I've been hanging out in a cabin with a broken furnace (should be fixed this week). What does staying in the cold for a number of days do to your body?

In a general sense it’s simple. The human body regulates its temperature and when the outside air is cold your body generates heat to maintain its core. Your skin temperature can change, as you described, but If your internal temperature shifts a few degrees from normal then it’s likely your core can’t compensate and, as a result, you are getting a cold.

Find somewhere to warm up! Hope you feel better soon and get that furnace fixed :)

Just curious where are you that it’s that cold this time of year?

Northern Michigan.

This is not my place. It’s my partner’s family cabin. The furnace guy has been here a few times. Figured out the issue and will be back this week to fix it.. In the meantime, I’m stuck here without a vehicle. Waiting for my partner to come and pick me up Thursday.

I use to go camping in the Sierra Nevada’s when I was younger, ice on the water bucket in early morning and no heaters anywhere. Never came down with any other than bug bites.

Stay hydrated ! !

@Tropical_Willie I’m just wondering if it’s doing a number on my immune system?

How long were you in the cold?

Temperatures lower than 70* F have not been shown to make “cold bugs” any stronger.

Drying out your sinuses will make you prone to flu and cold, that the reason I said to drink water ” Stay hydrated ! ! ”.

@Mama_Cakes It’s not the actual cold temperature itself that is making you sick. It’s being inside and among many other bodies for an extended amount of time that causes “the cold” during cold months. Everyone is swimming in a pool of their own germs. This article explains how being cold can weaken your immune system due to your body’s tendency to focus more on keeping itself warm.

We lived for many years in an “under heated” house. In winter my house plants froze, and I walked around with mittens, coat and a hat. We heated and lived in one room basically, and that one wasn’t all that warm much of the time.

The upside is nobody ever ever got sick. If the kids didn’t behave, I’d banish them outside or to a cold part of the house to think it over. It never took long before they saw the error of their ways, and were back with the rest of us where it was relatively warm.

We all have wonderful memories of living there.

@dxs I’m not inside all of the time. I’ve been outside a lot.

You know there have been people living in the arctic circle thousands of years before electricity was invented, right?

@keobooks Sure. I guess that I could go out and buy a winter coat while here except I have no vehicle..

I have a sweatshirt and I’m still cold. What do you suggest?

~

On a positive note, your body burns more calories to try and keep you warm.

@Mama_Cakes What’s missing for you is appropriate clothing. Maybe wrap up in blankets?

@snowberry I’m doing that now.

I have to be apart of a running/biking/kayaking race next Sat. Been training for this for awhile. One hundred bucks to be apart of it and it would sucky to miss out because off illness.

Just brought a huge glass of orange with ice and water with ice up to the bedroom loft. Going to read my Kindle under a heavy sleeping bag.

A hot shower or hot bath will warm your body, just dry off well before dressing.

I’m afraid, my dear, you will survive.

@janbb I need your warm flippers!

@Mama_Cakes You got ‘em!

Are you still cold?

Furnace guys shows up with everything to fix it and I’m leaving. lmfao!