“Wouldn’t you be completely unprotected?” “Put something on your feet, you’ll catch a cold.” “Be careful, don’t go out with wet hair, you’ll catch the flu.” “Don’t worry, you don’t need sunscreen because in winter the sun doesn’t burn.” Phrases that everyone has certainly heard more than once, but how true are they? Winter comes and warnings aboundjust like the flu, runny nose, and tissues. page | 12 Contact health professionals and Put your magnifying glass on these sayings.
Does a cold make you sick?
Infectious disease doctor Leda Josie He explained that although respiratory viruses find the best conditions for their transmission in winter, It is definitely not the cold that makes you sick.
So why is influenza infection so high at this time of year? “People usually Locking ourselves in unventilated rooms. He said this makes it easier for viruses transmitted by aerosols to be more concentrated in the air and have a higher potential for transmission. nutty.
“Aren’t you too naked?”
Although it’s obvious that the cold isn’t what makes you sick, it’s better Keep low temperatures at bay. “We can confirm that certain environmental conditions can reduce airway defenses,” he added.
For her part, a specialist in family medicine and general medicine, Natalia Bonino He explained, “Going out with few clothes in the face of cold temperatures causes us The body is exposed to increased stress, which leads to a weakening of the immune system.
Thus, the typical family warning has a point in favor: “Go out without clothes, with wet hair, or without adequate shelter on your feet, It can contribute to a weakened immune systemjust at the moment of the spread of the virus.
Should we sunbathe in winter?
he Virologist Victor Romanovsky He added another explanation for the greater contagion:airways (from the anterior nostrils to the larynx) it has a ciliated epithelium (a surface of small, moving hairs) covered with mucus that serves to “sweep up” and expel particles and This process slows down at lower temperatures“.
It has also been verified that people spend less time outdoors and receive less sunlight, which translates to decreased production of vitamin D, It is an important factor in many physiological mechanisms including immune system“, He expressed.
Does the sun in winter not burn?
This leads us to another myth, the myth that it is not necessary to use sunscreen in winter, because “the sun does not burn, unlike in summer.”
He explained that “the use of sunscreen is recommended throughout the year, not just in the summer.” page | 12 Daniela Lopez, An influencer associated with the world of skin care cosmetics, known as Dadatina.
He explained: “Sometimes there is a belief that because of the winter the sun ‘doesn’t burn’ or tan for us and so it is not necessary. The fact is that throughout the year there are not only UVB rays Responsible for burns or skin color, but we also have it Fixed UV“.
Both radiations contribute to lesions that can end in skin cancer. It is also recommended to strengthen the sun protection if you are going to be in the snow because it reflects 80% of the UV rays, These affect our skin and can damage it“, he added.
Does the use of heating cause the flu?
nutty He takes another central point of the collective imagination, which concerns the connection between heating use and influenza.
“Drying out the airways certainly has some effectBecause normal airway mucus must have moisture in order to perform its function of adhering to inhaled particles,” he commented on this myth.
Winter: what care should be taken to avoid getting sick?
to romanovsky, It is important, especially in winter, to ventilate rooms to freshen the air and to use masks or chin straps, which are physical barriers to reduce the production and reception of aerosols and fine droplets.
He continued, “Maintaining distance between people also reduces the chances of transmission and reduces permanence in places where many people are.”
nuttyFor his part, he indicated that: “The most important thing to prevent respiratory infections in winter is first and foremost to adhere to age-appropriate vaccinations, try to ventilate closed environments, and pay attention to washing hands and self-isolation when one has respiratory symptoms.”
Winter myths and diseases
cold In itself no He is a worker the reasons infection Influenza and common cold. but, There are some factors related to the weatherSuch as stress that can result from low temperatures, and a lack of vitamin D due to lack of exposure to the sun and the effect of weather on the functioning of the respiratory system.
This, added to the factors of a social nature, a greater tendency to choose enclosed spaces, without social distancing or protective measures, Explain why infections are more common in winter.
