The transition from fall to winter brings a variety of new things to the table: snow, freezing weather, new Starbucks cups, and heavy winter coats. However, high school students never seem to wear an appropriate jacket and instead opt for a sweatshirt that never seems to keep them warm. From personal experience, teens rarely wear coats to school mainly due to their inconvenience. The big, bulky lump of fabric is a pain to carry around from class to class and most students are already carrying books and a heavy backpack. Lockers are available to students at Warren; however, a majority of kids choose not to utilize them as they might not be in an ideal location.

This lack of appropriate attire seems to directly link to the spread of many winter-related sicknesses. While not wearing a jacket may not create an illness, it allows for the body to be more prone to them. This is due to a number of reasons. To begin with, as your sweat evaporates, your body temperature will cool down which can cause your immune system to not work as efficiently. More surface area for the skin and less insulating fat are common in tall adults and children and can increase the risk of catching a cold even more. Furthermore, skin that is exposed to cold weather is especially likely to become either irritated or inflamed, causing it to become sore and even cracked. Cracked skin can allow for bacteria to find its way into the body, creating an infection. Moreover, when a body is exposed to the cold, then the body will go into hibernation mode which redirects warm blood to your core, which consists of vital organs you need to survive. This causes the fingers, toes, nose, and ears to be more prone to the cold and frostbite. Lastly, nasal passages are more prone to infection when presented with the chilly air and the vulnerability can cause an illness that was easily preventable.

While the pesky winter wear might be inconvenient and even considered ugly, it is necessary to make sacrifices in order to not cause an illness that will have lasting effects. It is far more important to stay healthy rather than become sick and be out for a week at school due to an avoidable situation. It might not be comfortable, it might not be fun, but your body and mind will thank you when you realize that you are preventing unnecessary stress and sickness.

Work Cited:
https://www.operationwarm.org/blog/why-do-you-get-sick-when-you-dont-wear-a-coat/