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Witt explains that “cold shock lasts up to a minute before the parasympathetic nervous system (the rest and digest system) kicks in. The body will always react, but it will adapt.

But, both warn about the impact of cold shock, and urge people to be aware of the symptoms. “These may include intense stress or fear, gasping, difficulty breathing, rapid heart rate or dizziness.

When cold water hits your skin, your body immediately activates what’s called the “cold shock response,” a primitive survival mechanism that prepares your body for potential hypothermia.

The cold shock response can raise the risk for stroke and heart failure, potentially even leading to death, ... director of preventive cardiology at Brigham and Women's Hospital, said.