You must have heard the elders in the family blaming the season changes for most illnesses. You complain of a cold, and they tell “well, the weather’s changing” So what does this even mean? Between the seasons, there are usually null periods. During these periods, the weather might be warm and cozy on one day and chilly and really cold the next. This definitely takes a toll on your body and attacks your immunity. Even if it’s not a cold, you could suffer from flu like symptoms (which include headaches, body ache, mild or no temperature, chills and so on) without being able to understand why. In most cases, it’s the seasonal changes that are responsible. Let’s see how:
- In weather that is neither cool nor warm but somewhere in between, common cold is pretty common. The two viruses that are mainly responsible for common cold – corona viruses and rhinoviruses, will replicate in a cool weather easily. These viruses tend to break out mainly during early fall and early spring – which are primarily when the season turns.
- It would be wrong to state that it is just the weather which causes you to fall ill. The prime flu seasons would be winter. And since during early spring and early fall, the weather is still dry and cool, the virus finds it easier to replicate. But that doesn’t mean the virus doesn’t affect us during other climates. Many of us fall ill during the hot and humid summers… don’t we?
- Doctors and researchers have claimed that it is mainly coincidental that the virus seems to flare up during the winter season. It isn’t just the cold air that triggers it.
- Allergy is one of the main reasons why weather changes could be affecting you. In the highly polluted world that we live in, almost every second person you meet could be suffering from allergy. During spring and during seasonal changes, the amount of pollen in the air increases to a great extent. Pollen has been described as the number one cause of allergy. Allergy could manifest itself in a number of ways – like red, swollen eyes, itchiness, and rashes and so on.
- There have been clinical trials with supplements and vitamins which were thought to be helpful in the fight against common cold. But that didn’t work out as planned either.
In conclusion, it can be stated that the only way to protect yourself from the common cold during winter and seasonal changes is to maintain personal hygiene. Wash your hands regularly, avoid eating outside and maintain a healthy lifestyle to keep infections and viruses at bay. This works all year round, doesn’t it?
