Are you asthmatic who is suffering from severe attacks during winter? Do your asthma and winter season are so much associated with one another? Do you want to know why is asthma worse in winter? If you take preventive measures, you can prevent complications due to asthma during winters.
Winter can be the most challenging season for asthma patients. Cold, dry air and abrupt weather changes can irritate your airways, causing you to produce more mucus. Staying indoors does not always help, as it can increase respiratory illnesses such as colds and flu.
Why Is Asthma Worse In Winter?
People’s asthma symptoms frequently worsen during the winter. This is because there are numerous asthma triggers around at this time of year, including:
- Colds and flu are common in cold weather.
- infections of the lungs
- Dust mites
- Damp mild places and molds
- Central heating
- Open fires
- Wood burning stoves
When it all comes together, the colder months can be a reason for flare-ups, with severe asthma symptoms that can become uncontrollable.
There are many reasons why your asthma may worsen in the winter, and it’s likely due to one or more of the following factors:
Dry Outside Air:
A layer of fluid protects airways in your lungs. When exposed to cold air, the fluid layer evaporates, causing your airways to become inflamed and irritated.
Exercise:
Isn’t going for a walk in the park suitable for you? Yes, but exercise necessitates increased lung capacity. As you jog and breathe in cold air, your airways can become congested, resulting in symptoms such as coughing and shortness of breath.
Respiratory Illness:
Cold and flu viruses are common in the winter, and the cold air facilitates their spread. If you have asthma and become ill, the mucus produced by your body can clog your airways. While your airways naturally have a thin layer of mucus, becoming ill can cause more mucus to build up and clog your narrow breathing passages.
Your airways are also shielded by a mucus layer. When it gets cold outside, this layer of mucus thickens, increasing your risk of respiratory infections such as the common cold or flu. These infections can cause swelling and irritation of your airways, triggering asthma symptoms.
Cold Air:
Asthmatics are hypersensitive to their surroundings and the air they breathe. Triggers can cause spasms and closures in your bronchial passageways. When this occurs, you may suffer from shortness of breath and begin wheezing or coughing. A swelling response in your airways causes an asthma attack.
Cold air can cause your airways to constrict, resulting in an asthma attack. Winter air can also be moist, fostering the growth of mold spores and dust mites. When you breathe damp, cold air, you expose your lungs to particles that can cause flare-ups and airway swelling.
More Indoor Time:
Because cold air can set off an asthma attack, many people avoid going outside during the winter. However, indoor air isn’t always better. Indoor air can be polluted with dust, dander, and mold, triggering asthma attacks.
The air inside is frequently warm and dry, and central heating systems circulate cold and flu viruses throughout offices and schools. Dry air irritates your airways, making you more prone to asthma attacks.
Mucus is naturally produced by your body to line and protect your sinuses, throat, lungs, and other organs from drying out. It keeps your airways moist, but dry air causes them to evaporate quickly, irritating. When your airways become inflamed, they swell and make it difficult to breathe.
How To Avoid Asthma Worsening Triggers During Winter?
You can try a few things if your mold allergy is causing asthma symptoms. Among these are not drying clothes inside and using extractor fans in the kitchen and bathroom.
It is impossible to eliminate dust mites, but you can do things to help limit their population. These include washing bedding and regularly covers at 60 degrees Fahrenheit and cleaning and vacuuming regularly. Try to do this more frequently in areas of your home where you spend the most time, such as your bedroom and living room.
To stay hydrated, drink plenty of water, broth-based soups, and decaffeinated tea.
To avoid respiratory illnesses such as the common cold and flu:
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water.
- When you go out, dress warmly.
- Keep a scarf, gloves, and an extra jacket in your car in case of an emergency.
- When you’re outside, breathe through your nose. Before the air enters your lungs, it is warmed by your nasal passages.
Get the flu vaccine to reduce your chances of getting the flu this year and keep your inhaler with you at all times.
You can book an appointment with the Best Pulmonologist in Islamabad through Marham by calling at Marham helpline: 0311-1222398 or by online booking facility through the website or Marham mobile app.
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