Medical Myths - Answer

5: Staying out in the cold and wind will give you a cold.

___ True ___ False

ANSWER: False. Colds are caused by viruses, with enough variations to give you a choice of 200 versions of a cold (which is why you get them over and over again). Because viruses get into healthy cells, it's difficult to kill them without knocking off the good cells. This is the job of your immune system, which usually clears out cold viruses in a week or two. You can get the virus through inhaling infected air droplets sneezed or coughed by an infected person, or by touching something that an infected person has touched and then transferring the germs to your mouth or nose. You don't get it from cold air, slush, wind, or other wintry conditions. Cold viruses are more active in the winter, and that's why people get more colds in the winter. Stern says she used to come home from swim class, her wet hair frozen crispy, but never got sick until her mother saw it and said, "You will get such a cold!" So what's the best way to ward off this miserable virus? Wash your hands often.