The most common thing is to associate colds or sore throats with winter, the cold months of the year, when on these same pages we talk about flu, respiratory syncytial virus, or pneumonia, but this is not always the case. And the fact is that 20% of the annual cases of colds occur during the summer months, so let’s see who might be to blame.
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How is it possible that I caught a cold in summer?
Even if it is summer, we can suffer an infection in the upper respiratory tract, that is, affecting the nose and throat.
This type of infection is usually caused by some virus from the rhinovirus family, but that is during winter, since during summer these viruses have little activity and the most common culprits are enteroviruses.
It should be remembered that these are usually mild and transient infections, which improve in a couple of days and for which the only treatment is symptomatic in order to relieve nasal congestion, sore throat, and discomfort.
What could be the cause of a sore throat in summer?
Waking up with a sore throat during vacation can be due to a minor infection, or not an infection at all.
In 70% of cases, that sore throat will be due to inflammation caused by a virus. The causative microorganism can be very varied: rhinovirus, adenovirus, enterovirus, Epstein-Barr… which usually cause mild or moderate pharyngitis that improve on their own in three to five days.
In 20% of cases the cause of that pain will be a bacterial infection, such as streptococcus or Fusobacterium necrophorum, and in this case antibiotic treatment may be necessary if the infection does not improve and after medical evaluation.
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In the remaining 10%, that sore throat is due to a non-infectious cause. We are talking, for example, about voice overload, exposure to cold and dry air or smoke, an allergy…
So, does air conditioning cause colds?
It does not cause them directly, but it can influence. If we set it to a very low temperature or use it excessively, these cooling devices can dry out the environment a lot.
That dry and cold air for a prolonged time can end up causing the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract to dry out, irritating the throat and making us more vulnerable to contracting an infection because natural defenses will work worse if a virus or bacteria reaches them.
In a normal situation, those microorganisms would be trapped in the mucus layer that always lines our entire respiratory system, but because of that cold and dry air, the mucus layer practically disappears and they have it much easier to penetrate and infect us.
Should I consult the health center or wait?
As we have said, in most cases both the cold and the sore throat will disappear on their own in a few days. You can go to your pharmacy looking for some painkiller or a throat spray that improves the symptoms.
You will only need to go to the health center if the fever is higher than 38.5ºC, if difficulty breathing or swallowing saliva appears, if symptoms do not disappear in a week or worsen, or in the case of immunocompromised people.
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