# Can You Catch a Cold from the Cold?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-catch-a-cold-from-the-cold/151271>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 27, 2003, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-catch-a-cold-from-the-cold/151271 "2003-01-27T16:59:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\
**Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-catch-a-cold-from-the-cold/151271/1 "2003-01-27T16:59:59Z")

</div>

I heard someone in the next cubicle (no, not the Pwincess Pwecious) saying that her aunt caught a cold “because it’s been so cold out lately.” I offered the opinion that you catch colds from germs, and that the temperature has nothing to do with it. She countered that “if your body is working hard trying to keep warm, it makes you more susceptible to colds.”

Hmmmm?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Hrdygrdymn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/77aa72/32.png) [@Hrdygrdymn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hrdygrdymn)\
**Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-catch-a-cold-from-the-cold/151271/2 "2003-01-27T17:05:06Z")

</div>

Nope. Extended periods in the cold may lower your resistance to whatever virus is going around, but its a pretty minor factor. In fact in the high arctic colds are very rare as the virus that causes it tends to die in the frigid air before contating someone else.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\
**Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-catch-a-cold-from-the-cold/151271/3 "2003-01-27T17:11:04Z")

</div>

**Hrdygrdymn** , do you by any chance work for the Nova Scotia Chamber of Commerce? 😃

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Dr.Lao](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@Dr.Lao](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Lao)\
**Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-catch-a-cold-from-the-cold/151271/4 "2003-01-27T17:36:20Z")

</div>

Nah, he just reads [The Straight Dope.](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a4_104.html)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![SimonMoon5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@SimonMoon5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SimonMoon5)\
**Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-catch-a-cold-from-the-cold/151271/5 "2003-01-27T18:13:33Z")

</div>

Even though it may have been proved a million times that cold weather does not cause people to catch the cold, I know that I feel cold symptoms more often (or at least to a greater degree) after cold weather (or when staying at someone’s house who doesn’t believe in heating their home). Too bad science doesn’t agree with my (perhaps anecdotal) experience.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\
**Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-catch-a-cold-from-the-cold/151271/6 "2003-01-27T20:03:13Z")

</div>

In some people, cold air is a trigger for [vasomotor rhinitis](http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/899250622.html) The symptoms; runny, pluggy nose, greatly resemble those of a severe cold.

> [@](#):
>
> Vasomotor rhinitis is a poorly understood “wastebasket” term for people who have a stuffy or draining nose, but don’t have evidence of specific allergies. The blood vessels (hence the term “vaso”) in the linings of the nose appear to be extrasensitive and swell up for no good reason. **Changes in the temperature or humidity** , scents in the air, eating cold food, cigarette smoke, cooking odors, or emotional stress may all be triggers.