- Germs are microscopic living organisms that can easily creep into our body to spread disease and sickness.
- There are so many myths and misconceptions about colds, the flu, and just spreading and catching germs in general. But what’s the truth?
- From things like drinking orange juice when sick to starving a fever, we’re breaking down some of the ickiest myths about germs.
When we think of germs, the first thing that comes to mind is likely the icky sentiment of bugs, viruses, and the general grossness of it all. While it’s true, there’s nothing nice about germs, they aren’t what most people think they are. Germs are actually living organisms. They are alive which is pretty cool! The not so great part is that they can cause disease.
Kid’s Health explains what makes them dangerous is that they are so small — microscopic to be exact. They’re able to creep into our bodies without being detected. We often don’t realize we’ve picked up any germs until the symptoms appear. Since germs are found all around the world and affect us all, let’s talk about some common myths surrounding them and what the truth is…
Cold Weather Causes Sickness
One of the biggest misconceptions about catching a cold is that going outside not properly dressed makes a person sick. While the sentiment of trying to get people to dress properly is good, the science behind it isn’t true. A cold is caused by a virus, in fact colds are the result of many different viruses. Rhinoviruses are the most common cause and responsible for more than half of all colds and cold-like illnesses, says Medical News Today.
So what is the link between colds and cold weather? Some research has found that rhinoviruses may replicate more efficiently at temperatures lower than 37-degrees or 98.6-degrees Fahrenheit (the average core body temperature in humans). “The temperature inside the nasal cavity is approximately 33-degrees Celsius, which may make it an ideal breeding ground for rhinoviruses,” writes the source.
Other factors like spending more time indoors, reduced vitamin D levels, or a decreased immune function in cold weather could all play a role in spreading colds in the winter months.
The post Myths About Catching and Spreading Germs appeared first on ActiveBeat - Your Daily Dose of Health Headlines.
