bz what it pays
Can abrupt shifts in temperature bring on illness?
(Star-Ledger file photo)
On a day when it's in the mid-70s outside but the weather forecasters are gleefully talking snow accumulations, it's time to put one piece of folk wisdom under the microscope:
Roller-coaster temperatures can make you sick - True or false?
The pronouncement - usually delivered by a hovering parent - may be more of a warning than a statement of medical fact, said Krishna Bhaskarabhatla, a Woodland Park family physician and president of the New Jersey Academy of Family Physicians.
He recalls his own grandmother back in India warning him about a change in the weather. Yet he also recalls boarding a plane in Mumbai when it was 92 degrees out, and landing at JFK International Airport when it was about 10 degrees.
Yet he didn't get sick. But he also had someone meeting him who brought along his winter coat. Had he left the airport in shirtsleeves, would any ensuing illness be the fault of the relatively abrupt shift in temperature? Or the fact he didn't plan his wardrobe well?
Bhaskarabhatla doesn't think so. A single day's weather does not typically drive illness.
While he doesn't anticipate a jump in illnesses due to a two-day fluctuation in temperatures, Bhaskarabhatla said he does believe the transition from autumn to winter does drive a lot of visits to the doctor.
"In winter, the office is always busy," he said.
And some of the visits this time of year may be spurred by people who suffer from allergies.
What we call "a head cold" or a virus may really be an allergic reaction, said Dr. Nayla Mumneh at the Allergy Treatment Center of New Jersey in Middlesex County.
This time of year, she said, as people spend more time indoors, they may find themselves being affected by allergens thanks to dust mites and pets.
In addition, if you spent the weekend raking leaves – and especially if you spent some times around the leaf pile after Monday's rain, you'll be exposed to plenty of mold spores, Mumneh said. The mold is already there in the leaf piles, but the rain makes the ground moist, increasing the environment for molds, she said.
Mumneh advised those who may have mold allergies to wear a mask before doing yard work.
Individuals who find that their "cold" is lasting more than a few days, or if they recur frequently, may have uncontrolled asthma, she added. That can be diagnosed and treated by a primary care physician so that individuals do not suffer repeat episodes.
Cold symptoms tend to come on more gradually and usually go away within seven to 10 days, but allergies last as long as an individual is exposed to an allergen, which can be for weeks or months, according to the Nemours Foundation, a non-profit devoted to children's health.
Allergists can test individuals to determine if they have specific allergic triggers.
Then again, viruses can't be ruled out, Mumneh said. Children are spreading viruses commonly through schools now, and it's inevitable that some of them will be spread in homes and into workplaces, she said.
"It just escalates," Mumneh said, adding that she doesn't think the change in temperatures causes viruses or allergies to spread.
The combination of fall and indoor allergies and early-winter viruses is keeping Mumneh's office hopping, she said. "We are completely booked," she said. "This month has been incredibly busy."
Old wives' tale or not, the prescription for avoiding these change-of-temperature "colds" is indeed the same thing your mother told you: Wash your hands frequently. Keep your hands away from your mouth and eyes. Try to avoid contact with frequently touched surfaces such as railings, toys and doorknobs.
If you are feeling sniffly, practice good hygiene by sneezing into disposable tissues. Cough into your elbow sleeve – not your hands. And if you are sick, treat the symptoms and see your doctor if things don't improve.
Kathleen O'Brien may be reached at kobrien@njadvancemedia.com, or at (732) 902-4557. Follow her on Twitter @OBrienLedger. Find NJ.com on Facebook.