As the season of sneezing and grabbing tissues begins with the autumn's first frosts, medical researchers have found that "granny's nostrums" to fend off colds may be scientifically proven.

    Although apparently common sense, straightforward connections between chilling and viral infection have been hard to prove, according to the common cold centre at Cardiff University--the world's only centre dedicated to researching and testing new medicines for the treatment of flu and the common cold.

    But the latest experiment reinforces theories that existing, latent infection can be activated when parts of the body, particularly the feet and nose, get wet and cold.

    All participants took off their shoes and socks and temperatures were monitored throughout the experiment.

    Ninety volunteers who spent 20 minutes with their feet in bowls of iced water have provided evidence that failing to wrap up warmly is directly linked to falling prey to sore throats and a bunged-up nose.

Claire Johnson and Ron Eccles found that 29% of the volunteers developed cold symptoms within five days.

    "When colds are circulating, many people are mildly infected but show no symptoms," said Professor Eccles, whose findings are published in today's issue of Family Practice magazine.

    "But if they become chilled, this causes a pronounced constriction of the blood vessels in the nose and shuts off the warm blood that supplies the white cells that fight infection. "

    "Although the chilled subject believes they have 'caught a cold', what has in fact happened is that the dormant infection has taken hold."

    But they also suggested that another explanation could be that our noses are colder in the winter. Prof Eccles said: "A cold nose may be one of the major factors that causes common colds to be seasonal."

    "When the cold weather comes we wrap ourselves up in winter coats to keep warm but our nose is directly exposed to the cold air. Cooling of the nose slows down clearance of viruses from the nose and slows down the white cells that fight infection."

    The researchers said:" Parents should feel confident in telling children to wrap themselves up in those nose-protecting garment this winter."

    冬dong天tian已yi經jing悄qiao然ran來lai臨lin
，這zhe也ye意yi味wei著zhe又you到dao了le人ren們men頻pin繁fan打da噴pen嚏ti和he流liu鼻bi涕ti的de季ji節jie了le。醫yi學xue研yan究jiu人ren員yuan近jin日ri表biao示shi
，他ta們men發fa現xian那na種zhong把ba身shen體ti包bao裹guo得de密mi不bu透tou風feng來lai抵di禦yu感gan冒mao的de傳chuan統tong方fang法fa是shi有you科ke學xue意yi義yi的de。

    目前世界上唯一一個專門研究和檢測各種用來治療流感及普通感冒的藥物的研究機構——英ying國guo加jia的de夫fu大da學xue普pu通tong感gan冒mao研yan究jiu中zhong心xin的de科ke研yan人ren員yuan表biao示shi，盡jin管guan多duo穿chuan衣yi服fu可ke防fang感gan冒mao早zao已yi成cheng為wei常chang識shi，但dan科ke學xue家jia們men卻que一yi直zhi很hen難nan證zheng明ming在zai身shen體ti著zhe涼liang與yu病bing毒du感gan染ran之zhi間jian存cun在zai著zhe直zhi接jie的de聯lian係xi。

    但他們最新進行的實驗表明，當身體的某些部位（尤其是雙腳和鼻子）處於潮濕冰涼的環境裏時，原本處於潛伏期的病毒感染會變得活躍起來。

    在實驗中

，所有參與者都脫下鞋子和襪子，而空氣溫度也受到了全程監控。

    90個誌願者將自己的雙腳放到了盛滿冰水的盆中，並在裏麵堅持了20分鍾。實驗結果充分證明，如果一個人沒有使自己的身體完全處於溫暖狀態下的話
，則可以直接導致咽喉腫痛與鼻塞。

    克萊爾·約翰遜和羅恩·埃克勒斯發現，29％的腳踏冰水的誌願者在此之後的5天內出現了感冒症狀。

    埃克勒斯教授的相關研究成果已經刊登在今天出版的《家庭實踐》雜誌上。他表示：“當冷空氣處於循環流動狀態下時
，很多人會輕微感染上各種感冒病毒

，但並未表現出任何症狀。 ”

    “但(dan)如(ru)果(guo)一(yi)個(ge)人(ren)已(yi)經(jing)明(ming)顯(xian)感(gan)到(dao)寒(han)意(yi)的(de)話(hua)，那(na)麼(me)其(qi)鼻(bi)子(zi)內(nei)的(de)血(xue)管(guan)會(hui)發(fa)生(sheng)明(ming)顯(xian)的(de)收(shou)縮(suo)，此(ci)舉(ju)可(ke)阻(zu)斷(duan)那(na)些(xie)攜(xie)帶(dai)有(you)白(bai)血(xue)球(qiu)的(de)溫(wen)暖(nuan)血(xue)液(ye)的(de)前(qian)進(jin)道(dao)路(lu)，而(er)白(bai)血(xue)球(qiu)正(zheng)好(hao)可(ke)以(yi)消(xiao)滅(mie)那(na)些(xie)感(gan)冒(mao)病(bing)毒(du)。”

    “盡管那些被凍著的人認為自己此時剛剛染上感冒，但實際情況卻是其體內原先處於潛伏狀態的病毒開始發威了。”

    但研究人員也提到了對此的另外一種解釋，那就是我們的鼻子的溫度在冬天會變得較之其它季節更低一些。埃克勒斯教授說：“較冷的鼻子或許是導致普通感冒成為季節性疾病的一個主要原因。”

    “在(zai)冬(dong)季(ji)到(dao)來(lai)時(shi)，我(wo)們(men)會(hui)用(yong)厚(hou)厚(hou)的(de)冬(dong)衣(yi)驅(qu)寒(han)保(bao)暖(nuan)，但(dan)卻(que)常(chang)常(chang)將(jiang)自(zi)己(ji)的(de)鼻(bi)子(zi)直(zhi)接(jie)暴(bao)露(lu)在(zai)寒(han)冷(leng)的(de)空(kong)氣(qi)中(zhong)。鼻(bi)子(zi)著(zhe)涼(liang)使(shi)得(de)白(bai)血(xue)球(qiu)無(wu)法(fa)及(ji)時(shi)投(tou)入(ru)與(yu)感(gan)冒(mao)病(bing)毒(du)作(zuo)戰(zhan)的(de)主(zhu)戰(zhan)場(chang)

，從(cong)而(er)延(yan)緩(huan)了(le)對(dui)那(na)些(xie)病(bing)毒(du)的(de)清(qing)除(chu)。”

    研究人員表示
，父母們完全可以滿懷信心地告訴孩子們，冬天應當多穿些能使鼻子得到充分保護的衣服。