Exploring the Facts Around Catching a Cold because it is Cold Outside
The following is a transcript of the Episode 7 of theChoiceFM podcast. Which can be listened to for free via Youtube here.
Hello and welcome to theChoiceFM podcast.
I’m FD Gifford and today is January 2nd, 2018. I will be your host for the next 15 or so minutes
Now, if you are new, I hope this show will soon become a favorite, and if get value from our regular broadcast, please hit the SUBSCRIBE button so you will be notified of our next episode release. As you may or may not know – TheChoiceFM podcast is my primary broadcast vehicle and is hoped to be only a part of the ywnh media company.
Those of you new to the community, this show is intended to be distributed at least once a week, more than likely more often, and I plan to cover the important topics of our time and how they impact our daily life, and lifestyle, from a health & wealth perspective. TheChoiceFM content is a combination of reporting news & information as found & determined by the show’s editors, along with their review and commentary.
I invite you to join me each episode, share the broadcast with your friends & family, post comments and maybe someday join us on air, as either a caller, or guest.
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Now let’s kick off the show…
Today, I wanted to share with you my thoughts on topic griping most of the nation this first week of 2018. The fact is this story is the “hot topic” of the day, and week. But before you jump off this channel and give me the “cold shoulder”, today’s story is about the Cold Artic Blast so many American’s are experiencing this week. Now this is not going to be my version of the Weather Channel. Instead, let’s explore the widely held belief that you can Catch a Cold from it being cold outside.
First up today… is a story by Katie Heaney, titled, “It’s Suddenly Cold out. Am I Going to Get Sick?”
Heaney, starts her story in New York a few weeks back. As she reports, “the temperature in New York, dropped something like 30 degrees in the span of a day, A month or so earlier, the city had seen the reverse-a 40-something-degree day was followed soon after by an unseasonable 70-degree one.”
Now, unlike Ms. Heaney, the weather is not my favorite “boring thing to talk about”. In fact, I believe when people start talking about the weather, they are generally trying to make small talk to avoid an awkward silence.
But this time, the discussion of weather quite often comes around to a related topic. The “mild seasonal illness” as she calls it. Unfortunately, many Americans believe the reason they are sick is the related to the temperature, or more likely that illness follows “a sizable change in temperature”.
So, what does the research show?
Per her article, she cites, “a pulmonologist at St. Joseph Hospital, in Orange, California”. He suggests, “changing weather can make you sick, but it has less to do with the actual temperature change, and more to do with environmental effects associated with those changes.” Another words, just “existing in cold weather, isn’t, itself likely to make you sick.” He cites research on a “2002 meta analysis“, supporting his opinion. You can read the study yourself, to confirm his opinion, or make up your own mind.
Now the doctor does suggest that drops in temperatures, over a rapid rise in temperature is one of the environmental factors he mention. Stating, “in a low-humidity environment, ‘your eyes tend to dry out, the mucous membranes in your nose dry out, and your lungs dry out, and you’re therefore much more susceptible to bacteria and viruses”.
Now I must admit, that I thought the opposite, but this article suggests that “many viruses live longer and can replicate faster in colder temperatures.” For example, “a highly contagious virus such as influenza can stay active and linger for up to 24 hours on a hard surface,” and therefore the colder temperatures “allow it to survive and spread”.
Another cold temperature, environmental factor is a social component. Mild illness spreads, “where people congregate”. Supporting this thinking is a report by KTHV, in Little Rock, Arkansas. The station went out to verify that “old wives tale, we always hear when the weather turns,” “ You’ll catch your death of cold!”
11Alive’s news partners… spoke to a University of Arkansas Medical Science physician of internal medicine…” They asked…Dr. Hopkins… “Can you catch a cold from the cold?”
He responded with “There are a number of studies that show that when the weather is cold and dry, the air is dry that we may get more respiratory infections, including colds and even influenza, that when the weather is warmer or there’s higher humidity.”
I loved the next line by Dr. Hopkins. He reported said, “while the cold weather doesn’t make you sick and germs do”…the “cold weather does create the condition that helps those germs survive.” You can go to the article to follow up on the studies he cites yourself. [Here is the link.]
My bottom line on Cold Weather Colds
You cannot change the weather, but you can significantly impact your personal, and I mean bodily, environment with just a few simple, and affordable methods.
Avoid following the Crowd – Make your own Path – When it is cold out, try to avoid putting yourself in large crowds to reduce exposure to bacteria and viruses. You know that packed holiday flights, airports, train stations, rest stops, etc.
Avoid contact with Germs, especially with your bare hands, those cold hard surfaces, housing some many germs.
If you must, prepare your body in advance, by strengthening your immune system before you come in contact with these pesky germs. Prevention does not come in a quick squirt, to spray, or injection. It takes some planning and follow through to build up and maintain a healthy lifestyle -including a regular diet, exercise, hydration and sleep program before you join the herd.
It is not like you should be surprised it is colder in North American come winter. So, plan for it. Winterize your wellness plan. Adjust your lifestyle like you adjust your wardrobe.
This process is easy for some. Others need help. If you need help, visit my blog at https://yourwellnessnhealth.com/how-can-health-coaching-help-you/ to see what kind of help is available. Or try the DIY method and search of information such as this article at health.com
7 Ways to Boost Your Immune System Naturally. According to an Immunologist. By Chelsey Hamilton, et el.
I would be very interested in your opinion on the subject. You can do that by way of posting your comments below. If you found this presentation valuable, please like and or share it with your friends & family. Have you subscribed to this channel? Just click the button below to turn on Youtube notifications, or join my mailing list via www.ywnhmedia.com.
That’s a wrap… I hope you got some value and will visit my website at ywnhmedia.com, or the soon to be launched theChoiceFM.net site.
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