Pochemy.net
science Science

Why is it that when I get a cold, I feel cold.

Mark Sterling
Mark Sterling
Research Editor · Mar 20, 2026 · Updated Apr 13, 2026

Your hypothalamus usually tells your body to be around 98.6 degrees (more or less). That's what your thermostat is set to. If your body is less than 98.6 degrees, you feel cold.

107
Words

1 min
Read Time

#107
of 500 in Science

+49%
vs Category Avg

The Short Answer

Your hypothalamus usually tells your body to be around 98.6 degrees (more or less). That's what your thermostat is set to. If your body is less than 98.6 degrees, you feel cold. Now when you get a fever, your hypothalamus tells your body to get hotter, so it sets the "thermostat" to 102 degrees or so. So now, if your body is lower than 102 degrees, it feels cold. When it gets to the temperature that the hypothalamus is trying to reach, you stop feeling cold. A different way to think about it, your body tells itself that it's cold so that it heats up, even if you weren't actually cold.

Analysis

Key Concepts: Body, cold, degrees

This explanation focuses on body, cold, degrees and spans 107 words across 7 sentences. At 49% above the average Science explanation (72 words), this is one of the more thorough answers in this category, reflecting the complexity of the underlying question.

What This Answer Covers

The explanation opens with: “Your hypothalamus usually tells your body to be around 98.6 degrees (more or less).” It then elaboratesultimately building toward a complete picture across 7 connected points.

How This Compares in Science

Ranked #107 of 500 Science questions by answer depth (top 22%). This places it in the comprehensive tier — the top quarter of most thoroughly answered questions. Questions at this depth typically involve multi-faceted topics requiring nuanced explanation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a simple explanation for why it that when i get a cold, i feel cold.?

Your hypothalamus usually tells your body to be around 98.6 degrees (more or less). That's what your thermostat is set to. If your body is less than 98.6 degrees, you feel cold. Now when you get a fever, your hypothalamus tells your body to get…

How detailed is this explanation compared to similar Science questions?

This is one of the most thorough answer at 107 words, ranked #107 of 500 Science questions by depth. The key concepts covered are body, cold, degrees.

What approach does this answer take to explain it that when i get a cold, i feel cold.?

The explanation uses direct explanation across 107 words. It is categorized under Science and addresses the question through 1 analytical lens.