact with the virus rather than ‘being cold’.

Complete bollards 🙂

It’s a virus – being out in the woods on your own, in the cold sounds like the perfect place to completely avoid catching a virus 🙂

I expect it depends.

If you go out in light clothes and ride your bike then you presumably generate enough heat to avoid problems. So long as you have enough energy to sustain that then you’ll be OK.

If you go out in light clothes and sit on your arse you’ll probably get cold and become ill.

Common sense innit?

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbmbMSrsZVQ[/video]

Putting your body under stress, ie being too cold, weakens the immune system and makes you more susceptible to catching the virus.

I would say that getting very cold may, in some people, lead to reducing their immune system, leaving them more susceptible to viruses.

Putting your body under stress, ie being too cold, weakens the immune system and makes you more susceptible to catching the virus.

That’s what I’ve heard.

Lets say that it’s true, then if I am riding my bike in temperatures of 0c but I feel warm because of physical activity does that mean my immune system isn’t being compromised?

Putting your body under stress, ie being too cold, weakens the immune system and makes you more susceptible to catching the virus.

+ 1

that’s all there is to it

All that ‘being cold weakens your immune system’ stuff is rubbish, just so you know.

its funny that all my colleagues are wrapped up warm, sitting (sweating) in a heated office and shovelling manuka honey down their throats, yet they all have get “FLU” several times a year?

no direct link between ambient temperature, body temperature and potential to pick up viruses. probably many patterns that could be interpreted as you like tho.

Doesn’t help that as it gets cold people spend more time inside – in contact with other potential carriers. Can’t imagine hot, dry centrally heated air does much good to your nose, either.

Being properly chilled in your core lowers your immune system, but that’s not the same as feeling a bit of cold air on your skin for a minute or two.

People get plenty of colds in the summer too.

EDIT:

When is the “cold” season?

People are most likely to have colds during fall and winter, starting in late August or early September until March or April. The increased incidence of colds during the cold season may be attributed to the fact that more people are indoors and close to each other. In addition, many cold viruses thrive in low humidity, making the nasal passages drier and more vulnerable to infection.

August/September isn’t exactly the cold part of the year…

And another thing – hardly anyone actually gets properly chilled any more. We mostly go from house to car to office to shop/place of leisure, they are all indoors.

Some links suggest the lack of Vit-D in the winter might have an effect.

http://www.commoncold.org/special1.htm

Jesus, it’s like the sodding Middle Ages!

It’s a VIRAL illness.

You need to be in contact with enough of the VIRUS to develop the disease.

Some people get exposed to the VIRUS and remain asymptomatic.

Sorry to interrupt, please go back to throwing turnips at witches…

If you do catch a cold – this, 5.40 in:

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Mf_oX69FYs[/video]

Jesus, it’s like the sodding Middle Ages!

Well not really, we know it’s a virus, the question is if cold weather will inhibit your immune system.

This is a big ongoing thing amongst the outdoor swimming community; there is actually tons of anecdotal evidence from swimmers that regular immersion in extremely cold water (ie. swimming outside all year round without wetsuits) improves immune system response and makes people better at fighting colds. Whereas everyone who doesn’t do it says “oooh, you’ll catch your death of cold”.

I had a bit of a read through of some of the medical literature a bit back to try and find out. And it turns out that it is largely inconclusive. There is lots of evidence that getting extremely cold alters your immune system in some ways, but not much evidence either way in terms of whether it makes you healthier or less healthy.

Studies of winter swimmers in Berlin showed less illness than average, but they also had confounding factors such as generally being healthier people, eating healthily, doing exercise, which would make you expect that anyway. Various studies have showed that extreme cold stimulates various immune system responses, and some people argue that regularly exercising the immune system in this way may strengthen it, but no one has actually demonstrated any health benefits or negatives from regular cold water exposure.

To be honest though, unless you’re winter swimming, you almost certainly aren’t getting anywhere near as cold as swimmers do (typically you’ll get uncontrollable ‘cold shakes’ after every swim at this time of year), and if even that doesn’t have a massive effect on immune response, being outside biking or whatever is surely unlikely to do much to your chance of getting colds or the way your body fights them.

There is lots of evidence that getting extremely cold alters your immune system in some ways

Anecdotally, I have experienced this. If I make a bad call on clothing and get really properly cold for hours and hours, ie stuck on a 10 hour ride in the mountains improperly dressed – I seem to end up susceptible to casual illnesses in a way that I would not normally be. This is however simply an anecdote.

But extreme cold for a short duration ie a half hour swim or something doesn’t seem to be an issue.

People mostly get colds in Autumn – but not so much in winter. I blame the decrease in UV light and increase in moisture that creates conditions that allows viruses to thrive.

Jesus, it’s like the sodding Middle Ages!

It’s a VIRAL illness.

You should have a word with my mother in law.

Bunged up ear from swimming? You’ve got cold in it.

Full flashing lights migraine headache? You’ve got cold in it.

Leg hanging off? You’ve got cold in it.

Mind you, that’s not because of the middle ages – that’s because of Wigan.

And wet hair. FFS dont go outside in winter with wet hair 😯

People mostly get colds in Autumn – but not so much in winter. I blame the decrease in UV light and increase in moisture that creates conditions that allows viruses to thrive.

Again with the exasperation….

Viruses don’t actually live in fields, so are pretty much oblivious to the amount of UV light in the general environment. Similarly, they do not own or need to own umbrellas because they think little of the weather.

I’ve already put a wee linky farther up the thread:

Myth 1:
The greatest myth about the common cold is that susceptibility to colds requires a weakened immune system.
Facts:
1. Healthy people with normal immune systems are highly susceptible to cold virus infection once the virus enters the nose. In volunteers studies, approximately 95% of normal adults became infected when virus was dropped into the nose (72, also see How Cold Virus Infection Occurs).

2. Of people who become infected, only 75% develop symptoms with a cold. (5, 72) The other 25% have virus growing in the nose but have no symptoms. They have an “asymptomatic infection”.

3. Why people sometimes become infected but do not develop cold symptoms is a mystery. One clue is that in such instances the person may not be producing the normal amount of certain inflammatory mediators, the natural body chemicals which cause cold symptoms (2, also see What Causes Cold Symptoms). If this theory is correct, then people with active immune systems may be more prone to developing cold symptoms than people with less active immune systems!

Myth 2:
Central heating dries the mucus membranes of the nose and makes a person more susceptible to catching a cold.
Facts:
1. As discussed above, a cold virus does not need the help of dry mucus membranes to initiate a cold once it enters the nose (72, also see How Cold Virus Infection Occurs).

2. The nasal mucus membrane is very resistant to the effects of low humidity. Volunteers placed in chambers where the humidity was dramatically lowered (9% relative humidity, such as found in a desert) still have normal clearance function of the nasal mucus membrane. (73, 74) Low humidity makes the nose feel dry but the mucus membrane still continues to work normally.

3. The cold season in the United States typically begins in late August and early September at a time when temperatures are still moderate and central heating is not being used. (74, 75) September is the time of a major common cold epidemic despite people not being exposed to the drying effects of central heating.

Myth 3:
Becoming cold or chilled leads to catching a cold.
Facts:
1. As discussed above, almost everybody becomes infected whether they are chilled or not, if cold virus is dropped into the nose. (72)

2. One study has looked at this question. It was found that colds were no more frequent or severe in volunteers who were chilled than those who were not. (76)
Myth 4:
Having cold symptoms is good for you because they help you get over a cold, therefore you should not treat a cold.
Facts:
1. Approximately 25% of people who get a cold virus infection do not develop symptoms and yet they get over the infection as well as people who do have symptoms (5, 72, also see How Virus Infection Occurs).

2. The nose can only respond to irritative events such as a cold virus infection or dust or pollen entering the nose in a limited number of ways. Sneezing and nasal secretions are useful in removing dust and pollen from the nose but do not eliminate cold viruses since the virus is multiplying inside the nasal cells where it is safe.

3. Nose blowing propels nasal secretions into the sinus cavity. (41) Nasal secretions contain viruses, bacteria, and inflammatory mediators all of which are able to produce inflammation in the sinus cavity. This may lead to secondary bacterial infection.

4. Nose blowing, sneezing, and coughing benefit the virus by helping spread it to other people (see How Colds are Spread).

5. Commercially available and FDA approved cold treatments are safe and effective (see Treatment). It makes sense to use them because they benefit the cold sufferer and may help prevent the spread of colds.
Myth 5:
Drinking milk causes increased nasal mucus during a cold.
Facts:
1. Milk and mucus may look alike, but milk is digested like any other protein and is not specifically converted into nasal mucus.

2. An Australian study was actually done in volunteers to address this question. (77) It showed that people drinking lots of milk had no more nasal mucus than those not drinking milk.
Myth 6:
You should feed a cold (and starve a fever).
Facts:
1. The origin of this old saying is obscure. There is no scientific evidence that excess eating will cure a cold.

2. On the other hand, eating tasty food will not make a cold worse and may help the cold victim feel better. Commoncold.org features tasty recipes for the cold sufferer.

http://www.commoncold.org/special1.htm

I can state, without fear of contradiction, that witches do not like turnips when said vegetable is used as a projectile.

I can state, without fear of contradiction, that witches do not like turnips when said vegetable is used as a projectile.

I knew a witch who only liked turnips that had been thrown and even then, just during the flight. Once they landed and became a foodstuff she wan’t interested.

woody2000
Complete bollards

It’s a virus – being out in the woods on your own, in the cold sounds like the perfect place to completely avoid catching a virus

Very true

You can catch a cold by picking up the virus on your hands and transferring it to your nose. I wonder idly if any environmental situation which makes you touch your face could increase the likelyhood of catching a cold? Cold weather making your eyes water and nose run so that needs wiping, perhaps?

So if I only touch my face with clean hands – I’ll never get a cold?

So if I only touch my face with clean hands – I’ll never get a cold

If the cold VIRUS doesn’t get to your face, you’ll not get a cold.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15987082

2. On the other hand, eating tasty food will not make a cold worse and may help the cold victim feel better. Commoncold.org features tasty recipes for the cold sufferer.

Chicken soup. Panacea for all ills.

Sweet, thing is that goes against what I have been told my whole life. Time to put the theory to the test, hopefully I’ll stay sniffle free this year all thanks to this thread.

No, you’ll still get a cold.

Well at least I won’t have to wrap myself up like a Christmas present anyway.

You might avoid tinsellitis that way…

Is it true that wee kills the common cold virus? If so, should I wash my hands after going to the toilet?

I am sure crikeys website will have the answer, it is after all published by a highly reputable medical organisation.

I imagine the only reason he’s not responded in detail yet is that he’s still researching!

I am sure crikeys website will have the answer, it is after all published by a highly reputable medical organisation.

It suffices for the level of debate one encounters.

If you have alternative sources to either confirm or deny, be my guest.

Anyway, I find the best way to ward of colds is too burn a witch, that generates heat so it must be inversely true that the cold increases the chance of catching a cold.