Free Don't Cross Your Eyes...They'll Get Stuck That Way!: And 75 Other Health Myths Debunked by Aaron E. Carroll Page A
Authors: Aaron E. Carroll
the people who got to stay in warm conditions.
Researchers have even studied the question of whether or not wearing enough clothes when it is cold will make you get sick. In one study, volunteers were divided into groups where some people had to be in very cold conditions, but were allowed to wear warm coats; others had to be in their underwear in 60 degree temperatures; and a third group got to be the lucky ones in 80 degrees of warmth. It turns out that it didn’t matter at all how cold it was or what you were wearing; everyone with the virus stuck into their nose had the same risk of getting infected by that virus.
There has been one study that suggested that if a particular body part got very chilled, you were more likely to report experiencing cold symptoms. In this study, all of the volunteers were again exposed to the cold virus, and then some of them had to keep their feet in very cold water. Those who had chilled feet were more likely to report cold symptoms later on. Does this mean that you better make sure you are wearing warm socks and boots? While having cozy feet is always nice, it won’t necessarily affect whether you get sick. This study could not establish a cause-and-effect relationship. While icy toes and having a runny nose might be linked in some way, it could be that you just notice your runny nose more because you remember how cold your feet were and have been terrified about getting sick. There is no evidence to prove you are more likely to get a cold from leaving a body part without warm enough socks or gloves.
What about wearing a hat? Your mother may have convinced you that the reason the cold weather was finally going to make you sick was because you did not cover your head. Many people have heard that covering your head is the most important thing you can do to stay warm since you lose the majority of your body heat through your head. This is a myth, too! You do lose body heat through your head, but you lose heat through any part of your body that is uncovered. The amount of heat loss depends on the surface area of what is uncovered. You don’t lose any more heat from your uncovered head than you do from an uncovered arm or an uncovered leg. The one thing that is special about the head is how we feel about heat when our heads are covered or uncovered. Studies have shown that how warm people feel when their head is covered is out of proportion with how warm they actually are. “Thermal sensation,” or feeling warm, is increased when you wear a hat more than your actual body heat is increased. Along with the studies examining whether people who are not dressed warmly enough get sick, scientists have studied whether cold viruses will infect you if you are not wearing a hat. However, bald people do not become sick more easily than people with hair. There is no evidence that people who go without hats get sick more often. Similarly, there is no evidence linking baldness (where your head is always less covered) with any sicknesses except sunburn and potentially skin cancer.
If you are cold and your head is still uncovered, then by all means put on a hat! But a hat alone is not a guarantee of warmth or health. You may be tempted to stay inside or wear extra layers of clothes when it is cold outside. There is certainly nothing wrong with being comfortable, but you should be reasonable about why you take your precautions. The cold weather may make you uncomfortable, but it is not going to make you sick.
Cough and Cold Medicines
I have just the thing for that cold … Over-the-Counter Cough and Cold Medicines
When you are suffering from a terrible cold, that long aisle at the drugstore with its myriad cough and cold remedies appears promising. The various pills and syrups promise to improve your stuffed-up or runny nose, your hacking cough, your scratchy throat, or all of the above. Yes, please! But you may find it hard to know which one will work best. What might be even harder to grasp is that
Researchers have even studied the question of whether or not wearing enough clothes when it is cold will make you get sick. In one study, volunteers were divided into groups where some people had to be in very cold conditions, but were allowed to wear warm coats; others had to be in their underwear in 60 degree temperatures; and a third group got to be the lucky ones in 80 degrees of warmth. It turns out that it didn’t matter at all how cold it was or what you were wearing; everyone with the virus stuck into their nose had the same risk of getting infected by that virus.
There has been one study that suggested that if a particular body part got very chilled, you were more likely to report experiencing cold symptoms. In this study, all of the volunteers were again exposed to the cold virus, and then some of them had to keep their feet in very cold water. Those who had chilled feet were more likely to report cold symptoms later on. Does this mean that you better make sure you are wearing warm socks and boots? While having cozy feet is always nice, it won’t necessarily affect whether you get sick. This study could not establish a cause-and-effect relationship. While icy toes and having a runny nose might be linked in some way, it could be that you just notice your runny nose more because you remember how cold your feet were and have been terrified about getting sick. There is no evidence to prove you are more likely to get a cold from leaving a body part without warm enough socks or gloves.
What about wearing a hat? Your mother may have convinced you that the reason the cold weather was finally going to make you sick was because you did not cover your head. Many people have heard that covering your head is the most important thing you can do to stay warm since you lose the majority of your body heat through your head. This is a myth, too! You do lose body heat through your head, but you lose heat through any part of your body that is uncovered. The amount of heat loss depends on the surface area of what is uncovered. You don’t lose any more heat from your uncovered head than you do from an uncovered arm or an uncovered leg. The one thing that is special about the head is how we feel about heat when our heads are covered or uncovered. Studies have shown that how warm people feel when their head is covered is out of proportion with how warm they actually are. “Thermal sensation,” or feeling warm, is increased when you wear a hat more than your actual body heat is increased. Along with the studies examining whether people who are not dressed warmly enough get sick, scientists have studied whether cold viruses will infect you if you are not wearing a hat. However, bald people do not become sick more easily than people with hair. There is no evidence that people who go without hats get sick more often. Similarly, there is no evidence linking baldness (where your head is always less covered) with any sicknesses except sunburn and potentially skin cancer.
If you are cold and your head is still uncovered, then by all means put on a hat! But a hat alone is not a guarantee of warmth or health. You may be tempted to stay inside or wear extra layers of clothes when it is cold outside. There is certainly nothing wrong with being comfortable, but you should be reasonable about why you take your precautions. The cold weather may make you uncomfortable, but it is not going to make you sick.
Cough and Cold Medicines
I have just the thing for that cold … Over-the-Counter Cough and Cold Medicines
When you are suffering from a terrible cold, that long aisle at the drugstore with its myriad cough and cold remedies appears promising. The various pills and syrups promise to improve your stuffed-up or runny nose, your hacking cough, your scratchy throat, or all of the above. Yes, please! But you may find it hard to know which one will work best. What might be even harder to grasp is that
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