Can Changing Temperatures Affect Your Health? Experts Say 'It Depends'

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- What's up with the weather? It was in the 70s on Sunday, but dropped 20 degrees to start the week with more swings on the way.

All of these crazy up and down temperatures are bound to get you sick, right?

As CBS2's Dr. Max Gomez explained, it depends.

Some myths just die hard -- like going out in the cold with wet hair will get you sick, or up and down temperatures will do the same.

You might end up uncomfortable if you forget to check the forecast, but you won't catch a cold.

However, weather swings can affect other health issues.

Sunday's warmth had people wondering what happened to crisp fall weather. It only took 24 hours for a serious dip in the thermometer to happen. It might not be enough to call a cold snap, but it's still hard to know how to dress.

While weather can affect your health, it doesn't happen the way most people think.

"There's a whole new field called 'bio-meteorology.' Reality is, weather, temperature, climate, can definitely affect your health -- from an infection point of view, asthma point of view, blood pressure, heart attack, mood, migraines, the answer is absolutely it can," Dr. Steven Lamm said.

What about what most people blame on the weather? Colds and flu.

"We are indoors, we touch our nose, the viruses are growing. We transmit. These are infectious organisms. That's why the flu vaccine has value, washing hands, avoiding shaking hands has value, avoid touching face, nose, hands, etc, all has value," Dr. Lamm said.

The temperature swing can have other effects on your body.

"With the fluctuations in the weather you might get some swelling in your sinus passages that can mimic those feelings of being sick and those are often times related to allergies," Dr. Vance Vandergriff explained.

Over-the-counter antihistamines, and nasal sprays can save you a trip to the doctor, and a nasal rinse will help flush out allergens.

Getting enough sleep is also critical to keeping your immune system working on all cylinders, so the weather could be at fault indirectly.