Cold weather by itself does not “give” you an infection, but it does make it easier for you to get sick and can harm your health in several other ways.

Can Cold Weather Make You Sick?

Quick Scoop

  • You still need a virus or bacteria (like flu, COVID, or a regular cold) to get an infection; cold air alone is not a germ.
  • Cold weather helps those germs spread and makes your body more vulnerable, so people really do get sick more often when it’s cold.
  • On top of infections, cold can trigger breathing problems, heart issues, and serious conditions like hypothermia and frostbite.

“The cold doesn’t magically create germs, but it stacks the odds against your body.”

How Cold Weather Actually Affects Your Body

1. Germs and “catching a cold”

  • Flu and other respiratory viruses thrive and spread more easily in colder, drier air, which is why autumn and winter are peak flu seasons.
  • In cold weather, people spend more time indoors with windows closed, so germs build up in the air and spread more easily between people.
  • Cold and dry air can dry out the mucous membranes in your nose and throat, weakening one of your body’s first lines of defense against viruses and bacteria.

So the better answer to “can cold weather make you sick?” is:

  • Cold weather does not directly infect you.
  • Cold weather changes conditions (air, behavior, body defenses) so that infections are more likely.

2. Breathing and lung problems

Cold air is tough on your airways.

  • It can irritate the lungs and make it harder to breathe, especially if you have asthma, COPD, or other chronic lung conditions.
  • Cold, dry air increases airway inflammation and can cause wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, or chest tightness, especially when you exercise outside.

Example: Someone with asthma may feel fine indoors but start coughing and wheezing within a few minutes of walking or running in very cold air.

3. Your heart and blood vessels

Cold weather is a real stress test for your heart.

  • Cold temperatures make your blood vessels narrow (constrict), which raises blood pressure and makes your heart work harder.
  • This extra strain can raise the risk of heart attacks and strokes, especially in older adults or people with heart disease.
  • Studies show more deaths from cardiovascular conditions, particularly during periods of cold weather or sudden temperature drops.

4. Hypothermia and frostbite

In very cold conditions, the risk becomes more serious.

  • Long exposure to cold can cause your body to lose heat faster than it can produce it, leading to hypothermia (dangerously low body temperature).
  • Hypothermia can cause confusion, slurred speech, exhaustion, and slow thinking because the brain is not functioning properly at low body temperature.
  • Frostbite happens when skin and underlying tissue freeze; in severe cases, it can cause permanent tissue damage.

Why Winter Feels Like “Sick Season”

There’s a mix of science and everyday life:

  • Seasonal effect: As temperatures drop in autumn and winter, rates of flu and other respiratory infections rise.
  • Indoor crowding: People spend more time indoors, windows shut, in close contact, which helps viruses jump from person to person.
  • Drier air: Heating systems and cold, dry outdoor air lower humidity, which helps some viruses survive longer in the air and on surfaces.
  • Weaker defenses: Dried-out airways and physical stress from cold can blunt your body’s usual defenses.

On forums and in casual conversations, you’ll often see comments like: “It’s not the cold, it’s the virus.” That’s technically correct, but it leaves out that cold weather strongly shifts the odds in the virus’s favor.

Who’s Most at Risk in Cold Weather?

Certain groups need to be extra careful:

  • Older adults and very young children, whose bodies regulate temperature less efficiently.
  • People with heart disease, high blood pressure, or heart failure, who are more vulnerable to cold-related heart strain and cardiovascular events.
  • People with asthma, COPD, or other lung diseases, who may have more frequent attacks or flare-ups in cold, dry air.
  • Those with diabetes, arthritis, or cancer, who may have symptoms worsen or be at higher risk from common infections.

Public health agencies even advise checking on older neighbors and relatives during colder spells because illness and death rates rise in cold weather, even when it’s only moderately cold, not just during extreme cold snaps.

Simple Ways to Stay Healthier in Cold Weather

You can’t control the season, but you can tilt the odds back in your favor.

1. Reduce infection risk

  • Keep up with vaccines (flu, COVID, and others recommended for your situation).
  • Wash hands regularly and avoid close contact with people who are clearly ill.
  • Ventilate rooms when possible (short window openings to let in fresh air without freezing the house).
  • Stay home and mask around others when you’re sick to avoid spreading infection.

2. Protect your lungs and heart

  • Dress in layers, including a scarf or mask over your mouth and nose to warm the air before you breathe it in.
  • If you have asthma or heart disease, talk to your doctor about safe exercise plans and any extra precautions for cold days.
  • Avoid sudden heavy exertion in the cold (like shoveling snow fast) if you have any heart risk factors.

3. Avoid hypothermia and frostbite

  • Wear warm, dry layers and cover extremities (hat, gloves, thick socks), since hands, feet, ears, and nose lose heat quickly.
  • Change out of wet clothes promptly and limit time outdoors in very cold or windy conditions.
  • Watch for signs of hypothermia in yourself or others: intense shivering, confusion, clumsiness, or slurred speech are red flags that need urgent attention.

A Quick Story-Style Example

Imagine two coworkers in January:

  • Alex walks to work without gloves or a scarf, shivers at the bus stop, then spends all day in a closed, stuffy office where three people are already coughing.
  • Sam wears layers, a scarf over their mouth and nose, and cracks the office window a few times for short bursts of fresh air.

They both end up around the same viruses, but Alex’s chilly, stressed body and dried-out airways plus poor ventilation make it easier for a virus to take hold. Sam still isn’t “immune,” but has nudged the odds in their favor. That’s basically how cold weather and infections work in everyday life.

Bottom Line

  • Cold weather does not literally “cause” infections, but it absolutely increases your chances of getting sick and can worsen many health conditions.
  • Staying warm, ventilating indoor spaces, and following basic infection-prevention habits can significantly reduce those risks.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.