Encounters #3

This past week, the temperature in Maryland started going down. It started becoming cooler. Winter is definitely around the corner. I've used my jacket almost every day of this week and I see people around me layering up clothes on their body.

I was wondering, when I was putting on my jacket one morning, why and how we get cold. Is it that our blood needs to be at a certain temperature for it to be fully healthy and functioning? I was also thinking why our muscles tend to weaken when it is colder outside. Interestingly, in Histology class, we just had an exam on chapters that included the connective tissue, blood, and muscle tissue.

Here are reasons as to what happens to our body and why these things happen when we feel cold:

Pink cheeks: When the body temperature drops to 50 degrees (F), our blood vessels narrow to reduce blood flow near the body’s surface. Sometimes the blood vessels dilate and burst, which causes redness. This can also numb your hands.
Runny nose: At 45 degrees or below, cold and dry air causes difficulty for your lungs. Your nose wants to moisturize, but it can try to make up for this, which can cause it to run.
Shivering caused by cold: Your core body temperature has dropped about a degree below its normal temperature around 98.6 degrees. This can be the first sign of hypothermia. At 96 degrees, your muscle movements (motor movements) begins to fail. Body temperature of 90 degrees is immediately life-threatening.

As seen, there are many things that occur when we feel cold. The first, is that our body temperature drops, and we see many results because of this. Our muscles become weak because there is less blood flow near the body surface, restricting the muscles' ability to function to its fullest potential. This is why we feel like our muscles have weakened. And, to try to keep the blood to be at a normal temperature and muscles working fine, or bodies feel uncomfortable being cold, and thus we put on extra layers to keep warm and be comfortable. Stay warm this winter!