Why do we catch a cold if we get wet in rain but not when we take bath?
When you have a shower, you usually get dry straight away, and the shower is indoors so usually in a heated room. Therefore your skin temperature doesn't drop too far.If you play in the rain, if it's cold the wet skin won't be able to maintain the body's optimum temperature a your wet and losing temperature.The fact you tend to stay out in the rain with wet clothes and hair and therefore wet skin will reduce your core body temperature, and as a result will lower your resistance to the same germs that are wherever you get wet.but this is not THE ONLY REASONwe catch cold due to viruses such as rhinovirus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and parainfluenza virus which are present on the cold drops of the rainDust is the major carrier of the bacteria and viruses. The rain mixes with the dust(which contains virus) in the atmosphere and falls on to your skin , eyes, nose mouth or may enter while breathing. viruses find the suitable temperature to attack on us .to the top of it decrease in body temperature leads to decrease in efficiency of enzimes which help our immune system.thus we get more proned to common coldbut when we take showerthe water is (if heated) warm enough to prevent the growth of viruseseven if they are present in the showers we quickly wash ourselves with soaps which further prevents them to enterbut it is not like that everyone will always be effected by the virus . some have strong immune system which protects them from catching cold.
Why do people fall sick when they get drenched in rain and not when they shower?
It is a secondary effect - not directly due to exposure to water, but due to how the water affects your body. If you get cold for a prolonged time, it can reduce your resistance, that is the ability of your immune system to fight off germs. It is especially true if you are under other forms of stress at the same time, like working hard, worrying and being hungry. It is worse in the winter, not because it is cold, but because there are more sick people and germs in the air.In my experience, if I get wet and cold and I cannot get dry and warm quickly - like if I’m out on a hike and get caught in a cold-front thunderstorm - I will almost certainly feel a scratchy throat after a few hours.It is important to protect yourself from the weather in winter, as much as from other people with colds. I like the Norwegian saying: “There is no such thing as bad weather, only inadequate clothing!”
Why do you catch a cold after being out in the rain? I’ve heard it’s a myth and there is no science to back it up, but it never fails - every single time I’m out in the rain I catch a cold - 100% of the time.
There are two possible reasons for this:Option 1: What you’re catching may not be a coldRain can carry allergens, especially in the spring. If there is a lot of pollen in the air and then it rains, the drops will be full of pollen. If you live in or near even a small-sized city, the smog from vehicles and industry can also cause allergic reactions when it’s rained down on you like that, even if you wouldn’t necessarily have such a reaction normally.It’s also quite possible that you’re getting a runny, red nose from the chill outside and mistakenly thinking that this is the cold virus - it isn’t. Cold air will make your nose run, and it may even make you sneeze and present a few other cold-like symptoms, but if they clear up after you’ve come back indoors and warmed up, that’s not a cold - that’s just how it feels to be chilly for a bit.Option 2: You are catching a cold, but it’s not from the rain.During cold weather, there are two things that can make it more likely for people to catch any number of illnesses.First, people spend more time indoors. You’re in closer proximity to more people when you’re inside, which makes it much, much more likely that you’ll be exposed to a virus from someone else. Children, in particular, are virulent carriers of disease, so that they’re more likely to be indoors rather than outdoors more often also means that it’s more likely for them to spread viruses to each other, which they will then deliver either to you or to their parents (who will then deliver the virus to you).Second, the cold weather actually does suppress your immune system a little. A very low temperature makes your immune system slightly less effective, and it has an even harder time protecting you during drastic changes in temperature (such as coming in from being wet in a cold rain and jumping straight into a hot shower, or vice versa). This makes it more likely that you’ll actually suffer the effects of the viruses to which you’re more often exposed due to the first issue.
Do white people generally handle the cold weather better?
White people are skiing and sledding. Black people rarely do this. White people go to a cottage and swim in the lake. Black people like to swim in a warm pool and sit in a hot tub. You rarely see them in cottage country. A lot of them are from Jamaica and Barbados, so they like to go there. They don't seem to get colds much. I am getting a cold easily like a lot of white people. Being cold adapted means you aren’t getting colds much. White people living in cold countries like Russia are drinking more because alcohol makes you feel warm, so that is how they cope with the cold. The Inuit have lived successfully in the north for thousands of years. Natives or First Nations people are better living in the cold. It is true they have problems with alcoholism, but it has nothing to do with being warm, but is because they don't like shopping, not obsessed by consumerism. Alcohol wasn't part of their culture.
Why do Japanese people worry so much about catching a cold?
MadameM and michinoku basically got it down. I would just like to add that the idea comes from the fact that when you're wet, your body temperature can become lower due to the process of evaporation taking the heat away. So when the air temperature around you is cold, then your body heat is already escaping through the air. Adding wet hair on top of that means that your body heat is being taken away even more. When the body temperature drops, your immune system is actually affected greatly, which is what can cause people to be more susceptible to cold viruses. Obviously you're not going to catch a cold immediately, but it's just a precaution. It's kind of like how a lot of American people like to tell others to "keep warm" or "bundle up" during the winter time.
Why do people try to appear edgy on Quora by saying they like cold rainy weather?
Theres nothing “edgy” about liking cool, rainy weather.This week we've had hot, rainy weather. I can assure you everyone here would prefer it to be cool and rainy. Cool and rainy is pleasant. Hot and rainy is like walking around in a sauna.
What is it that makes you catch a cold when you get caught in the rain, if it is essentially the same thing as being drenched in water when you're showering?
Getting wet, by itself, will not give you a cold. The only thing that can cause a cold or flu is a cold or flu virus. Getting cold or wet won’t give you a cold. However, if you are already carrying the virus in your nose, it might allow symptoms to develop.A study at the Common Cold Centre in Cardiff found that people who chilled their feet in cold water for 20 minutes were twice as likely to develop a cold as those who didn't chill their feet.The authors suggest that this is because some people carry cold viruses without having symptoms. Getting chilled causes blood vessels in the nose to constrict, affecting the defences in the nose and making it easier for the virus to replicate."Getting a cold from going out in the cold or after washing your hair is a myth," says Dr Joshi. "Colds are common. If the virus is already there and then you go out with wet hair and develop symptoms, it's common to think that is what caused it."- Preventing colds and flu, National Health Service, UKThe human rhinovirus, the real culprit behind your cold. Source: Wikimedia
Is it possible to catch cold/flu after walking in rain?
Contrary to what many people believe, cold and dampness does not cause illness. In fact, it lowers your immune system so you are more likely to catch something. You may catch a cold, so I would drink plenty of orange juice to prevent this from happening.
Why do people think cold weather causes flu and colds?
Thank you thank you thank you lol I am sooo sick of hearing this as well. My father in law said it over the weekend and we got into a debate over it. Haha I worked at a daycare for 7 years and no you can't get sick from the weather, a fan, wet hair, etc lol only germs and viruses. Thanks for pointing this out because I too get very annoyed