Sniff, Sniff: Why Do We Get Winter Colds?
Winter is a time of warm drinks, scarves, family celebrations — maybe even snow.
But it's also the time of winter colds.
That's right: however hard we try, the winter months often mean at least one period of ill health.
Most of us have found ourselves sniffing and sneezing through a winter week. But why is it that these colds come in winter?
There are a number of reasons, but the weather is an important one.
Cold and flu viruses survive better in cold, dry weather. And when it's cold, we're more likely to be spending time inside, close to other people.
This means the viruses are able to spread between us quite easily.
Studies have also shown that when our noses are cold they're not as good at stopping infections from getting into the body.
In many countries there's also less sunlight in the winter — or we are inside more often — which means we don't get as much vitamin D.
This important vitamin helps to keep our immune system strong, so without it we may be more likely to catch a cold.
Some of the choices we make in winter can also affect our immune system. If we're not doing as much exercise or not eating as healthily, this can make us more likely to get viruses.
And if there are children in your house — or other families with children visit your home during winter — that's another way for viruses to spread.
Viruses spread easily around busy schools, and children aren't always very good at covering their mouths and noses to stop those viruses from spreading at home.
So you can try to protect yourself — but that winter cold has lots of ways to find you!
