It’s C-C-C-C-Cold Outside

As thermal processing experts, we know a thing or two about temperatures and solving your PIA (pain in the @%$) Jobs! For those of us incredibly lucky folks living along the beautiful North Coast, we also know about frigid weather – bone chilling winds and finger tingling cold. Add to that unpredictable “snow bands” – sort of like lines of snow that start over the lake and then make their way onto our driveways. Once you add some wind,  you’ve got some nasty weather. Of course, rather than just staying inside, we venture out – walking, skiing, snowboarding, hiking and more, trying hard to insulate our bodies to the cold and wind chill – remember to layer! But sometimes, it’s not quite enough, as our human body is constantly working to maintain a healthy internal temperature, roughly 97 to 99 degrees Fahrenheit. When we get hot, regulating body temperature is a relatively simple fix: we sweat, the sweat evaporates, and our body cools down. But the opposite problem, holding onto heat when it’s cold out, isn’t as straightforward. Our bodies have a built-in mechanism that rushes to protect our “core” from the nasty elements. (I firmly recommend running in place to stay warm but admit it looks funny sometimes.) Here’s some fun info on how our bodies cope with the elements. Special thanks to Britannica.com, health.harvard.edu, clevelandclinic.org, uclahealth.org, mayoclinic.org, npr.org, and princeton.edu. Enjoy!

Humans lose body heat in several ways. The majority is lost through radiation as heat naturally escapes into the surrounding air, you feel this when removing a hat or gloves. Conduction and convection — when skin comes in contact with a cold surface or when wind moves warmth away from the body — can speed the process up as well – this is especially true when you happen to be blessed with a beautiful bald head!

Even evaporation plays a role: Sweat or damp clothing can cause heat loss surprisingly quickly – especially when it’s cold. When our skin begins to perspire, our body gets chilled (like when skiing) and our body temperature can start to fall. When it does, a series of wondrous physical responses kick into gear to keep us warm. Here are a few surprising ways cold can affect your body.

Involuntary Muscle Contractions – We all know the feeling: You’re cold, your teeth start chattering, and your whole body seems to shake in mini convulsions. But shivering isn’t just a side effect of being cold — it’s actually the body going on high alert. Shivering is a controlled energy-burning response. Small muscle contractions, an action that burns chemical energy, occur quickly and automatically. While some of that energy is channeled into movement, most of it is released as heat, warming the body from the inside out in an attempt to keep that core temperature where it should be.

Something called the body’s brown fat kicks into gear when you get cold, too. Also known as brown adipose tissue, this special fat stores and burns small amounts of energy to help maintain body temperature, a process that ramps up when body temperature drops. Though somewhat surprisingly present in the largest amounts in babies (up to 5% of their body weight can be brown fat) adults also retain small amounts throughout the body, including in the neck, chest cavity, and along the spine. Brown fat activation and shivering are part of the body’s thermogenic response — basically an internal thermostat that kicks in when the temp drops.

Weakened Immune System – Though frigid temperatures themselves aren’t a cause of illness, being cold can make you more susceptible to getting sick. Cold weather forces the body to work harder to maintain core temperature, which can cause your immune defenses to temporarily weaken. And a weakened immune system, of course, means viruses and bacteria have an easier time taking hold, resulting in a bit of a snowball effect (pun intended).

Cold, dry air can also strip moisture from the mucous membranes lining the nose, mouth, and throat, weakening your first line of defense against germs. At the same time, the tiny, hair-like structures known as cilia in the upper respiratory tract don’t move as efficiently in the cold, allowing viruses to inhabit the nose and throat for longer.

Another surprising culprit is spending more time indoors. Respiratory droplets from talking, coughing, or sneezing are smaller and lighter without humidity, which is often sapped out of indoor spaces during furnace season. This means those pesky droplets overstay their welcome, lingering in the air longer and allowing viruses to travel farther and find more unsuspecting victims.

Blood Moving to Your Core – One of the first parts of our body to get cold in chilly weather is our hands. As the body cools down, blood vessels near the skin’s surface constrict, pulling blood away from extremities such as the fingers, toes, ears, or nose. A lack of blood flow can even make your lips turn blue (cyanosis) when you’re cold. This is the body’s way of redirecting blood flow to the core and the vital organs in your core. But this protective response also forces the heart to pump against more resistance, raising blood pressure and heart rate. That’s why, if you are vulnerable to heart problems, it’s advised not to shovel or perform strenuous activities in cold weather.

A Purposefully Runny Nose – Having a runny nose when it’s cold outside isn’t exactly a surprise, but the reason it happens might be. Known as cold-induced rhinorrhea, (runny nose) a sudden surge of nasal fluid when body temperature drops is actually a sign of your body working to protect your lungs. The cold, dry air we breathe in needs to be warmed and humidified before it reaches the lungs, so the nose’s blood vessels and glands ramp up blood flow and fluid production to help make that happen. The nasal glands also produce excess mucus to keep the inside of the noise moist and reduce irritation. (how many times did we see our kids with runny noses when outside??).

When you exhale, the warm, moist air from your lungs meets the cold air outside. As the condensation of that breath hits the cold tip of your nose, more moisture forms, causing additional cold-weather drippage.

Sneaky Hypothermia – It’s common knowledge that cold can induce hypothermia, but it doesn’t only happen when temperatures plunge. Hypothermia can also strike in the spring and fall, when temps are relatively mild. A combination of factors can contribute to the body cooling down too quickly even when it’s not freezing out, including wind, damp clothing, and rain, which can all draw heat away from the body faster than it can be regenerated. (if you’ve been to a Cleveland Browns game on a rainy day on the lake, you know the feeling!).

Hypothermia begins when the body’s core temperature drops below 95 degrees Fahrenheit, and it can wreak quite a bit of havoc. Mild symptoms include shivering and chattering teeth, poor coordination, and sleepiness. As the body’s temperature falls and hypothermia progresses, more severe — and surprising — symptoms set in, including hallucinations, slurred speech, and, oddly enough, a decrease in shivering. Without treatment, hypothermia can slow vital organ function to a life-threatening point.

Stay Warm – To stay as warm and safe as possible, whether it’s cold or just wet and windy outside, it’s best to dress in layers that balance insulation and ventilation and to keep your head, hands, and feet covered. On the days you happen to forget your gloves, take comfort in the fact that, luckily, your body has a few surprising ways to help pick up the slack. Just keep them in your pockets!

Chicken Soup and Hot Chocolate – Chicken soup and hot chocolate feel good when you’re cold because the warmth soothes your throat, the steam clears congestion, they hydrate you, and they provide comfort (emotional and nutritional), with soup offering electrolytes/nutrients and chocolate offering feel-good compounds, all boosting your body’s ability to feel better and fight off illness. Some research suggests ingredients in chicken soup might help slow the inflammatory response causing cold symptoms. The heat also transfers through the mug to your hands and inside warms your core. Warm liquids are easier for your body to process and use for hydration when you’re sick. The heat is comforting and helps loosen mucus more effectively than cold drinks.

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