x
Breaking News
More () »

VERIFY: Can the shift in seasons make you sick?

Social media posts like to blame the fall to winter shift on a flurry of sickness. But what does science say?

The temperatures drop, and the tissues appear. With the first sign of winter comes sneezing and sick days. Online, the blame is quick to fall on the changing seasons. 

Question: Are our bodies really more vulnerable when we transition from fall to winter?

Answer: Staying indoors, close proximity to others and forced dry air can all increase vulnerability to sickness. 

"With the colder climate, we tend to stay indoors more. You're around more people," 11Alive's Medical Correspondent Dr. Sujatha Reddy explained. 

Such proximity makes you more likely to catch something if someone has it. 

"We also think when you're indoors and there's forced dry air coming through the heats and the vents, that can dry out your mucus membranes in your nose and throat and make it easier for viruses to attack your body," Dr. Reddy said.

"There's also some medical research that says as the temperature drops, your immune system may fluctuate a little bit and perhaps it's easier to contract a cold or flu virus 

A 2015 Yale University study also investigated the relationship between temperature and the immune system's response, also showing cold air in the nose let the common cold virus replicate faster.

Before You Leave, Check This Out