Since childhood, many are familiar with the warnings: don’t go out without a hat — you’ll get sick, don’t eat ice cream — you’ll get angina, don’t get too cold — you’ll get pneumonia. These beliefs are so ingrained that they are perceived as obvious truths. But is cold really the main cause of cold-related illnesses?
Infectious disease doctor Evgeny Shcherbina explains where the truth lies and where long-standing myths without scientific basis exist.
Myth #1: Hypothermia Causes Acute Respiratory Viral Infection
Classic symptoms of runny nose and cough are caused by rhinoviruses, coronaviruses, RSV, adenoviruses, and others. Viruses cannot "appear" in the respiratory tract just because a person is cold. Their nature was thoroughly studied as early as the first half of the 20th century.
— The definitive refutation of the link between hypothermia and the development of ARVI was made back in 1933. In an isolated Arctic community with a population of about 500 people, even during severe frosts, the incidence of ARVI gradually decreased to almost zero. But a sharp outbreak of illness occurred upon the arrival of new workers who brought viruses with them, — explains Evgeny Shcherbina.
So, cold itself does not cause ARVI if a person has not come into contact with the virus.
Myth #2: Consuming Cold Foods Causes Angina
Beliefs about the harm of cold food date back to the times of Hippocrates. However, modern medicine has a different explanation.
— Cold foods pass through the oropharynx in a matter of seconds and quickly warm up in the stomach. They simply do not have time to cool the tissues enough to cause inflammation, — notes the doctor.
Moreover, cold is widely used in medicine: after the removal of tonsils or adenoids, it is precisely cool food that helps reduce pain. The same effect can occur with a sore throat during inflammatory processes.
It should be remembered that "angina" is streptococcal tonsillitis or pharyngitis, an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pyogenes. Therefore, ice cream is not the cause of the disease.
Myth #3: Hypothermia of the Respiratory Tract Causes Pneumonia
Not always. Typical bacterial pneumonia is usually caused by conditionally pathogenic flora that is constantly present in the respiratory tract.
— Against the background of ARVI, a bacterial complication can develop — sinusitis, otitis, or pneumonia. Viral inflammation reduces the local immune system's ability to control bacteria. Hypothermia can also affect these mechanisms, — explains the infectious disease specialist.
At the same time, this refers to a significant decrease in body temperature. A slight chill has almost no effect on the body, while a temperature drop of 1–4 degrees can significantly weaken the immune response.
— Such hypothermia cannot be achieved simply by walking without a hat. These are rather extreme conditions that are rarely encountered in everyday life, — clarifies the doctor.
Myth #4: Cold Weather is the Cause of ARVI
The increase in illness during winter is not related to temperature but to behavioral and environmental factors.
— The main reason is the crowding of people in closed spaces: kindergartens, schools, universities, offices. This contributes to the active circulation of viruses, — explains Evgeny Shcherbina.
Additionally, dry and cool air contributes to a longer survival of viruses in the environment. There is also a hypothesis that cold air may reduce local mucosal immunity, turning asymptomatic infection into a clinical form. However, this theory still needs scientific confirmation.
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