Medical myths: Being cold or wet makes you ill

"You'll catch your death of cold." This is such a common phrase to say to people who aren't wearing enough clothes, or are about to go out in the rain, that it surprises many doctors—let alone members of the general public—to learn it isn't actually true. While your mother might swear by it, there's no evidence to back it up.

Over the years scientists have done various experiments to test the theory. In one of them, the researchers exposed people to the cold virus and then made some of the volunteers cold to see if more of them became unwell. There was no difference in illness rates between those who'd been kept warm and those who hadn't.

It's true that there's an 80 per cent increase in the risk of contracting a cold during the winter months—and given that you're more likely to be cold or wet at that time of year, the idea that this is the cause seems to make sense.

The increase, however, is thought to be down to the fact that we tend to stay indoors more and open our windows less, greatly raising the chance of coming into contact with the cold virus.

While a cold isn't nice, you can rest assured that skinny-dipping in a frozen pond wasn't responsible—whatever your mum might say.