We have all heard from our parents and elders that we better bundle up and keep warm so that we don’t get sick. And then there are the people that say that it’s not really the cold that makes you sick–it’s the cold that weakens our immune system, which then causes us to get sick. But what’s the real truth?  According to Dr. Ericsson, claims that “your immune system works just fine in the cold;” however, cold air can trigger other illnesses and conditions to flare up or become more serious.

The colder weather often triggers asthma in those people that already have asthma. The cold air increases blood pressure, and with the addition of exertion, people with heart problems and asthma often ended up in chest problems and trouble with respiration. Additionally, it is important to realize that while the colder weather may not be directly linked to colds and such common illnesses-conditions such as hypothermia do occur when the internal temperature, intended to be maintained by homeostasis, drops below 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

As animals that have sustained adaptation, we have established natural defense mechanisms to withstand the cold. Such mechanisms include wearing more clothing- this is similar to how hairy mammals have a different more thick coat of fur in the winter- shivering to warm our bodies up, and the tightening of blood vessels in the skin so that the skin maintains more heat. The process of the tightening of these blood vessels in our skin, however, is often the cause of  numbness or discomfort we may feel when entering the cold.

Additionally, it is important to remember our mental health is often affected by the change of seasons. The term which is used to describe the gloom that often covers peoples lives in the transition period between summer to fall and winter is often known as Seasonal Affective Disorder. This disorder is a form of depression which is usually associated with a feeling of depression as a  result of colder temperatures and lack of sunlight. For this reason, a treatment called light therapy has been implemented. The light is often used to mimic the sun– the individual is supposed to sit under this light for about thirty minutes each day, and it is believed that symptoms associated with SAD should improve in several weeks.

All of these changes that may occur within your body are natural and happen to a large portion of individuals as their bodies transition from the summer months to the colder winter months. These are important pieces of information to keep in mind, seeing as winter is supposed to hit the USA hard this year. So grab your gloves, mittens, scarves, and coats and bundle up to keep warm!

Compiled with information from the following resources:

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/health&id=7208813, http://www.detrick.army.mil/ih/ehCold.cfm , http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002499/