Why are we more likely to get sick in the winter?

Question

Larry R: sounds good, what is your source; where did you get this information from?

Answer 1

In winter, it's cold outdoors; as a result, everybody stays indoors, and sometimes that means you're in contact with larger groups of people in close quarters than you might be in milder weather. Whatever someone in the group has is a lot more likely to be spread around, and everybody involved is exposed. Frequent hand-washing sounds over-cautious, but there are a lot of good studies out there that say it WORKS.

Answer 2

because your body harbors the rhino-virus (common cold). A virus never leaves your body and you always have it. When it's cold your body slows down (hibernation) and that includes your immune system. The cold weather doesn't allow you to become sick, it just enables the virus that is already in your body to flourish.


EDIT: To be honest, I'm not sure. It's just something I've been told since childhood. My limited back round in Anatomy and Physiology, tells me a virus is always present and can't be killed only suppressed. Bacteria can be killed, but can also become immune to antibiotics. I think this is the reason people get "colds" in the summer time as well. Alcohol, diet and well a lot of other things can allow for viruses to succeed if your body drops it's defenses. This happens less often in warm climates. I'm sure this isn't the best answer, but it's the best I can give.

Answer 3

In the winter your autonaumic immune system is slowed to due to lack of hormones produced in the winter. Which is why men will cuddle with their wifes more in the winter, Not because its cold. Since the system is more succeptible to disease, we tend to get sicker in the winter. Another reason is that bacteria are dormate in the summer because they are reproducing, when winter comes around they need a warm place to remain dormate and still reproduce. Which is usually inside your body

Answer 4

Agree with Sqee but my Dr. said right now everyone is getting sick this winter because it is not cold enough to kill all the bugs and germs and its just spreading do to the weather. Get flu shot and ammonia shot. But once the cold tempture gets here there will be less illnesses do to them dying off because of the cold winter weather

Answer 5

It is because in winter our bodies tend to slow down, like most other animals. This is also why people seem more depressed in winter time than in summer time, our Central Nervous Systems are depressed and by depressed I mean slow. This allows opportunistic viri a chance to attack us.

Answer 6

Mainly because you are breathing used air during the winter. People congregate in areas where fresh air is not circulated, but used air is. One person gets sick and coughs in the air and then other people breath it.

Answer 7

FACT, it has to do with the fact that people are more often in closed in places, where germs and viruses spread more easily. It is not the fact it's colder, that is an old myth.

Answer 8

Because other people keep coughing and sneezing you catch it.