Strange Things That Can Happen To Your Body In The Fall

Ah, autumn! It's the season of golden yellow and crimson leaves, shorter days, and cooler nights. Coats and scarves return to the front of the closet, and everywhere you go there's a promise of pumpkin-spiced something waiting for you.

But with all these external indicators of fall smacking you in the senses, did you know that actual physical and mental changes take place in your body as well? This includes apprehension about the season itself. "It's very common for people to feel this [anxiety] during autumn because they are anticipating the variety of stressors that come with colder weather and the end of the calendar year," according to Dr. Carrie Landin, a psychologist with UCHealth Integrative Medicine Center in Colorado. "When we know there is the potential for stress ahead, we tend to anticipate the problems, feeling anxious before they even happen," she told The Healthy.

Biological processes show variation during different seasons right down to the cellular composition of blood, according to a study reported by Wired. Yes, our bodies are much more sensitive to seasonal changes than we might even realize, and the more we understand what's happening, the better off we'll be in recognizing and adapting to it. So let's take a closer look at some of the most surprising, and even strange, things that happen to us in the fall.

There's just something a little bit depressing when the long, glorious days of summer come to an end with the ushering in of fall. And if you live in a region that follows daylight saving time, when clocks "fall back" an hour, the abrupt curtailing of daylight has an even fiercer kick to the psyche. Sunset by 5 p.m. — oh the horror! If you've worked a regular day shift you'll know all too well the gloomy feeling of waking up in the dark and coming home in the dark. It's like all you do is work, eat dinner, and go to sleep.

If the darkness of the season makes you unbearably joyless for many days on end, and you're having trouble sleeping (or, conversely, are sleeping too much), then the Mayo Clinic reports you may have a case of seasonal affective disorder (or SAD). It's two to four times more common in women than men, and especially prevalent in the Northern U.S. and Canada, according to the Yale School of Medicine.

Although exact causes are unknown, it's thought to be triggered by a disruption to your circadian rhythm (your body clock), as well as a change to your serotonin and melatonin levels. Fortunately, light therapy and other doctor-prescribed therapies can bring relief.

What the heck is "brown fat" and why would you want it? Even though it doesn't sound so appealing, it's essential stuff when temperatures drop. "Brown fat can actually create heat," explained Nataliya Galifianakis, a clinical assistant professor of biology at New York University, to AccuWeather. "Brown fat cells instead of using calories to make energy, it uses calories to produce heat."

Unlike white fat, which are large cells under the skin and concentrated around the belly, arms, buttocks and thighs, according to Healthline, you'll only find brown fat in small amounts and just in critical areas around the neck, aorta, kidneys, and spine (via Nova).

The secret sauce in brown fat is its abundance of mitochondria, which are deposited like cushions around major blood vessels to warm the blood and generate heat to maintain core body temperature when it's cold. Physiologist Yossi Rathner at the University of Melbourne told Nova, "If vasoconstriction is closing the window, brown fat is turning on the heater." 

Tasty temptations are all around us in fall. You've got the all-important Halloween, essentially a costumed candy gorge fest, followed closely by the giant carbo-loading Thanksgiving feast. "When the weather turns colder, we generally adjust our eating styles to warm comfort foods associated with family events and holidays," Dr. Brenda Rea, family and preventive medicine physician at Loma Linda University Health in California, told Best Life. 

Even if you abstain from the treats, the mere stress of holidays approaching can pack on pounds. "Stress can have a number of negative effects on your body," explained Jennifer McDaniel, a private practice dietitian in St. Louis, Missouri. "It increases ghrelin, your hunger hormone, as well as cravings. Stress also increases cortisol," she said to Everyday Health. Cortisol is a naturally occurring steroid hormone that regulates metabolism. Too much of it can lead to weight gain and particularly dangerous belly fat, reports Orlando Health.

That extra pitter-patter of your heart in autumn isn't so much about your love of pumpkin pie. No, it's an actual physical change that occurs when you're plunged into a colder environment. When temperatures dip, what's your instinctive response? You shiver. Shivering is the quick contracting and relaxing of your muscles and is your body's clever way of warming up (per Healthline).

Cold weather also narrows your blood vessels. This physical change makes your heart work harder and faster to pump the blood and causes your blood pressure to rise. Not a biggie if you have no underlying health conditions, but these changes can add strain to your system and be particularly impactful if you have cardiovascular disease (via Medical Associates of Northwest Arkansas).

"In colder weather, we typically see rates of heart attacks go up," Dr. Edo Paz, a New York City-based internist and cardiologist, told Best Life. "There are various reasons for this, including increased blood pressure and increased risk of blood clots. The best way to mitigate this risk is to dress warm."

You just can't cope. Your heart is pounding and your mind is drowning with fear. Autumn anxiety can really take a toll on our well-being. Sure, everyone experiences stress, but interestingly, Everyday Health reports the feeling of being emotionally overwhelmed can be especially hard-hitting in the fall.

The shortened daylight hours of autumn and, consequently, reduced exposure to vitamin D-producing ultraviolet rays is one likely trigger. "Lack of [vitamin D] has been linked with depression," Dr. Clare Morrison, medical advisor at MedExpress, told to Healthline. "Other factors include behavioral changes, because as the weather deteriorates we spend less time outdoors and do less exercise."

Autumn anxiety also runs rampant during the holidays. Although a joyful time for many, it can magnify feelings of loneliness, despair, and financial distress for others (via WebMD). New York City psychologist Patricia Thornton told Healthline, "If you anticipate you are getting into the cooler months and the holidays are coming, and you're not sure how you'll deal with Thanksgiving, there can be a lot of stress — especially if you think you should be happy because it's a celebration."

We know our dogs shed fur, but did you know that we as experience have seasonal hair shedding? Now, don't get too panicky, our hair has regular, normal shed cycles during the year. But according to one 2017 study, it's in summer and autumn when you can expect to see even more clumps of tangled hair on your brush or slipping away down your shower drain. 

So how much hair loss are we talking about? Well, the experts at the American Academy of Dermatology say losing up to 100 strands per day is normal. But in the fall, that number can increase. This is just part of our hair's typical cycle of growth, transition, and rest (per WebMD).

Dr. Francesca Fusco, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City revealed to Well+Good, "During the summer months, we tend to hold onto more hair to protect our scalp from UV light. So, it only naturally follows that if one season you're holding onto the hair, the following season is when you shed." Additionally, Miami dermatologist Dr. Roberta Del Campo told Allure, "The idea is that more hairs than normal are shed to make way for a thicker head of hair for the winter."

Don't we all just want to snuggle up in bed under a fluffy duvet when it's dark and chilly outside? When daylight hours are in short supply like they are in fall, it's much easier to call it a night and get to bed earlier to catch those much-needed Zs. 

"Light is energizing and keeps melatonin [a hormone that helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle] down. So when it starts getting darker earlier, our brain starts thinking it's time to get sleepy earlier," Dr. Shelby Harris, a board-certified behavioral sleep medicine specialist, confirmed to Well+Good.

Experts recommend that adults get at least seven hours of sleep a night, which is much easier to do when you go to bed earlier (via Mayo Clinic). The benefits of getting adequate sleep are many, and as reported by The Healthy, include being less cranky and more refreshed. So embrace the shorter days of autumn and get some rest!