May 31, 2024 — Summer is all about vacation, travel, outdoor sports and activities, a relaxed life and having fun – at the least until cold can break the best-laid plans. Some people describe summer colds as “the worst ever,” while others endure them with tissues in hand.
Chaz French, a digital publishing specialist based in San Francisco, said, “Summer colds always seem to hit me much harder and take longer to get over them.”
Because of their poor timing, summer colds often occur similtaneously other common respiratory illnesses. Constance Gill, a New York City-based art consultant, said that for her, “summer colds often go hand in hand with allergies and are made worse by air conditioning. Just the indignity of being sick when the weather is nice is super annoying,” she said.
Are summer colds really different from winter colds? And more importantly, do certain strategies work higher than others to shorten the duration of cold symptoms? We spoke to several experts to seek out out why colds feel so bad in the hotter months and to seek out out what strategies, if any, will help prevent them.
Virus Bonanza
Most individuals are conversant in the symptoms of a chilly: stuffy nose, aching limbs, sore throat, fatigue and fever.
“The common cold is not caused by a single virus, but by many different types of respiratory viruses,” says Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert and professor of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville. “Some of them are very seasonal, along with the flu, and some are not so seasonal and can last all summer.”
Examples include rhinoviruses, that are accountable for most winter colds, and enteroviruses, which researchers have linked to summer colds. Schaffner also pointed to the family of coronaviruses – namely those before COVID-19 – which proceed to cause colds in the summertime.
This surge of viruses makes it difficult to find out which virus or viruses is perhaps accountable for symptoms, nevertheless it may help explain how long symptoms last. Katharine DeGeorge, MD, a family medicine physician at UVA Health, said the CDC has found that, broadly speaking, enteroviruses related to summer colds last a mean of 20 days. “For rhinoviruses — which cause winter colds — it's typically 7 to 14 days,” she said. “That might be why people feel like summer colds are worse, because they actually last longer.”
Navigating the symptom overlap
It will be frustrating attempting to determine in case your symptoms indicate a summer cold, allergies, or COVID.
“There is definitely some overlap; you can have a summer cold and experience allergy symptoms at the same time,” DeGeorge said. “Allergies are almost never accompanied by fever or body aches, instead nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing and sore throat are typical,” she said.
These symptoms are also common with colds, but also can include fever, headache and body aches, she said.
And don't forget, Schaffner said: “Allergies are also often accompanied by irritated eyes, redness or itching.”
“With COVID, sneezing almost never occurs and loss of smell or taste is common,” DeGeorge said.
Schaffner also explained that COVID and a summer cold can start in the identical way, making them almost unimaginable to tell apart, at the least at first.
“The whole story of the common cold has become much more complicated since COVID came on the scene,” he said. But “I want to remind readers in high-risk groups – 65 and older, with underlying chronic conditions, people with weakened immune systems or pregnant women – that if they get symptoms, they should not hesitate to contact their doctor or run to the pharmacy to get tested.”
Should you are taking zinc?
“Zinc is an important component of the immune system; it can support a variety of enzymes and proteins in the body that determine how we respond to things like viruses,” said Dr. Emily Ho, distinguished professor of nutrition at Oregon State University in Corvallis.
But with regards to prevention, “we have pretty good evidence that zinc doesn't help prevent acute respiratory infections, so it probably doesn't make a difference how bad your cold is (or when it occurs),” said L. Susan Wieland, PhD, MPH, assistant professor of family and community medicine on the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, who co-authored a recently published comprehensive study on zinc. Wieland and her colleagues examined the evidence on zinc and colds in 34 studies involving about 8,500 participants. Prevention aside, the outcomes suggested that taking zinc could shorten the typical duration of a chilly by about 2.4 days.
“Starting zinc lozenges within 24 hours of a cold onset and continuing for a few days may help relieve symptoms and shorten the duration, but it is certainly not a cure,” Ho said.
Keep in mind, nonetheless, that “zinc does not help with allergies,” DeGeorge said.
Strategies against colds in summer
Cold researchers have long known that not only do psychological aspects similar to stress influence susceptibility to colds, however the occasional have to isolate oneself and the sensation of loneliness that comes with missing planned activities can increase the severity of cold symptoms in many individuals.
“Summer is more fun than winter, and if you have a cold, the fun is over,” says Susan Murphy, a video producer in Ottawa, Canada.
Although chances are you'll not have the option to place your plans into motion, DeGeorge said rest and over-the-counter pain relievers have been shown to scale back the severity of symptoms.
“NSAIDs like ibuprofen can act on the cough receptors and actually help with coughing,” she said. “Honey has also been shown to be helpful and can also be eaten with a spoon,” DeGeorge said. This could also be higher than mixing it into hot drinks, especially through the summer months.
The same rules apply to colds in summer or winter, similar to the expert advice to scrub your hands continuously and avoid individuals with symptoms. Fortunately, summer and outdoor activities go hand in hand, allowing for more flexibility as there's loads of space to have interaction in activities without having to fret about being in crowded indoor spaces where the danger of contracting cold viruses increases.
Finally, light exercise stays a very important strategy against summer colds and might even make them more bearable. “There are studies that suggest that exercise can shorten the duration of the cold,” said Schaffner.
“I always tell people to listen to their bodies,” DeGeorge added. “If you feel like moving your body and exercising, then do it!”