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Key Points
- Winter weather can affect your health in unexpected ways, including causing non-allergic rhinitis, which is often confused with seasonal allergies due to similar symptoms. However, the treatment for non-allergic rhinitis is different, with nasal irrigation and decongestants being more effective than antihistamines.
- Allergies can also be triggered by non-pollen causes in winter, such as pets being indoors more often and an increase in mold in humid rooms due to closed doors and windows.
- Cold weather has been linked to an increase in respiratory infections, although it's a hypothesis that cold air rushing into nasal passages lowers the immune response, making infections more likely. A study from the 1970s debunked the myth that cold exposure is linked to the common cold.
- Exercising in cold weather can lead to burning more calories due to the activation of brown fat, which helps burn off white fat. Cold weather workouts can also increase endorphins and potentially improve performance times.
- Cold weather leads to a decrease in bugs, particularly mosquitos, which can spread diseases like West Nile. These bugs are less likely to survive in colder temperatures.
Besides having to put on a coat, scarf and gloves in the winter, the
winter weather has an affect on your health in ways you may not have
thought of.
Allergies: Pollen or No Pollen?
Did you know that seasonal allergies don't necessary relate to pollen count. A change in temperature or humidity can also cause allergy symptoms. It's called non-allergic rhinitis. It's easy to confuse the two since they have the same symptoms, but the treatment is completely different. For one, antihistamines are not going to work with non-allergic rhinitis. Instead, nasal irrigation, such as a saline solution spray, work well to deal with the symptoms as does nasal steroids and decongestants.
Allergies can also be caused in winter due to non-pollen causes. For example, those pets that usually don't tickle your nose too bad may cause additional problems in the winter when the weather turns too cold to let them outside for much of the day. Mold can also increase during the winter in humid rooms like bathrooms and basements. It's worse in the winter because the doors and windows are kept closed to keep the warmth indoors.
Increase in Respiratory Disease
The cold weather has been linked to an increase in respiratory infections linked to colds and flus. Many believe that this is linked to cold air rushing in through the nasal passages causing infections to be more probable by causing the immune response in that area to be lower. This is just a hypothesis and is yet to be proven. In fact, a study was published in the 1970s in the "The New England Journal of Medicine" that debunks the myth that cold exposure is linked to the common cold.
Burn More Calories When You Exercise
If you exercise in the cold weather, you'll find that you burn more calories. Why? Brown fat is a type of fat that can cause the other white fat to burn off. Cold weather triggers brown fat and helps to burn more calories. Running in cold weather invigorates your soul, increases endorphins, and helps you to get personal best times.
Decrease in Bugs
With
the cold weather comes a decrease in bugs, especially mosquitos that
tend to spread infectious diseases like the West Nile. While these bugs
survive in milder temperatures,
Frequently asked questions
Can winter weather affect my health in ways other than the cold?
Yes, winter weather can affect your health in a variety of ways, including triggering allergies, potentially increasing respiratory diseases, and affecting your body's calorie burn during exercise.What is non-allergic rhinitis and how is it related to winter weather?
Non-allergic rhinitis is a condition where a change in temperature or humidity can cause allergy-like symptoms. It is not related to pollen count and can be triggered by winter weather. The treatment for this condition is different from typical allergies and includes nasal irrigation, nasal steroids, and decongestants.Can pets and mold cause allergies in winter?
Yes, pets that are kept indoors due to cold weather and mold that increases in humid rooms like bathrooms and basements can cause allergy symptoms in winter.Is there a link between cold weather and an increase in respiratory diseases?
Cold weather has been linked to an increase in respiratory infections like colds and flus. However, this is still a hypothesis and there is not definitive proof that cold exposure is directly linked to the common cold.Does exercising in cold weather help burn more calories?
Yes, exercising in cold weather can help you burn more calories. This is because cold weather triggers brown fat, a type of fat that can cause other fat to burn off, leading to increased calorie burn.Why does running in cold weather increase endorphins?
Running in cold weather can increase endorphins due to the invigorating effect of the cold on your body. This can also help you achieve personal best times in your runs.Does cold weather affect the population of bugs?
Yes, cold weather leads to a decrease in bugs, especially mosquitos that can spread infectious diseases like the West Nile virus. These bugs survive better in milder temperatures.
