LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Those who say that you should bundle up before heading outside to prevent a cold might be wrong, according to an expert with Sparrow.
Summer Clay, a Physician Assistant (PA) with Sparrow, said that common colds are caused by viruses, but more specifically, the rhinovirus.
“You cannot alone get sick by going out in cold weather,” said Clay.
So, turns out parents, and anyone else who has used that phrase, isn’y exactly right.
The common cold is called the cold because its symptoms mimic how our bodies respond to cooler weather.
“Most of us have already experienced it, we go out to shovel, and we take that deep breath of crisp cool air, and all of a sudden we cough,” continued Clay.
That’s just kind of our lungs’ spasmatic response to the cool, crisp air.
Clay even said that while shoveling the snow, it’s possible to feel congestion in our nasal passageways, even causing a runny nose.
Despite this, when heading back indoors, the congestion and runny nose settle down.
Research reports that viruses can be preserved in cooler temperatures, and we do see a rise in infections in the winter.
Clay attributed the increase in infections as having to do with how we respond to cold weather, especially by spending more time inside.
