Is it possible to 'catch a chill'?

My sister says the same Grannyknot if there is a cool breeze she goes into her bag and brings out a beret and scarf. I must say she seems to be right and does not get as many chills.

Dr Spock: " while there is no evidence that fresh air can cause a cold, there is plenty to suggest that a chill will make one worse." (My bible when I had DD at the age of 19 and knew nothing about babies, hence the fact that I can still quote chunks of it!))

I understood that getting cold puts a strain on the body and whilst it's dealing with that some opportunist virus/bug can invade and overwhelm your immune system.

I always thought a "chill" was just a posh cold - like the Queen gets "Her Majesty was unable to attend church because of a chill" - whereas plebs (Oops, can I still say that?) get colds

Well if the queen is allowed a 'chill' then surely you can have one too grannyknot?

Yes definitely nanado . I feel a bit better this morning because I did the Vicks (sorry for the advertisement but being rubbed with it has childhood placebo implications for making me feel better!) All I know is that if my throat and upper chest area isn't wrapped up warm, without fail, I get sick! And that brings me to another grumble, I really struggle to find crew-necked long sleeved tops, they all seem to have scoop neck fronts - why oh why!?

I understood the same as vampirequeen. We've got loads of bugs lurking in our noses and throats and when we get cold our resistance goes down. So, a bug can take hold.

Once I put on a polo necked jumper in the Autumn I have to wear one till the following spring; if I don't I wear a scarf instead. This is embarrassing because, although I have a lot of clothes I only have a few woolly jumpers of this kind and therefore have to live in them .

It's rubbish. At boarding school we always had to wear a vest ' to prevent us from catching a chill in our kidneys!'

I'm old enough to have had to wear a woolly vest with little sleeves (itch, itch, itch) AND a liberty bodice to protect the kidneys from a chill. And cotton knickers with woolly bloomers. Well, the winter of 1949 was a really bad one so perhaps that's what helped me to survive.

If it's so bad to get cold, why do we always feel so invigorated in crisp, clear, cold weather?

anno I would say it depends on how warmly you're wrapped up in that weather! I like going out in cold weather but if I feel the cold, I've had it. Sometimes I stand on those cold train platforms and realise 'uh, oh, your back is cold, you needed another layer'. And it doesn't mean I'm freezing, it's just a case of 'feeling the cold'. Jeni teehee I like keeping my kidneys warm and that's my excuse to DH for getting into bed in a long nightie

Apparently we get many viral infections every year and most of them don't develop into symptoms like runny nose and sore throat. This is based on common cold research.
It is just possible that if you get chilled when you have one of these unsymptomatic infections and you get cold, that your immune system responds by producing some symptoms.
It is also possible that some kind of conditioning has taken place (like pavlov's dogs) and you have an unconscious expectations of symptoms following being cold. And sure enough you get symptoms.
There is also a line of research about cold noses being a better breeding ground for some cold/flu viruses.
Generally cold/flu viruses take about 3 days from initial infection to symptoms. This is because the viruses have to increase in number in your body.

In my experience, station platforms are some of the coldest places in the country. The winter of 62-63 was a nightmare. I was commuting to Edinburgh by train to do my Dip Ed and spent a lot of time waiting for trains. One day my mum was with me, took pity on me and gave me some money to buy a decent pair of boots. I usually find that if my hands and feet are warm I can cope.

I don't know what a 'chill' is (and the last news item about the Queen I saw said she couldn't make church because ^she had a cold^). I know that a 'cold' is a 'coryza' or at least the symptoms of the 'cold' are - and it has nothing to do with being cold.

I'd go along with the notion thatbeing cold can lower one's resistance, allowing a virus to get busy.

JessM It is just possible that if you get chilled when you have one of these unsymptomatic infections and you get cold, that your immune system responds by producing some symptoms that makes sense.

The Italians are apparently completely convinced by the idea of catching a chill. There was a BBc correspondent report on it sometime last year. Children must be wrapped up to the ultimate degree. You should never sit in a draft etc

Didn't Wainwright say there is no such thing as bad weather just the wrong clothes? I agree with crimson polo neck weather starts in Nov. Some one kindly introduced me to Orvis who have polo necked mini vests. And BHS and Mand S have ribbed sweaters which I have in every colour to go under sweaters

Trouble is, it's a bit like when my ex used to grow a beard sometimes. He always got a shock when he shaved it off and his face underneath was older. My neck [always the bit that gives age away imo] always shocks me when it comes out of hibernation . And I always wear a vest [well, it's actually old sleeveless Top Shop tte shirts that I bought years ago and they seem to be lasting forever but getting tighter and tighter each year]. And a hat; yes, even at work sometimes....[fingerless gloves if I could find some].

I can't bear high necked jumpers - they make my face feel hot and besides I have a short neck and they make me look as if I had no neck. I always go for v-necks, although they are a bit more draughty.

I rarely wear scarves or gloves as they make me feel trapped and never a hat. My nana was the same and went out at 90 in just a coat with an open neck in the winter unless it was absolutely bitter.
I have had everyone here in Toronto falling about because I went out to shop on Christmas Eve in Birkenstocks and no scarf. To me it was quite warm and we were going to be in the car or shops so no need to wrap up.
The Canadians are obsessed with layering up to the point of hardly being able to move. Must be a lot of Italian blood around! My son agrees with me and I am pleased to have caused so much laughter and amusement over to last three weeks..

Rinky Birkenstocks and socks - I hope!

I am a believer in fresh air to kill the germs! No idea if this is based on any scientific evidence but I keep my bedroom window open as much as possible and 'air' the living room each morning with at least half hour of an open window! My SiL wraps herself up massively and sits in her house that she heats to high temp and NEVER opens a window. The family are always snuffling! However I accept my fresh air regime did not kill off my recent bad chest germs!

I do not believe you can catch a chill by just getting cold..unless extreme e.g. fallen in a chilly stream etc! I think sometimes as you develop a cold/virus you sometimes feel chilled (part of the fever symptoms) so could be coincidental that you are out when that happens?

Edinburgh Woolen Mill has turtle /polo sweaters! I do not wear them as I am short with a 'stately bosom' which such items of clothing only exaggerate!!

Michelle Mitchell, the Charity Director General at Age UK, said: “Every single excess winter death is preventable and represents our failure to meet the challenge of plummeting temperatures in Britain. Even in very cold countries such as Finland, excess winter deaths are much lower because they take staying warm seriously and prepare for cold weather.

“Cold homes – caused by a number of factors including high energy costs and poor insulation – not only have a devastating impact on older people’s health, but are a major cause of excess winter deaths.

“Those living in the coldest homes are three times more likely to die a preventable death than those living in warmer ones. In addition to the incalculable human cost, Age UK estimates cold homes to cost the NHS around £1.36 billion to treat the casualties of cold each year.”