What You Should Know About Getting Sick From Cold Weather

Are you wondering why you seem to catch a cold every time there is a sudden drop in temperature? If it's true that you can't get sick from cold weather, why do you always seem to get sick during a cold snap? Check out these probable causes and learn that while you can not get sick from the cold weather itself, you can get sick from being chilled. You may also suffer from a condition that looks very much like an allergy to cold weather.

You can't get sick from cold weather
Modern thought tells us that you can't get sick from cold weather; you can only get sick from a cold virus. The cold weather weakens your immune system making you more susceptible to the viruses already present. The thinking is that during colder weather you spend more time inside where there is poor air circulation and not enough fresh air. You are also spending more time around other people making the spread of germs more likely. So while the temperature itself does not make you sick, it does encourage behaviors that increase your exposure to the viruses that cause colds.

You can get sick from being cold
Researchers in Cardiff, Wales have determined that 'catching a chill' really can help a cold to develop. This is not quite the same thing as catching a cold from cold weather. The idea is that during the cold season you may already be infected with a cold, but not showing symptoms. When you catch a chill, the blood vessels in the nose constrict, shutting off the warm blood that supplies the infection fighting white blood cells. Without these defenses the virus is able to strengthen in the body and cold symptoms develop. You haven't actually 'caught' a cold, conditions allowed an already present infection to take hold.

You are experiencing vasomotor (non-allergenic) rhinitis
Non-allergenic rhinitis looks very much like an allergic reaction to cold weather. Vasomotor rhinitis has the same symptoms of allergic rhinitis, but different causes. Where the allergy sufferer will react to pollen, mold, dust or dander, the non-allergenic sufferer will respond with allergy-like symptoms to changes in temperature, weather or barometric pressure. Symptoms may also be triggered by exposure to chemical irritants, stress, medications, alcohol and spicy food.

Although non-allergenic rhinitis is still not fully understood, it is believed to be caused by overactive or excessive blood vessels in the nose. You don't actually have a cold, but the symptoms of runny nose, sneezing and sore throat will make you feel like you do. Additionally, while the symptoms are present you may be more susceptible to catching a real cold.

There you have it. While you can't actually get sick from the cold weather, you can get sick from being chilled. And if you are sensitive to sudden temperature changes, you may also experience allergy-like symptoms that mimic a cold, leaving you more vulnerable to getting sick or allowing a low-grade infection to strengthen. With this in mind, stay alert to changing weather conditions and be ready to limit your exposure to temperature extremes that can lead to to colds and cold-like symptoms.