We've all wondered if you actually can catch a cold just from being out in cold weather - and now Dr Amir Khan has revealed whether it really is true or not.
It's that time of year again when we're all experiencing the sniffles and blocked noses, and we're wondering how to get rid of a cold fast. But as we're trying out all the winter health tips we come across to keep ourselves, hopefully, cold and flu free in the chilly weather, one question crosses the mind; why do we get colds when the weather is cold? Is it true that the cold weather is really causing them?
Well, Dr Amir Khan says his mum believes that is true - and she's both right and wrong.
"Right guys, let be honest," he said in a video posted to Instagram. "How many of our parents have told us that if we go outside in the cold without a jumper or a coat on, we're going to catch a cold? My mum does it all the time. In fact, she sometimes rings the surgery to see if I'm wearing a jumper when it's cold outside. She says, if I go outside in cold weather, I'll catch a cold. But is she right? Does going out in the cold mean you're going to catch a cold?
"The answer is yes and no." So, how can it be right and wrong? According to Dr Khan, there are two things you need to understand about colds and how our body fights them to understand.
"Firstly, colds are caused by a virus," he explains. "So unless you're exposed to the virus, you're not going to get sick." That means you could technically run around in the cold wearing nothing but a summer dress and not get a cold at all. But, if you are exposed to the cold virus, being out in cold weather - especially if you are in a summer dress - will mean the cold is more likely to develop and make you ill because the temperature affects your body's ability to fight it off.
Dr Khan says, "Cold weather can affect our body's defence mechanism, making it less effective at catching and killing the cold virus before it can infect you.
"Normally when a cold virus enters our nose, it activates our nasal cells to release billions of tiny sacks called vesicles that are filled with mucus," he says. "These surround and attack the virus before it can cause a major infection."
But cold air poses a problem for these vesicles. "This system works best when it's warm and moist. But the problem with cold air is not just that it's cold but it's dry as well and that has a negative effect on our essential first line of defence."
He added, "In fact, scientists have found cold air can decrease the production of these all important mucus vesicles by over 40% and it decreases their quality as well."
So, cold weather doesn't cause colds, but it does affect our bodies' ability to fight them off, making it more likely that we'll develop a cold if we don't wrap up warm when going outside. That means finding a warm winter coat and investing in one or two of the best wool jumpers is a great idea for the cool months, not only for your wardrobe but also for your health.
But, if you do find yourself with a stuffy nose and other cold symptoms this winter, Dr Amir Khan has previously revealed how to shorten a cold by 'two and a quarter days' by adding just one vitamin to your daily routine.
