How to stay healthy this winter

You may have heard that people can get sick from cold weather. In a way, that’s true—medical studies have shown that many common viruses can reproduce faster and stay infectious longer in colder temperatures.¹

A good New Year’s resolution is to start paying attention to your day-to-day health by taking precautions against colds, the flu and COVID-19. If you’re wondering how to stay healthy in winter and avoid getting sick in the cold, CenterWell Pharmacy® is here to help.

Why people get sick in cold weather

Winter months bring holiday gatherings and travel, which can increase our risk of being around someone else who is sick. Additionally, the stress, changes in diet and reduced physical activity that come with the holidays can impact your resistance to illness.

But there are other, more surprising reasons you might get sick during winter months. Some studies suggest that cold weather can weaken the immune system.¹ In 2015, a Yale University team used mice airway cells to show that cold viruses do well in colder temperatures because the body’s immune response is weakened and has a harder time killing them.²

When a cold virus enters through the nose, your body produces special cells designed just for fighting the invaders. However, a temperature drop of just 9 degrees can kill off as many as half of these helpful cells.³ In addition, cilia—the little hair-like objects in your nose that help filter out dirt and debris—don’t work as well in dry air and lower temperatures.⁴

Meanwhile, dry air—from home heating or the outside cold—can dry out your airway’s mucous membranes, which protect you from viruses and bacteria. Cold, dry air also means the germs people expel from speaking or coughing don’t sink to the ground as fast and can stay airborne for longer periods of time.⁴

4 tips for staying healthy

Considering the toll that cold, dry winter weather and holiday stress takes on the immune system, it may seem difficult to keep yourself healthy. However, following these tips can help.

1. Spend more daytime outside

As temperatures drop, we tend to stay inside where it’s warm. However, this also means spending more time near other people who could be sick. Shorter days also mean we don’t get as much vitamin D from sunlight. A vitamin D deficiency can weaken your immune system, lower your energy and cause other issues.

It’s important to spend time outside even during the shorter daylight hours if you can. However, if you have a chronic illness or are immunocompromised, the cold may also be likely to make you sick.² If you have to stay inside, try running a fan to improve ventilation and a humidifier to keep your air moist.

2. Wear a mask

Wearing a mask is always a great way to protect yourself and those around you when viruses are in the air. But masks do more than keep germs out. They also help keep your nose warm, which can help your immune system stay strong and makes it harder for viruses to reproduce.

3. Get vaccinated

Getting your annual flu and COVID-19 shots is one of the best ways to avoid getting sick during the winter months. If you haven’t had your vaccination yet and you need a doctor, you may be able to find support at CenterWell Senior Primary Care®.*

4. Get your medications delivered

Home medication delivery helps you avoid the cold. And with CenterWell Pharmacy, you could save with $0 copays on most generic 90-day prescriptions. With certain plans, you can also shop OTC items like pain relievers, cold and flu medications and vitamins to help you beat any winter illness.

You can also enroll eligible medications for auto refill, so you never miss a dose (not available for specialty medications).

Sources:

1. Ellen F. Foxman et al., “Temperature-dependent innate defense against the common cold virus limits viral replication at warm temperature in mouse airway cells,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 112 (January 2015): 827–832, last accessed Nov. 11, 2024, doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1411030112.
2. “Can Winter Make You Sick?” Northwestern Medicine, last accessed Nov. 11, 2024.
3. Di Huang, et al., “Cold exposure impairs extracellular vesicle swarm-mediated nasal antiviral immunity,” The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 151 (February 2023): 509–525, last accessed Nov. 11, 2024.
4. DeeDee Stiepan, “Mayo Clinic Minute: Why do people get sick with viruses in the winter?” Mayo Clinic, last accessed Nov. 11, 2024.

* CenterWell Primary Care providers may not be available in all areas. Other primary care providers may be available in your insurance network.

Disclaimer: Humana Inc. and its subsidiaries are committed to keeping humans in the loop. We used artificial intelligence (AI) to help write this. You should speak with a healthcare professional for your health needs, as this article is for informational purposes only.