Can you catch a cold from the cold? Dr Xand has the facts behind some winter myths

It's really cold in the UK at the moment, and as it looks like the cold weather will be with us for the next few days, many of you will be getting your hat and gloves ready.

You might have heard people say that you will catch a cold if you go outside in wintry weather, or talk about the perfect time to put your coat on but what are the facts?

Newsround spoke to Dr Xand from CBBC's Operation Ouch, as well as Dr Sarah Fissler, an emergency paediatric consultant at Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool, to find out more.

Even though they share the same name, it's a myth to say that you can catch a cold from being in the cold - a cold is a virus and so isn't passed on that way.

"Going out and playing in the cold is great and something people should do," says Dr Xand.

"But there is quite a bit of evidence that staying cold and damp for a long period of time does make you more vulnerable to catching cold viruses.

"The thing that makes you ill is not being cold and wet, it's the virus, but you're more likely to catch it."

Dr Sarah agrees, saying that air passages in the nose and mouth get colder and drier in lower temperatures, making it more likely for a virus to get in.

"Our body is like an army trying to stop germs from coming in," says Dr Sarah. "And in winter, our army gets smaller."

In winter, we're also more likely to huddle inside in warm rooms close to other people, where it's easier for viruses to spread from person to person.

Dr Sarah says that making sure we feel warm in our bodies, but aren't overheating or sweating, is really important.

That's because when our body gets too cold, it goes into a defence mode where it puts all of its effort into trying to warm up, which can make us feel tired and run down.

This might make sleep worse and affect our overall health, making it more likely for us to become unwell.

Hats, coats, gloves and scarves are great for keeping us warm when the weather outside is cold.

Even though winter can be chilly sometimes, Dr Xand adds that we shouldn't be afraid of cold weather.

"Your body is incredible at managing to keep your body at a healthy temperature.

"Just make sure that when you come in, get nice and dry and don't stay in your wet socks all evening."

Dr Xand says that you lose heat from your head at the same rate as other parts of your body.

But when your head is the only thing that's exposed - you might be wearing a coat and some gloves but no hat - you end up losing more heat that way.

"In the new series of Operation Ouch, we did a whole lab experiment to prove this, with lots of infrared cameras," he said.

For very young children, and especially babies under one, their heads are quite large compared to the rest of their body.

Because of this, Dr Sarah says that it's really important that these children keep their heads warm as there's a lot of area for the heat to escape from there.

But as we get older, our body grows more, and so the amount of heat we lose through our head is closer in line with other parts of our body.

Dr Sarah advises that it's really important, especially in winter, to "try and keep warm and healthy, making sure that you're eating and drinking well, and getting enough sleep."

She says: "Hand washing is really important in winter to help avoid viruses.

"If you do have a cold, make sure to carry on washing your hands, and use tissues when coughing, putting them straight in the bin afterwards.

"It's good to take lots of rest when you're poorly, and avoid close contact with lots of other people, to stop it from spreading."