It's hot, it's cold. How fall temperature fluctuations are taking a toll on your health.
While fall is linked with changing leaves and crisp weather, it’s also high time for temperature fluctuations. Depending on where you live, you may spend some days bundled up in a sweater, followed by others sweating in short sleeves — all within the same week.
But fall also signals the start of respiratory virus season, making it understandable to wonder if all this unpredictable weather has a role in your health. And according to doctors across a range of specialties, you are at a higher-than-usual risk of developing a slew of illnesses this time of year.
So, how do temperature changes impact your health? Yahoo turned to four doctors to find out.
Your odds of getting a virus jump
You’re not the only one who suddenly comes down with cold-like symptoms this time of year. Most people are likely to have colds in fall and winter, although it’s more of an indirect result of the weather, Dr. Thomas Russo, professor and chief of infectious disease at the University at Buffalo in New York, tells Yahoo.
“Fluctuating temperatures don’t directly impact your health from an infectious disease point of view,” he says, “But, as we head into the cooler months, we spend more time indoors, where you’re more vulnerable to picking up a virus.” Lower levels of humidity that can come when temperatures drop may also allow viruses like the flu to thrive, according to recent research, making you even more vulnerable to getting sick.
But being cold from, say, a random and unexpected drop in temperature outside won’t actually cause you to catch a cold, Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist and professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, tells Yahoo. “That's a common myth,” he says.
Still, fall’s fluctuating temperatures and more time indoors also coincides with kids being back in school — and that can increase the odds you’ll get sick. “Children are the No. 1 friend of viruses,” Russo says. “They tend to pick up all sorts of things and bring them home to their family.”
You may have trouble breathing
There are a few potential reasons for this. “The fluctuation of temperatures may be related to worsening air quality,” Dr. Purvi Parikh, an allergist and immunologist with the Allergy and Asthma Network, tells Yahoo.
Having temperatures stay warmer than usual or go back to higher levels after cooling off can also cause longer allergy seasons, lead to pollen growing in new areas and increase concentrations of pollen in the environment, says Dr. Amanda Dilger, a physician at Mass Eye and Ear and instructor in otolaryngology at Harvard Medical School. Higher temperatures for longer periods of time can also increase carbon dioxide in the air, which plants feed off of, leading to higher levels of pollen, Parikh adds. “This means patients may experience new or worsening seasonal allergy symptoms, or allergy symptoms that last longer than usual,” Dilger explains.
People who suffer from asthma may be particularly impacted during this time, according to Parikh. “If allergy season is worse, so is asthma,” she says. “Also, the actual changes in temperature from hot to cold or cold to hot trigger asthma by causing airway tightening.” Parikh says the same can be true of switching to dry air that often comes with cooler temperatures to high humidity that’s more common when it’s hot out.
Your skin can be itchy
Changes in temperature can trigger a lot of chronic conditions, including eczema, Parikh says. That can cause people with the condition to have a higher risk of uncomfortable symptoms like itchy, dry and red skin, she says.
Even people without eczema can deal with a decrease in their skin’s normal elasticity, along with changes in skin texture thanks to fluctuating temperatures, Parikh says.
You’re at risk for heat illness
Unpredictable temperatures mean you could get surprised by hot weather, leaving you unprepared to deal with the consequences. That raises your risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke, and can exacerbate any underlying health conditions you have, Dilger says.
“Increasing temperatures are associated with increased emergency room visits from worsening heart, lung, kidney and psychiatric disease,” she says. “Heat is also associated with reduced cognitive function and decreased productivity.”
How to stay healthy when temperatures are all over the map
When it comes to staying healthy in unpredictable weather, doctors recommend doing your best to keep an eye on the forecast and air quality. "Check air quality before going outside and limit outdoor time if air quality is poor and/or temperatures are high,” Dilger says. She recommends checking AirNow.gov to see the air quality in your area.
If you have asthma, Parikh stresses the importance of using preventive and controller medications as directed by your physician. “Allergies and asthma that are well-controlled are less likely to flare, even when these changes hit,” she says.
Dilger also recommends doing your best to stay hydrated and using HEPA filters to improve your indoor air quality. Careful hand hygiene, limiting contact with people who are obviously sick and wearing a mask in crowded indoor situations can also help keep you healthy, Russo says.
It can be tough to fully avoid getting sick when the temperature is fluctuating, but taking a few precautions should help. “Just do your best,” Russo says.
