# The cold myth **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 26, 2004, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cold-myth/242128 "2004-04-26T18:06:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/67e7ee/32.png) [@Nim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nim)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2004, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cold-myth/242128/1 "2004-04-26T18:06:21Z")
All the articles that I’ve read about the cold and flu that mention wether or not being cold can cause it, have said that it can’t. But it seems harder to find information about pneumonia. I’ve come across two articles that mention wether or not being cold can cause pneumonia, and one said yes and the other said no. And neither of them explained why. Anyone know more about it? ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2004, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cold-myth/242128/2 "2004-04-26T18:09:05Z")
Nope. You need to come into contact with the virus or bacteria. Now others will be along to explain how right I am. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2004, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cold-myth/242128/3 "2004-04-26T18:13:58Z")
Damn, before I get slammed, I should have said, “You need to come into contact with \*\*one of the bacteria or viruses \*\* that can infect you and lead to pneumonia”. Usually, a weakend immune system opens the door. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2004, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cold-myth/242128/4 "2004-04-26T18:57:37Z")
I’m sure you’re right about these things not being caused by being cold but I’d like to play devil’s advocate for a moment. Is it possible that being cold and damp increases your susceptibility to these particular kinds of infections? Could, for example. being chilled lower your immunity? Or could cold air affect your nasal, sinus, etc. tissues making them more permeable or susceptible in some other way? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2004, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cold-myth/242128/5 "2004-04-26T19:51:09Z")
> [@Philster](#): > > Usually, a weakend immune system opens the door. The daily immune system keeps it shut. 😃 Some days it just don’t pay ta post. By the way, **Nim** , the spelling is “whether”. I know it sounds like a nitpick, but we all pride ourselves around here on our korrekt speling and attention to deta ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2004, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cold-myth/242128/6 "2004-04-26T21:13:40Z")
Oh, TARTER SAUCE! Weakened? 🙂 Would being cold make you vulnerable? Well…cold air tends to slow down germs…and most infections happen inside in the winter…which is partly why some infections are more prevalent in winter ( everyone inside exhanging germs). Being outside would be a good thing. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2004, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cold-myth/242128/7 "2004-04-26T21:58:29Z")
Heat stress, cold stress, if you’ve sent your body into shock by massively overheating or cooling, it’s going to have other things to deal with besides an incipient disease. You can’t very well kill off a flu bug with a little fever if you’ve just walked naked through a blizzard and let your core temperature drop to 93°. ---
**Author:** ![Valgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2004, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cold-myth/242128/8 "2004-04-26T23:51:21Z")
[QUOTE=Philster] Oh, TARTER SAUCE! QUOTE] That’s “Tartar sauce”… (runs for cover) ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2004, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cold-myth/242128/9 "2004-04-27T00:37:43Z")
One point to remember that pneumonia is not a specific disease, but more like a condition–or just about any condition in which fluids build up in the lungs. All sorts of things can cause that–and a US president (William Henry Harrison, about a month after taking office) actually died from pneumonia that started out as a cold. ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2004, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cold-myth/242128/10 "2004-04-28T06:26:18Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > I’m sure you’re right about these things not being caused by being cold but I’d like to play devil’s advocate for a moment. Is it possible that being cold and damp increases your susceptibility to these particular kinds of infections? Could, for example. being chilled lower your immunity? Or could cold air affect your nasal, sinus, etc. tissues making them more permeable or susceptible in some other way? There is no evidence that being chilled reduces immunological defenses. See [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=240110) and the link to Cecil’s column within it. Peace. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2004, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cold-myth/242128/11 "2004-04-28T06:54:51Z")
> [@moriah](#): > > There is no evidence that being chilled reduces immunological defenses. Not for minor chills, however there is evidence that cold stress messes with the immune system: [Delayed effects of cold stress on immune response in laboratory mice.](http://www.cyf-kr.edu.pl/~uxcichon/pub/proc2.html) [Acute cold stress induces suppressor macrophages in mice](http://jap.physiology.org/cgi/content/abstract/81/1/393) [HOW A LITTLE BIT OF COLD CAN KILL A VERY BIG MANATEE](http://www.hboi.edu/news/press/aug0403.html) Nice review here: [Human Physiological Responses to Cold Stress and Hypothermia](http://216.239.51.104/search?q=cache:kVBsyPiu7xgJ:www.bordeninstitute.army.mil/medaspofharshenvrnmnts/Ch11-HumanPhysiologicalResponsestoColdStressandHypot.pdf+immune+%22cold+stress%22+human&hl=en&ie=UTF-8) ---
**Author:** ![kezami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eb8c5e/32.png) [@kezami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kezami)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2004, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cold-myth/242128/12 "2004-04-28T13:26:05Z")
> [@Nim](#): > > All the articles that I’ve read about the cold and flu that mention wether or not being cold can cause it, have said that it can’t. But it seems harder to find information about pneumonia. I’ve come across two articles that mention wether or not being cold can cause pneumonia, and one said yes and the other said no. And neither of them explained why. Anyone know more about it? Stop asking silly questions and put your jacket on. 😃