Can you "sweat out a cold"?

Question

My mom is making me dress like an eskimo to sweat out my cold. Is this real or just an old wives tale? She has me bundled and I'm not allowed to take off any layer lol...

meowcow · Accepted Answer

It's not an old wive's tale, but your mother's recommendation probably won't do anything.

When the body is sick with a cold, flu, or bacterial infection your body temperature rises and you get a fever. The fever is a defense mechanism to increase your core temperature to a level that impairs the reproduction of the cold/flu virus or bacterial infection. Basically, the fever slows down the infection.

However, this temperature change needs to happen at your core. Not your extremities like arms and legs. Bundling up may help you retain heat, but as long as you're in bed and under the covers, it's the same thing.

If your core temperature is 39 degrees C with a fever, and 39.5 C when you're bundled up with a fever, that extra 0.5 degrees C isn't going to make much difference. (37.5 is normal)

cth96190 · Accepted Answer

If she wants to cause you to die through heat stress, that is one way to do it.
A solution that would help you (without risking your death) is elderberry extract. The published science shows that the anthocyanin (natural pigment in the dark fruit) will stop viral reproduction and kill all known bacterial pathogens.
This halves the duration of the illness and the severity of symptoms.
Published peer-reviewed science can be found at www.pubmed.com
While it is true that most viruses will die if the body temperature is elevated by three degrees centigrade, this increase in temperature has to be uniform throught the body. The result is as likely to kill the patient, as well as the virus.
Hillbilly witchdoctor 'cures' are seldom based on science.

redeyemindtricks · Accepted Answer

bahah no, you will not suddenly sweat viruses out of yr bloodstream 😂😂

However... Breathing hot, humidified air CAN relieve cold symptoms, at least temporarily. Here's the study to show that:
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/.../bmj00231-0020.pdf

Not gna make yr cold go away any faster (believe me, if ANYONE knew ANY way to do that, she/he would become extremely rich extremely quickly), but, if you just stand in a hot shower for a while, you'll feel better.

damnwinter · Accepted Answer

you can :D that's what my grandma would do, it felt terrible, but it helped every time :D however, now that I live alone, I go for vitamin c, tea and cold medicine :))))

Unit1 · Answer

That sounds like an unnecessary torture to go through.

What WILL help is:
drinking a lot of liquid (best is water or other warm liquid if you prefer)
(in certain cases but you aren't in a legal age to do so yet) try to drink a little alcohol
sleep a lot
keep yourself warm but dont cook yourself into sweating if you dont like it!
raspberries
chili pepper
cold-related medicine such as Theraflu

the cold will last long so don't expect these remedies to cure you fast but they will escalate the curing process.

Levin · Answer

Sounds quite stupid. It's a cold, not a fever, for a start. You don't need to force your body to do anything. It has evolved myriad mechanisms to heal itself naturally. If you have a cold, it basically means you need to rest, and take care of yourself better if appropriate.

lumos · Answer

I've never thought that it would make a significant difference. If anything it'll encourage your body to become dehydrated which will only make it worse, since staying hydrated is extremely important when you're sick. Of course it's important to stay warm but to dress excessively probably won't make a difference.
I find that drinking loads of water, taking the occasional painkiller, eating bland but healthy food and sleeping helps me the most.

Prof_Don · Answer

It does. Remember that a fever is nothing more than the body attempting to kill the germs by raising the temperature of the body beyond what the invading organisms find to be ideal.

Bundling in many layers simply enforces what the human body is already aiming to do.

Anonymous · Answer

You sweat out a fever. It's just a wives tale but when you're 100 and delirious it's the best thing short of your mom bringing you soup and yelling at you for getting sick. You drown a cold with lots of warm fluids and a guilt trip from your mom.

SunnyCaliGirl · Answer

Im not sure if that is true, drinking tons of water will help you

badger25 · Answer

Wearinga bunch of clothes likely won't do it but steam saunas can work wonders!!

_Steven_ · Answer

Umm I don't think it's possible... Never heard about it before.

ConsultantIsBack · Answer

I mean you dont want to sweat exactly, but ya i just stay very warm and rest

AlwaysBelieving · Answer

It works for me. It works faster if I force myself to sleep under mounds of blankets.

BarbieDollT · Answer

True, my grandmother use to do this to me & it worked for me.

thewanderingme · Answer

take some minerals. you'll be good in a day

akadatank44 · Answer

A cold? No way. Rest and liquids and vitamin C.

helloitsmethere · Answer

My mom does the same thing...

Anonymous · Answer

tried it and no it doesn't work

Iron_Man · Answer

I think it can help some give it a try

LordBlakeh · Answer

From what I've heard it's an old wives tale.

apple24 · Answer

Yes u can

Can you "sweat out a cold"?

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