WHY MORE COLDS IN WINTER?

Actually, the annual "cold season" begins in late August and peaks in September and October. That's when children return to school and once again come into close contact with one another's germs. The children, in turn, bring their colds home and can transmit them to preschool siblings, Mom and Dad, and anyone else in the household who might be susceptible to the viruses involved. Sending a child to school with a cold will not hurt the child, but it will increase the chance of spreading the illness to other children and, in turn, to their families.

Once outdoor temperatures drop enough to require indoor heating, the heat dries the air, which in turn dries the mucous membranes in the nose and throat, making them more susceptible to viral infection. Even outdoor air in winter is much drier than in summer, since cold air cannot hold as much moisture as warm air.

Making the buildings that we live and work and go to school in "tight" to save energy can only aggravate the problem of viral transmission by cutting down on the circulation of fresh, uncontaminated air.

A second peak of colds occurs in early spring. No one has a very good explanation for this phenomenon, but clearly one cannot blame having to endure cold weather for the increase in colds in winter. Besides, being exposed to low temperatures, having wet feet, failing to wear a hat or gloves, and other such motherly concerns have been demonstrated not to increase people's chances of getting a cold.

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Anti-Infectives