Dear collegues
It is probably not the absolute climate of a place that predisposes to
catching a 'cold' but the temporary change in environmental conditions
leading to physiological changes in the nasal tissues . Many of us may have
personal experience of catching a 'cold' in situations such as those
mentioned by Dr. Ron Halweil . Atleast I do remember of having suffered from
coryza after getting wet in the rain though the virus might have been around
on other days too .
There has to be some truth to the folk wisdom otherwise it has to be a real
coincidence that in many languages around the world simultaneously people
stumbled upon the same misnomer --- Viral coryza is known to laymen as
'common cold' in English and by similar meaning words in 4 other languages
that I know . Maybe we need to study about the predisposing factors some
more .
Vishesh Malhotra
Sultanate of Oman
-----Original Message-----
From: Stephen Kleid <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: "Colds" are a misnomer
I don't believe that being cold gives you a "cold" - it doesn't make sense.
In Antarctica, and I assume the Arctic, people don't get colds.
I think that ENT surgeons in the subtropical regions of Australia
(Queensland) do as much sinus surgery as those here in cooler Melbourne.
From: [log in to unmask]
Dear Dr. Eccles,
We've started cold and flu season in the northeastern US. Folk wisdom
has
always stated that body chilling, drafts, wet clothing from rain, etc. not
wearing a hat or scarf in the cold, and so on, will predispose to URI's. Yet
the medical literature is in conflict with this "wisdom".
Personally, I agree with "chilling predisposes to colds".
How does this learned group feel about this issue?
Sincerely, Ron Halweil, MD Oto-hns
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