“Cold weather doesn’t make you sick.” You hear this a lot, and it is basically true: to catch a cold or the flu, you first need to meet a virus. Being cold does not create an infection out of nothing.
But saying cold weather has no effect at all is not quite right either, because the nose is one of our first lines of defence against viruses.
How cold affects the nose’s defences
- When cold air lowers the temperature inside the nose, the natural antiviral response of nasal cells can weaken. Studies have shown that some defence mechanisms that help trap and neutralise viruses work less well in the cold.
- Some respiratory viruses, especially rhinoviruses, multiply more easily at the lower temperatures found in the nose.
- Cold air is usually dry air, which can impair the cleaning system formed by mucus and the tiny hairs (cilia) lining the nose.
- In winter we spend more time indoors, in closer contact with each other.
In short
“I got cold, so I caught the flu” is not quite accurate — without a virus there is no infection. But cold weather is not entirely innocent either. Keeping your nose warm, airing indoor spaces and good hand hygiene all help during the winter months.
This article is for general information and does not replace an examination. Personal advice requires a consultation.