How roller-coaster temps affect your health

Temperatures have been on a dramatic swing for much of January.

We started the month with temperatures nearly 15 degrees above normal before falling to the coolest daily high temperature for January 6th when the temperature only reached 10 degrees.

We dipped below zero on the morning of January 7th. But just 5 days later, temperatures soared to a record high of 63 degrees.

This roller-coaster temperature pattern, while not normal for January, is not terribly unusual either.

Typically, Ohio can get January thaws where we have brief warm-ups. However, temperatures will likely stay above average through the next week before falling again toward the end of the month.

Despite the wild ride in temperatures, Dr. Stephanie Heller of Kettering Health Network says the big swings don’t really contribute to increased sickness or colds.

Typically, people spread germs more easily when the weather is colder and stays cold as more people are together indoors.

The key to staying healthy during the colder days, Dr. Heller says, is to make sure you wash your hands often in warm, sudsy water and cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze to keep from spreading germs.

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