Although winter has just begun, everyone around us seems to be sick with the flu, colds, sore throats and general weakness. We decided to check out what really makes us sick in this cold season, and also shatter some common myths.
Winter has finally arrived, and with it all the chills, colds, sore throats, general weakness, and of course the flu have returned to our lives. As every year, with the return of winter illnesses, the inbox of Walla! Health is filled with one common question: Do people really get sick from going outside with wet hair?
The quick answer is no.
This is a kind of myth, like many others. The more detailed answer is that various winter ailments are caused by viruses that like cool weather and the outdoors.
Rhinovirus, one of the common viruses that causes chills, prefers to reproduce at a temperature below 37 degrees Celsius, and when the temperature drops to 33 degrees in the nasal cavities, this virus has a perfect home.
While wet hair can lower body temperature and weaken the immune system, it alone doesn’t cause flu or colds.
Stay in a warm room or go out to breathe cool air?
There are other viruses that thrive in cool temperatures, including adenovirus, parainfluenza and influenza virus.
Infection with these viruses is caused by body fluids like sneezing, leaving used tissue on the table or not washing hands often enough. Last year, when we adhered to significant hygiene rules, kept disinfecting our hands and wore masks most of the time, there were many fewer cases of colds and flu. This year, we see when we go out that everyone is less meticulous, so colds and flu cases are rapidly spreading.
Compared to these viruses, there are parasites that actually prefer moisture and warmth. It was therefore customary in the days of the Soviet government to take children out for several hours a day in order to air out. There are many pictures from the 1930s showing toddlers lying in cribs when all that surrounds them is snow. They put kids outside, fully believing this would prevent them from various ailments, especially tuberculosis.
Preschool workers had to make sure the children were well dressed, but they were required to wear a winter coat only when temperatures dropped below 4 degrees, and sleeping outside was allowed at temperatures above 10 degrees.
Is this strategy effective?
The truth as always is somewhere in the middle.
Keep rooms well ventilated, especially when the sun is shining, maintain an average body temperature, keep washing your hands, and also eat hot soup.
Yes, this myth is actually quite accurate. Chicken soup and tea will help the body recover from the cold. At least two studies have found that chicken soup helps clear nasal congestion and phlegm, and it also has anti-inflammatory ingredients.