Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Do cold temperatures cause colds?

Manoj Jain, MD, MPH
Conditions
February 11, 2014
Share
Tweet
Share

The day after the temperature dipped from 60 degrees to 25 degrees, I mistakenly left for work without a winter jacket. Rushing 50 yards to the hospital doors with my arms clung to my chest in the blistering cold, my tie flew over my shoulders, my teeth chattered, and my fingers went numb.

That evening I began to sniffle. The next morning I had a sore throat, and the following day my nose would not stop running during a meeting. So I wondered, does being out in the cold cause you to get the cold?

As an infectious disease doctor, I felt a little embarrassed that I didn’t know the definitive answer to this simple question. Especially since I repeatedly rebuke my teenage children for not taking a jacket to school or wearing socks and a sweater at home.

I learned in medical school that the common cold, a viral infection, is not caused by its namesake “the cold” but rather by a small infectious agent that infiltrates the cells and hijacks the cell’s machinery to replicate itself until the culprit particles are effectively destroyed by the immune cells of the body.

So I began my search to find the reason for the correlation. (Yes, doctors do Google searches to find medical answers too — cautiously though). The most entertaining and informative resource was the asapscience video, which had 4.3 million views.

Here are some facts. Without doubt, during the winter time there are an increased number of respiratory infections caused by over 200 difference viruses, including picornaviruses (common cold) and orthomyxoviruses (influenza). In the winter, as many as 5 of 100 patients coming to the emergency room have a “flu-like illness” compared to less than 1 per 100 during the summer seasons.

So what is it about the winter season? No one knows for sure, but there are three possible reasons. First, during cold winter days people tend to stay indoors leading to more person-to-person interactions and increasing the spread of hundreds of viruses.

Second, cold weather leads to lower humidity, which causes the mucous in our nostrils to become dry, hence reducing the protective layer. One study on guinea pigs showed that a respiratory virus is transmitted much more easily at 20 percent humidity and 41 degrees compared to not at all at 80 percent humidity and 86 degrees.

Lastly, in the winter season people get less vitamin D due to lower sun exposure, leading to lower immune response, which may cause increase infections by the cold viruses.

Honestly, I didn’t find any of these arguments very convincing, so I researched further and found an interesting study about getting a cold after having cold feet. In a 2005 study in Family Practice Journal, researchers studied 180 subjects and randomly dipped half the subjects feet in a 10 degree bowl of water for 20 minutes. A few days later, 13 of the 90 chilled subjects reported cold symptoms compared to 4 of the 90 un-chilled ones. For me, this study put it all together.

So here is what I think happened to me. The day the temperature dipped below freezing and I was walking in and out of hospitals without my jacket, the cold temperatures caused my blood vessels to vasocontrict — that is, to take blood away from the surface of my skin to the core of the body in order to conserve heat. (Studies from the cold feet study show that even when feet are placed in the cold, the vessels of the nose vasoconstrict.) This led to less blood flow and less protective white cells to the face and nose area and less mucous and further virus replication.

Also, it was likely that I had dormant “subclinical ” viruses in my nose, which were acquired due to increased person-to-person interaction during the winter season, and one of these viruses found the perfect opportunity, with my depressed immune system, to attack. End result: a cold due to the cold.

So my suggestion of best ways to prevent the cold is to follow the Super Bowl teams’ strategy — a good defense. We can build our immune system by eating right (getting our vitamins A, C, D and E through fruits and vegetables), getting sleep over 7 hours a night, doing relaxation and meditation for 10 minutes a day, exercising regularly for 30 minutes a day, and staying bundled with a warm jacket and thick socks.

ADVERTISEMENT

Now only if I can follow my own advice.

Manoj Jain is an infectious disease physician and contributor to the Washington Post and The Commercial Appeal.  He can be reached at his self-titled site, Dr. Manoj Jain. This article originally appeared in The Huffington Post.

Prev

5 truths about fevers in children

February 10, 2014 Kevin 3
…
Next

How can patients assess what is a true emergency?

February 11, 2014 Kevin 13
…

Tagged as: Infectious Disease

Post navigation

< Previous Post
5 truths about fevers in children
Next Post >
How can patients assess what is a true emergency?

ADVERTISEMENT

More by Manoj Jain, MD, MPH

  • 3 steps to a better health care system

    Manoj Jain, MD, MPH
  • How this physician transitions to becoming an empty nester

    Manoj Jain, MD, MPH
  • Health care in American is on life support, and the future is uncharted

    Manoj Jain, MD, MPH

More in Conditions

  • Why Hollywood’s allergy jokes are dangerous

    Lianne Mandelbaum, PT
  • Coconut oil’s role in Alzheimer’s and depression

    Marc Arginteanu, MD
  • Ancient health secrets for modern life

    Larry Kaskel, MD
  • How the internet broke the doctor-parent trust

    Wendy L. Hunter, MD
  • Mpox isn’t over: A silent epidemic is growing

    Melvin Sanicas, MD
  • How your family system secretly shapes your health

    Su Yeong Kim, PhD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The human case for preserving the nipple after mastectomy

      Thomas Amburn, MD | Conditions
    • Nuclear verdicts and rising costs: How inflation is reshaping medical malpractice claims

      Robert E. White, Jr. & The Doctors Company | Policy
    • How new loan caps could destroy diversity in medical education

      Caleb Andrus-Gazyeva | Policy
    • IMGs are the future of U.S. primary care

      Adam Brandon Bondoc, MD | Physician
    • Why doctors struggle with family caregiving and how to find grace [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Locum tenens: Reclaiming purpose, autonomy, and financial freedom in medicine

      Trevor Cabrera, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • Health equity in Inland Southern California requires urgent action

      Vishruth Nagam | Policy
    • How restrictive opioid policies worsen the crisis

      Kayvan Haddadan, MD | Physician
    • Why primary care needs better dermatology training

      Alex Siauw | Conditions
    • Why pain doctors face unfair scrutiny and harsh penalties in California

      Kayvan Haddadan, MD | Physician
    • How a doctor defied a hurricane to save a life

      Dharam Persaud-Sharma, MD, PhD | Physician
    • What street medicine taught me about healing

      Alina Kang | Education
  • Recent Posts

    • How trust and communication power successful dyad leadership in health care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why Hollywood’s allergy jokes are dangerous

      Lianne Mandelbaum, PT | Conditions
    • How I learned to love my unique name as a doctor

      Zoran Naumovski, MD | Physician
    • My first week on night float as a medical student

      Amish Jain | Education
    • What Beauty and the Beast taught me about risk

      Jayson Greenberg, MD | Physician
    • Creating safe, authentic group experiences

      Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH | Physician

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 3 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The human case for preserving the nipple after mastectomy

      Thomas Amburn, MD | Conditions
    • Nuclear verdicts and rising costs: How inflation is reshaping medical malpractice claims

      Robert E. White, Jr. & The Doctors Company | Policy
    • How new loan caps could destroy diversity in medical education

      Caleb Andrus-Gazyeva | Policy
    • IMGs are the future of U.S. primary care

      Adam Brandon Bondoc, MD | Physician
    • Why doctors struggle with family caregiving and how to find grace [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Locum tenens: Reclaiming purpose, autonomy, and financial freedom in medicine

      Trevor Cabrera, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • Health equity in Inland Southern California requires urgent action

      Vishruth Nagam | Policy
    • How restrictive opioid policies worsen the crisis

      Kayvan Haddadan, MD | Physician
    • Why primary care needs better dermatology training

      Alex Siauw | Conditions
    • Why pain doctors face unfair scrutiny and harsh penalties in California

      Kayvan Haddadan, MD | Physician
    • How a doctor defied a hurricane to save a life

      Dharam Persaud-Sharma, MD, PhD | Physician
    • What street medicine taught me about healing

      Alina Kang | Education
  • Recent Posts

    • How trust and communication power successful dyad leadership in health care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why Hollywood’s allergy jokes are dangerous

      Lianne Mandelbaum, PT | Conditions
    • How I learned to love my unique name as a doctor

      Zoran Naumovski, MD | Physician
    • My first week on night float as a medical student

      Amish Jain | Education
    • What Beauty and the Beast taught me about risk

      Jayson Greenberg, MD | Physician
    • Creating safe, authentic group experiences

      Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH | Physician

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Do cold temperatures cause colds?
3 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...