Can You Get Sick From Swimming In Cold Water?

Most of us have heard our mothers tell us not to swim in cold water since it will make us sick. Were our moms just trying to keep us out of the cold water, or is there any truth to the statement? Can swimming in cold water make you sick?

You can contract a cold or the flu while swimming in cold water, but it is from infected people in your vicinity while swimming rather than the cold water. Other conditions such as diarrhea and swimmer's ear can be contracted by swimming in cold or warm water.

Many of us are surprisingly ill-informed about common ailments and sicknesses that plague us and how they are transmitted. Swimming in cold water is often blamed for the contraction of various illnesses. We will explain the reality behind the health risks associated with swimming in cold water.

Can Swimming In Cold Water Make You Sick?

When our mothers gave us the stern warning that swimming in cold water would make us sick, the most common perception was that we would contract a cold or the flu as a consequence.

In most cases, the thought was that cold temperatures could cause children and other people to become sick. But is this really the case?

We will take a look at whether cold water can make you sick, increase your risk of getting sick, or whether you can safely go ahead and take your winter swim!

Can You Catch The Common Cold From Swimming In Cold Water?

The common cold is caused by a virus that affects the upper respiratory tract, with most symptoms being felt in the nose, sinuses, throat, and larynx. Over 200 known strains of this virus can bring on a cold.

The most prevalent time of year when the cold virus abounds is the wintertime. These virus types thrive in the cooler temperatures, which is why most people experience the common cold in winter.

Swimming is generally a social affair, which means there are many people in and around the water. Due to the high prevalence of the cold virus during the winter months, it is highly likely that someone in the pool or swimming area has recently had a cold or has come into contact with someone with a cold and is carrying the virus. People who already have a cold but are not yet displaying symptoms are also contagious and can pass the virus on to others in the close confines of a swimming area.

When these people contract a cold, they assume it was due to swimming in the cold water rather than being in the proximity of a person infected with the virus. Consequently, you can catch a cold while swimming in cold water, but it has nothing to do with the water or its temperature!

Can You Catch The Flu From Swimming In Cold Water?

Influenza or flu virus is a distinctly different virus from the cold virus, and the symptoms are significantly more severe than that of the common cold.

There are many flu virus types, normally classified by the letters A, B, C, and D. Some of these flu types affect other animals and not humans, The Influenza A Virus (IAV) and the IBV and ICV viruses cause seasonal infections in humans.

Once again, the most prevalent time of year for these infections is the wintertime. The most common means that the virus travels from person to person is via coughs, sneezes, and touching surfaces contaminated by the virus.

Consequently, if you go swimming in the winter with other people, you are more likely to contract the flu than swimming in warm water in the summer months.

Just as with the cold, the contamination with the flu has little to do with the cold water but more to do with close proximity to people carrying the virus.

Can You Get Other Sicknesses From Swimming In Cold Water?

Many people assume that if the water they are swimming in is chlorinated, it is germ-free and cannot make them sick. Unfortunately, this is a false assumption, and many bacteria can survive in chlorinated water and cause illness.

The caveat we need to point out here is that the spread of the bacteria in the water has nothing to do with the temperature, and you can contract these ailments in warm or cold water. They are not specific to cold water, but they are a risk, even in cold water.

One of the most common ailments for swimmers is a condition known as swimmer's ear. This is when water enters the auditory or ear canal and becomes trapped. The trapped water is heated by your body and becomes a breeding ground for bacteria.

The bacteria could have been in the water or in the air inside your ear, but the warm wet conditions provided by the trapped water encourage them to proliferate.

Swimmer's ear can be contracted in warm or cold water, but it is the fact that the water becomes trapped in your ear canal that causes the ailment rather than the temperature of the water you are swimming in.

The second most common illness that can be contracted by swimming in any water, including cold water, is diarrhea. This can be caused by a wide range of bacteria, including E. Coli, Giardia, and Cryptosporidium.

The diarrhea symptoms come about when swimmers ingest water contaminated with these and other bacteria. These organisms are introduced to the water by other swimmers who have the bacteria.

Does Cold Water Pose Any Other Health Risks?

Some health risks posed specifically by immersion in cold water are worthy of mention. These are not sicknesses as such but are nonetheless health risks related to swimming in cold water.

• Asthma. Immersion can trigger an asthma attack in people who have this condition. The severity of the asthma attack can vary from person to person.
• Cold urticaria. This condition is essentially an allergic reaction to the cold, and swimming in cold water can trigger the reaction, causing your skin to break out in hives.
• Cold shock response. People with pre-existing heart conditions are at risk of having a heart attack when immersing themselves in cold water. This is known as a cold shock response. The constriction of blood vessels due to the cold water causes the heart to work harder to pump blood around the body. This exertion places additional strain on the heart, which can cause cardiac arrest.
• Hypothermia. This serious condition causes a drop in the core body temperature. It can shut down important organs in the body, culminating in death if not treated quickly and appropriately.

Summary

While there are certainly many risks to swimming in cold water, getting sick as a result is not one of them. The risks of getting sick are more strongly associated with the people you come into contact with while swimming than the water's temperature!

So you can safely go ahead with your winter swim, just avoid close interaction with people (especially those that are sick) as far as possible at your swimming location!