Can changing temperatures make you sick?

Dr. Dana Hawkinson, an infectious illness md and medical director of infection and prevention and control at The Academy of Kansas Health System, helps respond that question.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- A alter in temperature and barometric force per unit area can affect your body in different ways.

Yous can feel it in your joints. You tin feel it in your sinuses. But as far as weather changes become, doctors say it tin can't brand you sick without an actual infection. Then equally we gather this holiday flavour, here are some of import things to consider.

Dr. Dana Hawkinson, an infectious disease dr. and medical director of infection and prevention and command at The University of Kansas Health Organisation, said exposure to a bacterial infection or virus is needed to make y'all ill.

"The safest places are outdoors, especially if we're talking almost infection and illness," Hawkinson said. "The ventilation really just makes information technology very hard to be exposed."

In the winter months, the cold, dry air, along with barometric pressure changes, can stuff up sinuses or make them besides dry, leading to a higher risk of illness if exposed to viruses.

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Gathering in high-adventure situations

More than than 80% of acute infections or illnesses that doctors see, especially during the winter, are caused past viruses.

"Only what we run across as the temperatures become colder, nosotros see people going inside to gather more," Hawkinson said.

Historically, doctors say that is when they see a recurrence of seasonal respiratory infections -- like flu, common coughing and cold coronaviruses and rhinoviruses.

Doctors say information technology's more due to behavioral types where people are gathering more in high-risk situations, perchance because of holidays or celebrations, and in poorly ventilated spaces.

"And then only by that nature, you are coming into contact. Y'all are having a college gamble of coming into contact and beingness exposed to those viruses," Hawkinson said.

In the winter months, the cold, dry out air, along with barometric pressure changes, can stuff up sinuses or brand them too dry, leading to a higher hazard of illness if exposed to viruses.

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Even so, some viruses broadcast during the summertime, although not as many people seem to go them. But once more, doctors say information technology is more behavioral.

"You're withal doing things more outdoors and in those very well-ventilated places, such as the pool or the beach, where you don't really have a lot of concern for exposure to those viruses," Hawkinson said. "Compared to those colder winter months, when people are really meeting indoors and having a lot of contact, shut with each other."

Systemic symptoms due to conditions

When a storm is on the horizon and the atmospheric pressure changes, doctors say there are systemic symptoms where y'all might observe changes in your joints or basic.

"They can accept pain in that location. They tin experience when storms are coming on," Hawkinson said.

For the respiratory organization, barometric pressure and humidity tin aid in helping to change the way y'all're feeling.

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Afterward the pelting comes through, doctors say your astute symptoms will be short-lived as opposed to an infection when those illnesses can get on for a calendar week or two.

"And then certainly, if you lot practice have a viral infection, and yous practise get that coughing or cold, that cough can sometimes linger for three or four weeks," Hawkinson said.

Improving your immune system

Doctors advise the best things for improving your allowed organization are the commonalities that everybody should be doing already, similar getting good residual, acceptable nutrition, hydration and practise.

Other behavioral issues are agreement and taking into account the loftier-risk situations that you may exist attending.

"For case, indoor spaces, indoor gatherings where there are more people, maybe people who are in your bubble who you don't know where they take been," Hawkinson said.

And if y'all exercise get high-hazard situations, yous should go on to be masked and distanced as much every bit possible, doctors recommend.

Hand hygiene is also vitally important, too as routine vaccinations, like the flu vaccine.