An ages-old adage may hold some truth after all.
New research from Yale University suggests keeping your nose nice and toasty may in fact help keep colds at bay.
For their study, researchers took cells from lab mice. Some of the cells were incubated at 37 Celsius – body temperature – and others at 33 C.
What they found is that the body’s response to rhinovirus, which causes the common cold, was “impaired” at the lower temperature.
The Yale researchers believe it isn’t the virus itself being impacted by the temperature change, but rather the body’s response to it – and believe their findings could have implications for humans.
"In general, the lower the temperature, it seems, the lower the innate immune response to viruses," senior study author Akiko Iwasaki said in a statement.
Veneta Anand, a pharmacist at a Shoppers Drug Mart in Kitchener, says she’s not surprised by the findings.
“If you have (your nose and mouth)covered, there is going to be more of a barrier for the virus to get in,” she told CTV News.
At any given time, it’s estimated that as many as 20 per cent of humans are carrying the rhinovirus in their nasal passages.
Previous research shows that rhinovirus has an easier time replicating in the nasal cavity than it does in the lungs, which are slightly warmer.
The Yale study is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
With files from CTVNews.ca
