It may have happened to you or someone you know. You head to the bathroom to take a shower and here comes a family member – usually concerned mothers – with a stern warning about the shower and the cold weather and how the two do not mix.
“You know, you shouldn’t shower and then go outside,” they say. “You’ll get sick.”
And there are more myths related to cold weather. There are also beliefs like “there’s no need to stay hydrated in cold weather” and “drinking alcohol will make you feel warm.”
Myth #1: Wetting your hair or showering before leaving the house can make you sick
Litchfield: “The short answer is no. In fact, the actual temperature in the air doesn’t make us more or less susceptible to getting sick directly. What generally happens is that we are more likely to stay indoors during the winter months when it’s cold, and thus we are more prone to contracting viral illnesses from other people around us. This occurs because it’s cold outside, and we’ve even adopted the phrase ‘cold’ to describe the experience we have when we get sick. I think in people’s minds, it’s totally irresistible. It’s cold outside and now I’ve caught a cold. The temperature itself doesn’t make us more susceptible to illness, but we’re more likely to get sick in winter because we’re together indoors more.”
Myth #2: Swimming in the winter makes you more prone to catching a cold
Litchfield: “This is also a myth. In fact, one could argue that any physical activity that is good, healthy, and safe makes us less susceptible to getting sick because it stimulates our immune system. Our bodies are designed for movement, and the more we move our bodies, generally, the healthier we are. If we’re in tight spaces, like a locker room or with other people, that’s the reason we might get sick or catch a cold.”
Myth #3: Swimming in the winter may increase your risk of ear infections
Chigganos: “Swimming in general or any other exposure to water is a known risk factor for external ear infections known as swimmer’s ear, but this risk does not increase in the winter. This risk is the same whether you swim in winter or swim in summer. Exposure to cold or swimming does not increase the risk of bacterial middle ear infections.”
Myth #4: Wearing layers of clothing will help keep you warm
Linder: “In fact, I bike to work year-round in Chicago. Layers, especially something that insulates and can trap warm air close to your body, like a nice warm fabric or wool, is a good thing. The outer layer that is wind-resistant and waterproof will help keep you warm.”
Myth #5: Drinking alcohol will make you feel warm
Litchfield: “Alcohol dulls some of the sensations of cold and can be very dangerous in winter. If we drink too much, it dulls our awareness of cold and pain. If we’re outside in the cold and our body temperature drops significantly, our central nervous system will try to tell us ‘Hey, it’s really cold. You need to put on a coat or go inside.’ Alcohol dulls these sensations so we might stay outside too long and put ourselves in a very dangerous situation due to the drop in temperature.”
Myth #6: Sunscreen is not needed in winter
Chigganos: “Sunscreen is always necessary, regardless of the season. In fact, our exposure to UV rays can increase or intensify due to reflection off snow and ice, so skiing and mountain walking enthusiasts should take extra precautions because elevation and dry air in the mountains can increase UV levels. The body tends to produce more melatonin in the summer, which is a substance that protects against UV rays, less in the winter.”
Myth
Myth Number 7: You lose 90% of your body heat through your head
Litchfield: “This is not true. Our heads have a very rich blood supply, so a lot of heat escapes through our brain and scalp and the muscles surrounding our scalp. Additionally, our heads have more nerves than some other parts of our bodies. We feel cold when exposed to the cold right away. The fact about heat loss is that our body loses heat approximately at the same rate over most of its surface. The real figure is about 10%. We lose about 10% of our heat through our heads because our heads make up about 10% of our body surface.”
Myth Number 8: If you fall through ice and into water, you will die from hypothermia instantly
Chiganos: “You won’t die from hypothermia instantly, but the shock of cold water can trigger a panic response and the urge to gasp for air while you are underwater, leading to drowning. If you can avoid that, over the next several minutes, loss of muscle control can happen, which can be a problem in trying to survive. Hypothermia itself will start over a matter of minutes – about half an hour. It won’t be hypothermia that kills you instantly. It will be drowning due to inhaling water, but of course, if you stay in the water too long, then hypothermia will occur. It’s always best to try to keep your body out of the water as much as possible. If you have a flotation device, stay on the surface and of course, try to get out of the water as quickly as you can.”
Myth Number 9: If you are stuck and thirsty, you should eat snow
Litchfield: “This is only true in two cases. It is better to avoid eating snow, if possible. The danger of eating snow is that it will lower your core body temperature very quickly. It’s not necessarily comfortable, but you can survive without water for several days and usually be fine in terms of survival. But let’s say someone was lost or stuck in cold weather and they weren’t near any source of water, and they hadn’t brought any water with them; in that case, their biggest enemy would be the cold. Their most valuable resource is the heat already in their body, and by eating snow, you are wasting that precious heat resource by trying to melt the snow. The water itself at that moment will be worth almost nothing compared to the heat.”
Myth Number 10: It is not necessary to stay hydrated in cold weather
Linder: “That is definitely not true. You can dry out significantly in cold weather. In fact, because of the extreme dryness of the air when it is cold, you need to be careful not to get dehydrated when it is cold. If you are engaging in activities that last more than an hour, it’s likely that you are sweating and/or breathing out enough fluids that you need to think about drinking liquids and keeping yourself hydrated.”
Myth Number 11: Exercising in cold weather is dangerous
Litchfield: “It’s not dangerous unless there’s ice. The only thing that is uniquely dangerous about exercising in cold weather is icy surfaces. Falling can be extremely dangerous. Running or biking on icy roads is definitely risky. I usually advise people not to bike on icy roads. If they are going to walk or run, it’s best to have some kind of ice-covered tread or something like that on their athletic shoes. There are many companies that make and market shoe covers with grips for traction.”
Myth
Number 12: Cold Weather Means More Migraines
Chighanos: “Migraines can be triggered by many environmental factors such as changes in air pressure (atmospheric pressure), humidity, and significant and sudden weather changes (something that causes a sudden drop or rise in temperature). Everyone is different and I think it’s important to know and learn what your specific migraine triggers can be in order to avoid them.”
Final thoughts from health experts on cold weather and how to protect yourself
In addition to the myths about cold weather that spread throughout the country, there are also some overlooked health issues associated with cold weather.
Most people are unaware that there is a very high risk of heart attacks when shoveling snow, according to Litchfield, a family medicine specialist from Washington.
“Many strong and healthy men have died from heart attacks while shoveling snow,” Litchfield told USA TODAY. “There are many theories… one of them is that often when we go out to shovel snow, we don’t do any warming up exercises at all. We elevate our heart rate from a baseline to a very high rate very quickly.”
The lack of transition from baseline heart rate to a high rate puts stress on the body. Doctors also believe that heart attacks may be due to the arm movements required for shoveling snow, he said.
Chighanos, an emergency medicine doctor in Illinois, said that frostbite is often misdiagnosed or overlooked as well. He emphasized the importance of knowing the signs of frostbite or less severe freeze damage.
Signs include loss of sensation and pain, Chighanos said.
“Remove any wet clothing and begin warming the affected tissues as best as you can,” he said. “It’s important not to walk on your frozen feet. Don’t rub or massage the frostbitten areas… come to the emergency room as soon as possible so we can assess the area.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Do low temperatures make you sick? Experts debunk winter health myths
Source: https://www.aol.com/cold-temperatures-really-sick-experts-115517363.html
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