YOUNGTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) — We’ve all heard, or maybe even said it ourselves, “The weather makes me sick.” But is there any truth to this claim?
Dr. Mike Sevilla of Salem Family Care in Salem, Ohio, said these claims are valid.
“I get a lot of questions from patients about weather changes. They say when a cold front comes through, it can affect a lot of symptoms in the body. That’s definitely an issue,” he told Nexstar’s WKBN explained.
Winter has begun and some parts of the country are already seeing major weather changes. This includes the massive “bomb cyclone” that hit the West Coast this week, as well as the season’s first snow and subzero temperatures in parts of the Midwest and Ohio Valley.
Some people may experience headaches during such sudden weather changes. That’s because these changes can cause imbalances in brain chemicals, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Not only that, but changes in weather can pose problems for people with chronic pain or arthritis, Dr. Sevilla says.
“Many of my patients have chronic pain symptoms or arthritis symptoms. They know exactly when the front is coming because the front flares up. Sometimes they have to adjust their medications. ” he said.
Temperatures will remain cool through the weekend, with a chance of rain in Southern California
However, cold weather itself does not make you sick. Summer Clay, a physician assistant at Sparrow Health System, previously told Nexstar’s WLNS that winter colds are not caused by the weather, but by viruses.
A stuffy or runny nose after being outdoors is more likely a sign of a convulsive response in the lungs, Clay explained.
According to the Mayo Clinic, cold weather can slightly weaken our immune system as our bodies focus on keeping warm. The spike in disease during the winter months is largely due to being confined to small spaces with limited ventilation.
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