How Can Asthma Patients Get Through the Cold Weather?

If you’re a chronic asthma patient, you likely already know how the condition worsens during cold weather. It makes breathing more difficult and increases your coughing and wheezing.

It’s important to understand what causes asthma in winter and how it can be managed. This blog takes a deeper look into it and what tips to follow to keep your asthma in check.

Why Does the Cold Weather Trigger Asthma?

Asthma is caused by your airways becoming swollen. This constricts the airflow to your lungs as the airways become narrower, leading to an inability to breathe properly. The air in winter is not just cold but also dry, so it tightens the muscles and speeds up your breathing.

When you breathe through your nose, the blood vessels in the nasal cavity warm up the air. But the air remains cold and dry when you breathe through your mouth, which triggers asthma. This is why asthma in winter flares up and leads to coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath in patients.

How to Get Through Asthma in Winter

Here are some tips to help you manage your condition during the cold weather:

1. Keep an Inhaler with You at All Times

You should keep an inhaler with you wherever you go to help manage the condition if it is triggered. You should get an inhaler prescribed to you by a physician and start using it well before the wintertime. A telemedicine doctor from TelMDCare can help if you don’t have a prescribed inhaler.

2. Stay Warm

Individuals with asthma should take extra precautions when going out during the wintertime. They should dress appropriately and wear a scarf, warm coat, gloves, and a hat. Patients should also cover their mouths with a scarf to warm the air before it enters the airways.

3. Avoid Breathing from Your Mouth

Individuals with asthma should avoid breathing from their noses during the wintertime because, as mentioned, this leads to cold air entering the airways. As a result, the risk of inflaming the airway increases, which could then trigger an asthma attack.

Breathing through the nostrils is a better alternative since it warms the air and avoids the risk of developing an asthma attack.

4. Be Proactive

Overall, patients should be proactive during their winter to manage their asthma. For example, you should follow up with a doctor who can create a management plan for you. Other ways to be proactive are to avoid stress, drink plenty of water, and avoid smoking. These will prevent asthma flare-ups.

5. Be Mindful Of When You Exercise

You should avoid exercising early in the morning or evening since these are when the air is the coldest. When you do work out, you should adequately cool down.

Manage Your Asthma with TelMDCare!

You should follow the aforementioned tips to reduce your risk of aggravating your asthma in winter. If you need an inhaler or an asthmamanagement plan, you can speak to a doctor onlineat TelMDCare.

We provide affordable consultation to our patients even if they don’t have medical insurance. For more details, visit our websiteand book an appointment with us.