The 6 bizarre things that happen to your body in the cold – from MORE wrinkles and shrinking fingers to ‘winter penis’
We are now experiencing a severe cold snap, so brace yourselves!
The’stay in and stay warm’ warnings were issued across the country.
Even though it’s a yearly tradition, we are always taken by surprise.
Overnight, temperatures in parts of the UK hit a bone-chilling -9C, resulting in “hazardous” ice covering the roadways and the cancellation of flights.
Up until this morning, Northern Ireland and large areas of southern, central, and western England were under a yellow fog warning due to the chilly weather.
For the majority of us, colder weather means rushing home from work to get cozy after scraping ice off the car in the morning.
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We are almost ready to get out our boots, scarves, and hats.
However, winter also has some unexpected physical repercussions.
1. More wrinkles…
Winter isn’t solely to blame for those annoying wrinkles, but the frigid temperatures certainly don’t help.
“It’s all the little changes that winter brings,” says Dr. Michael Tantillo, founder of Clareo Centers for Aesthetic Surgery in the United States.
He listed the following problems: decreased humidity, slowed circulation, decreased cell regeneration, exposure to dry winds, increased light exposure from reflecting UV rays off snow and ice, nutritional changes, and decreased activity levels.
Not to mention the frequent temperature changes, from your warm office to your icy vehicle.
According to what Dr. Michael previously told Readers Digest, this reduces skin circulation and cell regeneration, which makes our skin less radiant.
What do you get when you add everything up? Superdry skin, wrinkles, and imperfections.
Scotland braced for even MORE Met Office winter warnings as snow, ice & bitter freeze to continue for DAYS
2. Your fingers could SHRINK…
Have you ever noticed that on cold days, your rings seem a little loose? You’re not dreaming, though.
In warmer climates, extremities like your fingers and toes typically swell; in colder climates, however, they typically do the opposite.
According to Dr. Albert Ahn, a clinical lecturer of internal medicine at NYU Langone Health in the United States, you tend to see less of that during the winter months.
In order to maintain core body temperature and conserve body heat, cold weather tends to restrict blood vessels,” he told HuffPost.
Your fingers may feel a little smaller since there is less blood flowing to them. One more excuse to keep those gloves on hand.
3. You might lose weight…
Have you heard that exercising in the cold causes your body to burn more calories?
Advice for keeping warm
During the winter, staying warm can help avoid colds, the flu, and more serious health issues like depression, heart attacks, strokes, and pneumonia.
In addition to keeping your bedroom windows closed at night, you should heat your house to at least 18 degrees Celsius, especially in the rooms you use frequently.
Additionally, you should confirm that you are receiving all of the assistance to which you are legally entitled.
To increase the energy efficiency of your house, upgrade your heating system, or lower your bills, there are grants, perks, and guidance available.
Keep in mind that other individuals could want more assistance throughout the winter, including elderly neighbors, friends, and family members.
Stay in touch with your family, friends, and neighbors and inquire if they are feeling ill or if they need any practical assistance.
In the event that they are unable to leave, make sure they have enough food supplies for a few days.
Encourage them to wear shoes with good traction and a scarf around their mouth if they must go outside in the cold. This will protect them from cold air and lower their chance of developing a chest infection.
Additionally, if inclement weather is predicted, make sure they receive any prescription medications before the Christmas season begins.
The following are some low-cost tips for staying warm at home:
- Warm your body not your house – so wear lots of layers made from insulating materials like wool
- Or if need to, just heat one room and stay there as much as you can during the day
- Avoid alcohol – it prevents your blood vessels from constricting, so you lose body heat
- Move around as much as you can – sitting still for long periods reduces circulation
- Open your curtains – the sun still provides warmth, even if it’s cold outside
- Use a draught excluder – line your windows with rubber seals and use DIY excluder at the bottom of your doors
- Move your sofa away from external walls – sitting with your back against an internal wall will instantly feel a lot warmer
- Fit tin foil behind your radiator – it will reflect heat back into the room
- Bleed your radiators – air could be trapped inside, creating cold spots
Well, it’s partially true.
Your metabolism may increase as a result of your body exerting more effort to stay warm.
That sounds fantastic, doesn’t it? Don’t get overly thrilled, though.
According to Dr. Robert Segal, CEO of Manhattan Cardiology and LabFinder.com, your waistline may not vary much unless you’re actually perspiring during your activity.
In the end, the extra effort you’re making matters more than the cold itself.
4. You could get ‘winter penis’…
It’s possible that guys have complained about their members being somewhat smaller in the cold.
Dr. Sarah Jarvis previously told Sun Health that “technically, winter penis is a thing,” despite the fact that this seems a little bit like a fiction.
It has to do with how cold causes the blood arteries in the extremities to constrict, rerouting blood flow to critical organs like our internal organs.
“Basically, your body retains heat in the winter by shutting down blood vessels on the surface,” noted the general practitioner and clinical director of Patient.info.
“We are aware that the penis is among the most noticeable locations due to its enormous surface area.
Additionally, we are aware that testicles may be moved higher up into the scrotum and tend to shrink in colder climates.
“It is not a physical permanent change, if you warm up then it will go back to normal.”
Adam Taylor, a professor and director of Lancaster University’s Clinical architecture Learning Centre, wrote for The Conversation that the architecture of this appendage is what makes it vulnerable to cold temperatures.
He claimed that the penis’s size is decreased “but also keeps the penis closer to the body to prevent it freezing” due to the natural reaction of blood flow being redirected from it, which he compares to a sponge.
“A similar change happens with the testicles, which, when cold, are drawn closer to the body to keep them warm,” he stated.
Dr. Taylor used the case of Finnish cross-country skier Remi Lindholm, who experienced frostbite during competition in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, to illustrate how penises can still sustain tissue damage even with these precautions if exposed to temperatures below zero.
5. Or, you could get ‘winter vagina’ …
We turn to hand cream and lip salve as dry skin and chapped lips become more of an issue.
That “drought” turns out to be able to impact every portion of the body.
We are well aware that it can damage the penis, but did you realize that it can also seriously harm the vagina?
Mary Burke, a senior clinical nurse at the London Bridge Plastic Surgery & Aesthetic Clinic and a former NHS midwife, recently told Sun Health that women could experience greater vaginal dryness, sometimes known as “winter vagina,” throughout the winter.
“Dry autumn and winter air depletes moisture from our bodies, leaving our skin dehydrated and cracked, and our sinuses parched,” she stated.
Our vaginas can also go into drought mode during this period, however it’s a topic that few people prefer to openly address.
“When we spend a lot of time in air-conditioned rooms, or with the heating on, we re living in air which carries very little moisture.”
Additionally, the dryness we encounter frequently affects every part of our body, including the most intimate areas.
6. You might experience more back pain…
You’re not imagining it if you feel that your lower back discomfort gets worse in chilly weather.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, “Barometric pressure and outdoor temperature can indeed be linked to back pain.”
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“Changes in pressure can sometimes cause pain in arthritic joints, including the spine.”
Additionally, it stated that your joints respond to their surroundings, becoming more rigid and prone to damage in colder climates.
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