Can Cold Weather Make Asthma and COPD Worse?

For many people with lung conditions like asthma and COPD, the winter months can be particularly challenging. In fact, cold weather is a common environmental trigger that can negatively affect someone’s lung function. For hospitals and GP practices, the drop in temperature almost always comes with increases in consultations and admissions. Having a better understanding of why this might happen can help keep you and your close ones safe. 

How Cold Weather Affects Your Airways

What is the link between cold weather and asthma/ COPD? The respiratory tract is like a system of big and small pipes with some small airbags at the end. This system is actually quite delicate so the upper airways are designed to warm and moisten the air when you breathe in. In the winter, the air is often cold and dry, if you breathe this air in, your airways can dry out. This can irritate the lining of the airways and lead to tightening of the airway muscles and increased production of thick mucus. This makes it harder for air to move in and out. It also leads to the classic symptoms of coughing, shortness of breath, or chest tightness.

Can Cold Weather Trigger Asthma?

So can cold weather trigger asthma? Asthma is a condition where the airways of the lungs are extremely sensitive. This means that seemingly natural and harmless changes like the weather becoming colder is a key trigger for an asthma attack. This happens because the hypersensitive airways respond excessively to a trigger and lead to asthma symptoms. Some of the main reasons asthma symptoms can become worse in cold weather include:

• Low temperatures
  • The low temperature of winter air being inhaled directly can irritate the small airways of the lungs. The airway spasm and sudden narrowing can lead to symptoms or increase the risk of an asthma attack.
• Flu and common cold
  • During the winter months, incidences of flu or the common cold rise. An infection of this kind can lead to inflammation of the airways in addition to battling the infection. For more information about taking care of your health in the winter, browse the range of health products available here at Meds for Less.
• Strong winds
• Mould spores 

Common Winter Asthma Symptoms

With the drop in temperature, it is almost expected that people experience asthma worse in winter, especially if they are not already under control. Some common symptoms of asthma in cold weather include:

• persistent coughing (often a dry cough that is worse at night or when you exercise)
• feeling out of breath easily
• chest tightness
• a whistling sound when breathing out  

Why Asthma Can Be Worse in Winter

Overall, cold weather asthma symptoms are usually worse. The combination of cold air, dampness, flu/ common cold going around, and increased risk of mould mean that the hypersensitive airways from asthma can easily be triggered. This could also mean you are more vulnerable to chest infections as your lungs are already weaker and in turn, this could in turn increase the risk of asthma attacks. Hence, it is especially important during the winter to keep on top of your asthma treatment. It is not a waste of people’s time to seek medical attention if your asthma is worsening or you have any other concerns. 

How Cold Weather Affects COPD

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (or COPD for short) is the clinical term for a group of progressive lung problems such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis. The airways may be narrowed, sensitive, and damaged; this means that lung function is significantly reduced with marked difficulties in moving air out of the lungs. For people with copd cold weather makes breathing more challenging. This is because the body is working hard to keep the body warm and to achieve this, the heart and the lungs have to work harder than usual. The increased incidence of common cold or flu also means that people are more likely to get a lung infection. All of this combined means that people with COPD are more likely to get a severe flare-up of symptoms during the winter as compared to the summer.

Some common COPD symptoms that may worsen during cold weather include:

• severe shortness of breath
• increased coughing (especially with more phlegm)
• green or yellow thick mucus when coughing
• increased tiredness

Cold Air and COPD: Why Symptoms May Increase

Cold weather and copd do not go well together. The cold air during winter forces the heart and the lungs to work harder to keep the body warm. For someone with COPD who already has weaker lungs, this increased strain can quickly lead to a flare-up of symptoms. This usually comes in the form of feeling out of breath, increased fatigue, and increased vulnerability to getting chest infections (e.g pneumonia). People with COPD should take extra care during the winter and look out for any symptoms of deterioration. Please seek medical attention if you or your close ones have any concerning COPD symptoms during the winter as the situation could deteriorate rapidly. 

Asthma vs COPD in Cold Weather

As you may have noticed, there is considerable overlap in how the cold weather can affect people with asthma or COPD. Despite this, there are still important differences between these long-term lung conditions, especially in how to manage symptoms. Follow the link to learn more about the Asthma and COPD Medications available.

How to Protect Your Airways in Cold Weather

There are many ways that you can protect yourself during the winter if you have asthma or COPD. Some examples of measures to reduce the risk of a flare-up include:

• Use your prescribed inhalers exactly as prescribed by your doctor every day
• Breathing through your nose
  • The nasal passage is much better at warming and filtering the air so it is less irritable to the airways. 
• Keep up to date with vaccines e.g annual flu vaccine, COVID vaccine etc.
• Covering your nose and mouth with a scarf outdoors
  • Loosely wrapping a scarf around your nose and mouth can also warm and humidify the air before it gets into your airways
• Wear enough layers to stay warm
• Keeping your indoor home environments warm but still well ventilated

Exercising Outdoors With Asthma or COPD

If you have asthma or COPD, staying physically active is a key part of maintaining your health, especially when strengthening the muscles that help you breathe. However, in the winter (bearing in mind that cold weather can worsen your condition), it may be helpful to include some modifications to your exercise routine. For example:

• avoid exercising outside in adverse weather conditions e.g very cold, very rainy, very windy
• take care to avoid overly strenuous physical activity outdoors during winter
• ask your doctor for advice on exercising outside, some people may be advised to take their inhaler 30 minutes before the outdoor exercise
• start with a warm-up indoors to help your lungs get used to the exercise before going to the cold environment
• exercise with a friend or let someone know that you are going outdoors to exercise
• immediately stop the exercise if you feel out of breath or unwell
• Seek medical attention if you are concerned or if you experience severe symptoms

When Cold Weather Symptoms Need Medical Attention

Winter asthma attacks or COPD flare ups can sometimes be underestimated. Yes, sometimes the symptoms may only be mild and frustrating but in other cases the incident could be a medical emergency. The difficulty is that sometimes people can deteriorate very quickly. If you notice that you are using a ‘rescue inhaler’ more than three times in a week, you get a fever, or if your symptoms get worse, please consult your healthcare provider. 

Emergency medical attention is needed for severe symptoms, for example:

• feeling like you cannot breathe 
• being so out of breath that you need to pause for air when you speak 
• severe chest pain
• your lips or fingernails turning grey, blue, or pale
• suddenly feeling confused and disorientated
• collapse

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