Can standing out in the rain or in cold weather cause you to get pneumonia?

Answer 1

Pulmonary pneumonia (pneumonia) is actually an infection of the lungs by fungal, bacterial, or viral pathogens leading to respiratory distress. It is not uncommon for an individual to develop pneumonia as a secondary infection following/concurrent-to an upper-respiratory illness. Those with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder; emphysema) are generally more prone to lung infection, for instance, and pneumonia can often affect those recovering or suffering from a nasty bout of flu.

Contrary to popular misconception, cold weather does not give you cold/flu/pneumonia or an infection of any kind. While cold weather and exposure can weaken an individual and render them more easily prone to infection, it is in fact during warmer, more humid weather than respiratory diseases tend to be more likely and more highly-transmissible.

A good reason for this is that warm, damp conditions are more conducive to the survival and proliferation of bacterial or fungal pathogens. Drier conditions tend to mitigate the survival of pathogens in the environment, whereas colder weather may help preserve them in a less active state- some viruses may even be transmitted via bacterial vectors, meaning that their transmission is potentially more likely in conditions that favour bacterial survival (warm/damp).

So no, cold weather does not give you an infection, but being exposed to cold can weaken an individual and render them more prone to infection. For those already suffering from respiratory complications, almost any adverse weather conditions (cold or hot) can lead to a substantially increased likelihood of infection. The elderly and infirm are far more likely to succumb to illness in adverse weather conditions also, though pneumonia can affect anybody, regardless of age.

Answer 2

It can't. Pneumonia is caused by different organisms, like bacteria, viruses and fungi (or sometimes aspiration of liquids or irritants). You can not get colds, flu, pneumonia or any diseases caused by microorganisms, you only get them by exposure to the germs.

Answer 3

No. Pneumonia is an infection and/or inflammation of the lungs. Being cold or wet doesn't make you sick with Infectious Diseases. Being infected by a bacteria or virus (or other infectious pathogen) that your immune system is unable to fight off is the cause of not only pneumonia, but virtually every communicable disease. It is the transmission of this infectious agent that causes the illness, not the conditions in which the infection is contracted.

To say that cold and/or damp conditions cause pneumonia is like saying sleeping in a bed makes a woman pregnant simply because that's where lots of women get pregnant. The correlation between the two is purely coincidental.

Answer 4

pneumonia is caused by bacteria, a virus, or aspiration (food or fluid going down the trachea and into the lungs rather than down the esophagus and into the stomach). pneumonia is not caused by changes in temperature or any other "old wives tale" such as staying out in the rain, going bare foot, etc. hope this help. Nurse Angie

Answer 5

The stages to get pneumonia is

cold

flu

brounciues (URI or upper respitory infection)

pneumonie

Answer 6

Because....It would not be positive for your health.



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Answer 7

no