Put or hat on or you'll geta cold?

why does my mum say that if i go out in the cold without a hat i'd get a cold? i mean dont we get colds from viruses, is it sumfin to do with the immune system weakening or what.
thanks folks

wiggy,

Actually, there are two reasons that we call it a "cold."

1. While you are absolutely right about the cold being caused by a virus, those viruses are stronger and last longer when it is cold than when it is hot. "Flu" is short for the Italian "Influenza di friddo," or "the influence of cold," because the virus has a longer more active life when it is cold, and other viruses, the cold viruses, act the same way.

2. and recent studies at the Cardiff University Common Cold Center found that when we are cold, capillaries in the nose constrict, limiting the white blood cells that can get there to fight the stronger viruses that we breathe in in the winter. We are much more likely to catch a cold when we are chilled.

To cut down on heat loss, wear a hat--we lose a lot of heat through our heads--and a scarf. A coat wouldn't hurt, either.

Drat--mom was right, huh?

most of your body heat leaves your body through your head and your feet. so moms are pre-programed to tell you to put a hat on. i guess you are more likely to get a runny nose without a hat. but wearing a hat won't stop you from getting a virus.

yes, if you are too cold, your immune system weakens, so you are more likely to get a cold. a hat usually helps to protect your sinuses. also, we lose much of our body warmth in the cold if our head is not covered.

If you go outside with your hair wet in the cold, without something covering your head you could get a cold. =)

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