Does being cold cause you to catch a cold?

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My coworker says "yes, it weakens your immune system and allows the cold to develop."

I say, "no, colds are caused by viruses, not body temperature."

Which is it?

― andy ---, Wednesday, 4 January 2006 00:37 (twenty years ago)

you

― caitlin oh no (caitxa1), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 00:39 (twenty years ago)

no.

From a kid's health site:

False. Cold weather, wet hair, and chills don't cause colds. Viruses do. People tend to catch colds more often in the winter because these viruses are spread more easily indoors, where there may be more contact with dry air and people with colds. Dry air - indoors or out - can lower a person's resistance to infection.

― Miss Misery xox (MissMiseryTX), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 00:39 (twenty years ago)

No.
Duuno about Hypothermia and Pneumonia though....

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 00:41 (twenty years ago)

yes.

Mothers 'were right' over colds

― Alba (Alba), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 00:42 (twenty years ago)

is 29% vs 9% really that different if it's just 180 people?

― caitlin oh no (caitxa1), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 00:44 (twenty years ago)

i mean i really don't know

― caitlin oh no (caitxa1), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 00:44 (twenty years ago)

Pneumonia is often caused by colds and with hypothermia that probably would depend if the person saving you had a cold.

― Miss Misery xox (MissMiseryTX), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 00:45 (twenty years ago)

but being out in the cold does cause runny noses, right?

― Maria (Maria), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 00:45 (twenty years ago)

is 29% vs 9% really that different if it's just 180 people?

My rough memory of stats says yes, probably. Acceptably probably.

― Alba (Alba), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 00:46 (twenty years ago)

From the article above note:

"Although the chilled subject believes they have 'caught a cold' what has, in fact, happened is that the dormant infection has taken hold."

― Miss Misery xox (MissMiseryTX), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 00:46 (twenty years ago)

i'm going to use my calculator

― caitlin oh no (caitxa1), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 00:46 (twenty years ago)

only my wife's grandparents and other old people believe this

― kyle (akmonday), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 00:47 (twenty years ago)

Well yes, but a cold developing is what is commonly understood by "catching a cold". I mean, who cares about dormant infections?

x-post

― Alba (Alba), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 00:47 (twenty years ago)

Whenever I work outside in the rain I get sick. And my landscaping partner is even worse--she gets pneumonia. BELIEVE!!!!!

― Beth Parker (Beth Parker), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 01:06 (twenty years ago)

I really don't feel like the dispute has been resolved.

― andy ---, Wednesday, 4 January 2006 01:18 (twenty years ago)

Being cold on it's own will not give you a cold. An impaired immune system caused or exacerbated by exposure could lead to an infection having bad enough symptoms as to be noticeable as a 'cold'.

― M. White (Miguelito), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 01:21 (twenty years ago)

The concise voice of reason resolveth.

― Alba (Alba), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 01:22 (twenty years ago)

I've heard it's the dryness of winter that causes them to spread more during that time of year, i.e. a virus can survive longer outside the body in arid weather. Snow is dry; the rain we're seeing in San Francisco is not.

― andy ---, Wednesday, 4 January 2006 01:28 (twenty years ago)

two weeks pass...

Stumbling around drunk in the street will not likely cause you to die. It is only being hit with a car that causes you to die. But stumbling around drunk in the street sure raises the probability of being struck by that car, same theory. Being cold doesnt actually cause the cold, but it sure raises the likelihood of it occuring.

― guh, Tuesday, 24 January 2006 18:34 (twenty years ago)

Wait now: mothers "were right" over colds? Over?

― nABOUT?sco (nabisco), Tuesday, 24 January 2006 18:43 (twenty years ago)

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