Can cold weather make you ill? And other winter myths

Can cold weather give you a cold?

We all associate the winter with having more colds - and for good reason. But is it the cold weather that triggers these uncomfortable winter viruses?

Dr Ed Pooley, JRB Healthcare says: "The cold can't actually give you a cold. But when it's cold, people tend to cluster together indoors, so there's an association in winter months and increased chance of viral illness."

Dr Sarah Jarvis says cold weather may reduce the effectiveness of your first line of defence - your nostrils.

"Lots of viruses are trapped in the mucus in your nose," she says. "The mucus is wafted out by tiny hairs called cilia, preventing the viruses from penetrating any deeper. Cold weather makes the beating movements of the cilia less efficient and they stop beating entirely below 4C."

Also, if the lining of your nose is cold, blood vessels constrict, possibly reducing the ability of white cells from your immune system to reach the nose and wipe out the viruses."

The obvious solution, she suggests, is to cover your nose with a scarf - or face covering - when out in cold air.

Should you starve a fever?

Should we really starve a fever and feed a cold? According to Pooley, this is another myth.

"Medically speaking, you should be eating nutritious, healthy food to prevent illness or improve recovery time," he says. "The only time where this might have some worth is if you have gastroenteritis or a viral infection in your gut. In that case, changing what you eat might be helpful. Reducing your intake of foods containing lactose and spicy foods may reduce irritation."

Do you lose heat from your head?

You may have heard that 50% of your body heat is lost through your head. In actual fact, the number is more like 7-10%. Still, it's worth popping on a winter hat in any case.

"Your body works hard to keep the brain warm, so you do lose some heat from your head," explains Pooley. "Also, if you're in a sunny place, despite the cold you may need to wear a hat to protect your head from sun damage - for example, if you're skiing."

Will going out without shoes make you ill?

If we're dashing into the garden to get the washing, or standing on the front step to wave goodbye to visitors, will stepping outside without our shoes make us ill?

Pooley says: "Generally speaking it's not advisable to go out in the cold without shoes on. If your feet are cold you're going to reduce blood supply and increase your chance of illness, especially if you have diabetes or poor circulation. But nipping outside barefoot to grab something quickly won't make a difference to most people."

Are you immune after a cold?

Once you've had a cold, you won't catch it again – right?

"Sadly that's false," says Pooley. "The resistance you develop to a cold only lasts for a transient amount of time. Plus cold viruses mutate so quickly it's hard to develop any sort of immunity. However, if you've had a period of time when you haven't been exposed to any cold viruses, you may be even more prone."

Patient picks for Healthcare

General health and lifestyle

What's the average height for men?

How do you measure up against the average height for men in your country? Height has been linked to life expectancy, diseases, and even academic and financial success. Here we explore what can your height and waistline can reveal about your health.

by Amberley Davis

General health and lifestyle

Exercise and physical activity

Doing regular physical activity can make people feel good about themselves and it can have a number of benefits for health. For example, it reduces the risk of developing heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, many cancers, type 2 diabetes and 'thinning' of the bones (osteoporosis). Regular physical activity also helps to control weight and ease stress. Ideally, the aim should be at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on at least five days of the week but even 10 minutes is better than nothing. You should aim to do at least a couple of sessions of muscle-strengthening activities per week as well.

by Dr Pippa Vincent, MRCGP

Can chicken soup speed recovery?

Myths abound around this nutritious dish, but can chicken soup really help us to get better more quickly?

Pooley explains that chicken soup may be helpful, but only because it's nutritious with vitamins, minerals and protein and a good way of getting extra fluid into the body.

"There's nothing special about it," he adds. "But it's important to relieve dehydration, which can thicken mucus and make you feel more unwell. So taking plenty of fluids is a good idea. And you can include chicken soup among these if you wish - after all, it tastes nice and may have a psychological benefit."

Should you avoid exercise when sick?

Is it a good idea to skip exercise when you're under the weather?

"In some cases, it's a good idea, but in others staying active won't make much difference," says Pooley. "For instance, if you're mildly unwell with an upper respiratory tract infection, a bit of exercise to reduce aches and keep your blood pumping could give you a boost. But I wouldn't recommend pushing your body too hard.

"If you're more seriously ill, you probably won't feel able to exercise anyway."

Can the flu jab give you flu?

Rumours about the flu jab giving us a flu-like illness can be off-putting. But is it really possible that having this injection can give you a dose of the flu? No it does not.

Jarvis says: "The adult flu vaccine doesn't contain any live virus. That means there is no way it can trigger flu in you. Virus infections happen when viruses multiply inside your cells - and dead viruses can't breed.

"There are two main reasons this myth has come about. As your body adjusts to the vaccine, it is creating antibodies to an illness you haven't had. Some people may experience a few aches and pains or a headache, and may associate this feeling with the flu, but it's impossible for the jab to give you the illness itself.

"In addition, you are usually given the flu vaccine at the time of year when lots of people are coming down with colds. So if you have the vaccine when you're brewing a cold, you may develop symptoms a few days later and blame the vaccine."

Should you up your vitamin C?

Whether it's munching on clementines or crunching on tablets, vitamin C has long been associated with giving our immune system a boost. But is it a good idea to up our intake in the winter months?

Pooley advises: "Vitamin C is good for general immune function and heath. Taking it as part of a multivitamin tablet or a one-a-day dose can be helpful. But taking a high dose for a long time isn't going to do much. Taking too much just means you'll be peeing out any excess."

It's important to look after your health, particularly during wintertime when cold viruses tend to be more common. This means wrapping up, eating a nutritious diet and generally adopting a healthy lifestyle. But paying attention to winter myths probably won't make much difference at all.