by, Jesse A. Stoff, MD, MDH, FAAFP Posted on southampton.patch.com on Feb. 5, 2011
Q.This from H.B in Hampton Bays: Does being cold give us a cold?
A. In a word ... NO.
However, being cold is a form of thermal stress on our system. Stress is one of the five processes that lead to immune suppression and with immune suppression comes an increased risk of all sorts of illnesses. The other four processes being poor nutrition, infection, toxins and trauma. Essentially, stress occurs when we are in some way expending energy faster than we can regenerate it at that moment. Sensing this imbalance the body kicks in with a number of mechanisms to compensate and protect us, all too often robbing Peter to pay Paul.Initially, when we are under stress there is an increased amount of adrenaline that is produced and released. This gives us the capability of “fight or flight.”Historically, this gave our ancestors the protective ability to run away from the saber-toothed tiger or to stand their ground against an enemy. If the stress is more chronic then there is an increased release of another adrenal hormone called cortisol. Cortisol does many wonderful things for us such as giving us a higher stable level of energy, improved memory function and lower sensitivity to pain.
But,
cortisol also has a dark side, the problem is that with long term higher
levels of release it is also an immune suppressant. So as cortisol
levels go up our immune function goes down. Since the final effects of
the stress response have common pathways, if we generally have a
stressful lifestyle with work , family and maybe the occasional bad
habit or two, then being in the cold can easily be the straw that breaks
the camel's back and we get sick.The bottom line is that trying to warm
up with Irish coffee won’t help, it will actually make things worse as
the alcohol stresses our liver. A better plan is to find peace and
balance in your life, eat a good diet with as much organic food as
possible, take a good broad spectrum, natural source, multivitamin and
some Cyto-Ess to support the immune system and let the body do what the
body does best and that is to heal.Send in your questions and be well.
A. In a word ... NO.
However, being cold is a form of thermal stress on our system. Stress is one of the five processes that lead to immune suppression and with immune suppression comes an increased risk of all sorts of illnesses. The other four processes being poor nutrition, infection, toxins and trauma. Essentially, stress occurs when we are in some way expending energy faster than we can regenerate it at that moment. Sensing this imbalance the body kicks in with a number of mechanisms to compensate and protect us, all too often robbing Peter to pay Paul.Initially, when we are under stress there is an increased amount of adrenaline that is produced and released. This gives us the capability of “fight or flight.”Historically, this gave our ancestors the protective ability to run away from the saber-toothed tiger or to stand their ground against an enemy. If the stress is more chronic then there is an increased release of another adrenal hormone called cortisol. Cortisol does many wonderful things for us such as giving us a higher stable level of energy, improved memory function and lower sensitivity to pain.
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DR. JESSE A. STOFF is an internationally renowned physician with extensive credentials in clinical immunology and holistic medicine. A graduate of New York Medical College , he pursued extensive post-doctoral training including a fellow- ship at the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital in London , England
This article is produced and written by the writing team at IMMUNOLOGY TODAY- The Official Newsletter of Integrative Medicine of N.Y. of Westbury NY-- Edited and co-published by Dr. Jesse A. Stoff exclusively for the purposes of this blogpost (Immunology Today) and rejuvenatesoliutions.com The publisher(s) hold all rights (c) to all elements, images and content herein. All distribution, sharing or re-posting of this article is only with the express permission from Dr. Stoff and Integrative Medicine of NY (formerly Linchitz Medical Wellness). 265 Post Ave. Suite 380 Westbury, NY 11590 | 516.759.4200 | www.StoffImmunology.com. Rejuvenate! is a registered trademark of Intermedia Communications Ltd. All written content in this newsletter is produced by the Stoff Institute for Medical Research (SIMR) exclusively for private distribution at the Integrative Medicine of NY ©2016- All Rights Reserved.
DISCLAIMER: Integrative Medicine of NY (formerly Linchitz Medical Wellness) and Dr. Jesse A. Stoff make no claims pertaining to any of the institutions or funding information listed, make no warranty or guarantee of funding, and bear no responsibility and disclaim any liability for the privacy of communications or the outcome of any applications for the listed resources. No further information about any of the institutions nor funding programs (other than the links and contact information listed here) is available. Written content provided in this article/blog is for informational purposes only; consult your physician before making any changes to your treatment plan.
