Flu and colds Why do we always get sick in winter?
Headaches, coughs and a runny nose: hardly anyone gets through the winter without falling ill. Why is that? And how do you know if you have the flu or just a cold? Here are the most important questions and answers.
22.01.2025, 13:14
22.01.2025, 13:35
SDA
Does the cold really make you ill?
No. Both colds and the flu are caused by viral infections and not by the cold. Researchers from the "Common Cold Unit" at Harvard Hospital in Salisbury (UK) proved this back in the 1950s. In various experiments at the time, they deliberately infected volunteers with cold viruses. Some of the study participants were exposed to draughts or had to wear wet socks. It turned out that only those who were actually infected with the virus developed cold symptoms - but not those who were merely exposed to the cold.
Why are there always so many flu and cold outbreaks in winter?
The cold indirectly contributes to making us more susceptible to illness. Firstly, people spend more time indoors in winter, where pathogens can be transmitted more easily.
Secondly, cold air is dry. This makes the protective lipid layer of viruses harder, making them more robust. In addition, the winter air also dries out the mucous membranes in the nose and throat. Without a protective layer of mucus, viruses can more easily infect the cells.
In addition, the tip of the nose cools down in the cold and is less well supplied with blood. Due to the poorer blood circulation, fewer immune cells circulate in the nose and viruses are less easily caught.
What is the difference between flu and a cold?
The symptoms of flu and a cold are similar. However, they are caused by different viruses. The flu is caused by influenza viruses. Colds or flu-like infections, as they are technically known, are caused by a variety of viruses. The main trigger for colds is the rhinovirus.
The flu is more dangerous than a cold. Unlike other viral colds, it can lead to numerous complications, especially in chronically ill people, pregnant women and the elderly, as the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) explains on its website. In Switzerland, several hundred people die from the flu every year.
You do not become immune to the common cold. On average, young children catch between three and thirteen colds a year, depending on the source. Adults are still affected two to three times a year. However, the average adult does not catch the flu every year.
How can I tell if I have the flu or a cold?
- With the real flu, those affected usually feel ill from one moment to the next. This usually includes a sudden high fever. In contrast, cold symptoms increase slowly.
- Another distinguishing feature is muscle and joint pain all over the body, which only affects patients with flu. Headaches are also typical of flu patients. People with a cold, on the other hand, usually suffer from milder symptoms. Muscle pain rarely occurs with colds.
- While a cough tends to occur towards the end of the course of a cold, people with flu also struggle with a dry, irritating cough right at the beginning of the illness.
