Waterloo researcher shares why we get sick when the mercury dips
If it feels as though more people get sick when the weather turns cold, that’s because they do. Dr. Brian Dixon, a professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Waterloo, says there is a connection between outside temperatures and our bodies. He recently collaborated with Dr. Julie Old from Western Sydney University on a recent academic paper and an informative video on temperature and immunity.
Can you catch a cold from the cold?
Partly, yes. Colds become more frequent in the winter as people head indoors and congregate together more, but the dry air also reduces the temperature in your nose and mouth a little. The cold virus thrives in that cooler temperature in your nose. Your skin is your biggest immune organ because it forms a barrier to the outside. Winter dryness can cause cracks in the skin inside your nose, opening the door to pathogens. And colder temperatures impair our immune system, and thus, viruses can get a foothold.
Why do we tend to get sick when the weather changes?
Changes in weather, particularly temperature, can cause stress to our bodies. Stress causes our bodies to produce molecules that suppress the immune system in the short term. Energy is diverted to other body systems, our fight-or-flight mode, making it easier for pathogens to infect us. When an invader gets in, in this case a virus, your immune cells send a message to your brain’s thermostat, the hypothalamus, and tells it to crank the heat. A fever is your body actively fighting back.
What role is climate change playing in how often we get sick?
Climate change is altering temperatures over large geographic scales, which can make it easy or necessary for animals to migrate into new territories. For example, in North America, wildlife can now range further north than they did before. These new species bring new pathogens with them that can now cause infections not previously seen in northern areas.
How can we avoid getting sick at this time of year?
Keep your body's fight-or-flight mode at bay by dressing for the weather when you’re going outside. Follow all public health guidelines, such as regularly washing your hands and cleaning high-touch surfaces. Keep your vaccines up to date, especially against emerging pathogens like new flu strains, particularly if you travel.
The article, What’s cooking? The effect of temperature on the immune response, appears in Frontiers in Immunology. The video, Temperature’s Hidden Power, is available on YouTube.
