It is often mistakenly believed that it is physically cold means that you will catch a cold, perhaps because of respiratory infections. usually fly during winter months. While the weather is more freezing can make us more vulnerable to infections – For example, by lowering immune defenses against respiratory viruses – freezing conditions are not really enough cause The disease in the first place.
But there are various other conditions triggered by colder temperatures. An example is hypothermia, caused by a dangerous drop in central body temperature.
Normally, the temperature of the human body is closely regulated at around 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius), give or take a diploma or two. This helps maintain all normal physiological processes in the body.
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However, if someone is exposed to extremely cold temperatures, the body He may not be able to produce heat as quickly as he loses itcausing a person’s central body temperature drop. If a person’s body temperature fall below 95 F (35 C)They can develop hypothermia.
Hypothermia causes a series of symptoms, including chills; pale, cold and dry skin; speech disorders; and slow breathing. If not treated, hypothermia can cause dysfunction and failure of an organ, which can possibly lead to death. Each year, Between 700 and 1,500 people die from hypothermia in the United States.
Exposure to temperatures below 32 F (0 C), especially during prolonged periodsCan also trigger a skin condition called Engage. Children, people without accommodation and elderly are particularly exposed to this pathology. The frightenings generally occur at the ends of the body, Like fingers, toes, nose and ears. Cold intense Gelled the water contained in the fabricslimiting blood flow and which can lead to the death of the tissues. Therefore, the skin of a patient can become purple or blue and, in serious cases, it may be necessary to clean the dead tissues. withdrawn by surgery or amputation.
Another condition caused by cold and affecting blood circulation is Reynaud syndrome, Dr Rachel AmdurAssistant Medicine Professor at Northwestern University, told Live Science.
Reynaud’s disease causes blood vessels Contract – in particular those of the ends, such as fingers and toes, making them white or blue. This disease is triggered by cold in people predisposed to suffer from syndrome, said Amdur. This includes individuals with family history of the diseasepeople with certain other diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, or those who take certain drugs, including some used to treat high blood pressure or migraines.
Other examples of cold -caused diseases include the foot of the trenches, a type of foot lesion caused by prolonged exposure to cold and humid conditions; frostbite, in which Sweating with itching appear on the skin; and cold hives, in which the skin forms of hives.
The cold can also worsen other diseases, such as eczema and respiratory conditions such as asthma Or chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (Mpoc), said Amdur. In addition, heart attacks are more frequent in winter – probably because blood vessels contract, thus increasing their blood pressure and their Forcing the heart to work stronger than usual.
This article is only informative and does not aim to provide medical advice.