My mother thinks that you get colds from being cold and also that beening cold lowers your immune system. Why do most people think that your immune system stops your body from infection? Is there any other silly disease myths that aren't true?

Yet people in warm climates can also get colds.

Hypothermia of any degree does damage your immune system, but that's different from just being out in the cold. Being out in the cold can also cause cold-like symptoms, or make the symptoms of your actual cold temporarily worse. But no, by definition, a cold is caused by a virus, and simply being out in the cold doesn't make you more susceptible. "Cold season" exists because the viruses spread more easily in low humidity and poor ventilation.

 

However, I'm not sure what your comment about the immune system means. Yes, it can prevent you from getting sick.

Hypothermia of any degree does damage your immune system, but that's different from just being out in the cold. Being out in the cold can also cause cold-like symptoms, or make the symptoms of your actual cold temporarily worse. But no, by definition, a cold is caused by a virus, and simply being out in the cold doesn't make you more susceptible. "Cold season" exists because the viruses spread more easily in low humidity and poor ventilation.

 

However, I'm not sure what your comment about the immune system means. Yes, it can prevent you from getting sick.

I thought that getting sick and getting infected isn't the same thing. You can get infected without getting sick but you can't get sick without getting infected by a bacteria,virus, prion or other pathogen (not environmental factor).

If you get a harmless infection, your immune system can handle it (this actually is the basis of some vaccines, especially old vaccines). Without an immune system anything piercing your skin could potentially kill you. You can also get sick in various ways without being infected, such as poison or autoimmune disease.

My mother thinks that you get colds from being cold and also that beening cold lowers your immune system. Why do most people think that your immune system stops your body from infection? Is there any other silly disease myths that aren't true?

 

 

Cold or hot has nothing to do with the immune system .

 

Tried ,run down and stress does.Very hot or very cold kills most germs.