Experts debunk common cold weather myths

Bitter temperatures aren’t just uncomfortable, they can be dangerous without the proper precautions. But common cold weather myths can sometimes fool you, so we had an expert weigh in.

Dr. Jason Zerrer with Providence Urgent care said he hears lots of these myths.

“The biggest one is that cold weather causes you to get sick,” he said. “Going outside does not in and of itself give you a cold. You have to already be exposed to the virus.”

He said some viruses do thrive in the cold, but you have to be exposed to it first.

The second myth: you lose most of your body heat through your head.

“It’s relative. Does most of your heat come out of your head? No. It’s a body surface area thing. Whatever is most exposed is going to lose the most heat.”

In other words, if your body is covered in a coat and gloves, then your head would lose the most heat because it’s the most exposed, so you should still wear a hat.

The third myth: you can wear one big article of clothing to stay warm.

“One layer that’s big isn’t necessarily better than several layers that are thinner,” Dr. Zerrer explained.

But he said the most important thing is to use common sense and limit time spent outdoors.

“It’s easy to throw on a couple layers, it’s easy to throw on a hat, just stay indoors,” he said.