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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Friday, February 10, 2012
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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Friday, February 10, 2012
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Cold and Flu |
Catching Colds and Flu12/18/2008 |
I wasn`t sure which catergory this would come under, but it involves catching a cold or the flu. I know that germs are the cause of getting these conditions and being outside in the cold whether without a jacket doesn`t cause someone to get them. But someone told me that if you are exposed to a cold environment and then warm one, back and forth, it can make someone sick with the cold or the flu, and does involve germs somehow. If that is true, can you please explain how that happens? Thanks
A cold or flu is caused by a viral infection, and viruses tend to be very contagious. They are spread primarily by droplets, or in other words, by saliva and mucus either sprayed into the air or by direct human contact. Going repeatedly from a cold to a warm environment and back should not increase one's chances to become infected. However, when the weather turns colder, people tend to begin spending more time indoors. This creates closer human contact and thereby increases the likelihood of infection. This is in large part why cold and flu season is during the colder months.
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Allen M Seiden, MD Professor of Otolaryngology Department of Otolaryngology College of Medicine University of Cincinnati |
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