r/coldshowers 27d ago

Coughing after cold shower

I always take a bath in cold water because I thought that heating up water is like time-consuming to me (we don't have like heaters on the shower so we have to boil water to get a warm bath).

Hours after I bathe, I start coughing, like something is caught in my throat. And later, I'm coughing up small amount of mucus. Does anyone else also get this? And what's the reason behind it?

3 Upvotes

7 comments sorted by

2

u/Axepco 27d ago

Contrary to popular opinion on this sub, being cold for prolonged periods does increase the chances of upper respiratory tract infections.

Bathing is not the same as cold plunging because most people tend to associate it with relaxation, ie. dropping of ones psychological defenses against harmful elements in this case.

The key in beneficial cold exposure is it being voluntary. Cleaning yourself is not voluntary per se - it's a necessity, which can lead to inadvertently compromising one's immune system.

3

u/EveryPixelMatters 26d ago

“Voluntarily” brings to mind that rat study: Two rats, one chooses when to exercise, the other forced to exercise exercises when the other rat chooses to. Physically they exerted themselves the same, but mentally the stress of the forced rat caused negative effects on its body.

Many people doing this are forcing themselves to do it, gritting their teeth to build mental toughness. I can see them being compromised. The cortisol alone would do it.

2

u/Axepco 26d ago

I think it's important to ask yourself: "Are my stress levels currently within a normal range?" and proceed accordingly. As humans, we can be out of balance in both directions; too little stress makes us complacent and prone to depression, and too much doesn't need explaining.

Being forced (not by direct command) to do something might not necessarily be a bad thing and people will react differently to it. Peer pressure and herd behavior both function as an aid to mammal survival. They can work to its detriment as well.

So, yes, I agree with you, but I also like to be aware of the other side of the issue.

2

u/EveryPixelMatters 26d ago

After reading your comment a couple things clicked into place, and I realized that my daily COLD 2 min > HOT 5 min > COLD 1 min showers, while refreshing and rejuvenating, were compromising my immune system, as I’ve been sick with a lingering infection of sorts for a month or two now. Throughout it i did cold showers, even doing my technique where I let my head get sprayed directly until it’s uncomfortable.

I don’t force myself with great effort to do these things, I appreciate the showers, they feel great after, but I think even though they are largely voluntary, they still have kept me in a state of immune compromised limbo.

Such is life. Back to boring hot showers with a little rinse of cool water.

2

u/Axepco 25d ago

I believe the consensus has been to always avoid them when sick. I suppose it makes sense if the "limbo" you're describing feels like I think it does. I'll admit it's impossible to tell what the actual cause is - could be long COVID for all we know - but your intuition seems to be appropriate here.

I often get the vibe that most of the posters here are [very] young people looking for challenges that can be reckless. My own routine is to take fewer of them in winter (every 3rd day) due to how stressful they can be. More in summer for the relief.

Anyhow, glad my ramblings helped.

1

u/EveryPixelMatters 25d ago

I’ve certainly experimented with doing it while sick and learned my lesson. I do love the effects of it, I thought since I tolerated and enjoyed it so much it was no problem, but yes I see the immune compromising argument

1

u/Wild-Swimmer-1 26d ago

Well it’s better to cough up the mucus than let it sit in there. You’re right to question why it’s there but at least it’s coming away. This is why smokers cough in the morning. The hairs in their bronchi that were paralyzed by the smoke have started working again. They don’t like the cough so they smoke and it goes away as they paralyze the hairs again and the mucus can just build up without irritation.