Fact:

People have always been skeptical about cold weather and its effect on the body’s health. The lack of adequate clothing in the wintertime or leaving the house after having a shower have always been cited as common causes of the flu. The same applies to long exposure to fans and air-conditioners. Apart from the flu, cold conditions are also thought to cause muscle pains, mostly in the neck and back. Tell anyone in Lebanon about that pain in your neck and they will most likely tell you that you have been slapped by the wind.

In reality however, temperatures alone do not cause illness. This myth circulating among mothers worldwide could have possibly originated from a study made during World War 1 where soldiers who slept in cold or wet trenches were found more likely to catch a cold than those who did not. It is even thought that using the word ‘cold’ to refer to the flu could have started due to the association of the illness with low temperatures.

Mothers can rest assured that a soccer game under the rain or wet hair during winter will not affect their children’s health. Only viruses cause colds. Temperature alone can never cause an illness, although humidity can make people more susceptible, and extreme cold may make the immune system a little weaker than usual. Air conditioners and fans do not impact on one’s well-being unless a virus is circulating in the room.

The increased vulnerability of people during the cold season could on the other hand be attributed to their tendency to stay indoors where they are in more direct contact with germs in the presence of people in a contained space. Being in the low temperatures outside is not making us sick. Nor is it causing excruciating neck pain as the body is shielded as such from temperature changes and extreme weather.