Winter is here. Most people have still not overcome pollution effects. A deep breath of cold winter air can be risky for people with asthma, bronchitis, or COPD. (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). It can trigger wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath.
Former president of Indian Medical Association (IMA) and current president of Heart Care Foundation of India, Dr. KK Agarwal said, "Even in healthy people, it can irritate the airways, cause the upper airways to narrow and makes it a little harder to breathe.”
Here are some useful tips to be safe in winter.
1. Get your drugs titrated: Work with your doctor in advance to optimise medication for the winter months. Patients with asthma, who happen to be sensitive to cold air, may be asked to use an inhaled short-acting bronchodilator
2. Moist your nose: A dry nose generally feels like a congested nose, which results in mouth breathing. Regular use of a nasal saline spray helps decrease the sense of nasal congestion, which will decrease mouth breathing.
3. Cover your nose and mouth: When you're outside don’t forget to cover your cover your nose and mouth with a scarf. It reduces symptoms by warming the face, warming the air you breathe, and increasing the moisture in the air you breathe
4. Stay indoor: People with respiratory conditions should avoid spending time in the cold whenever possible
5. Avoid exercising: Exercise in the cold as kit will further increase the dryness of the airways and potentially increase symptoms or the risk of an asthma attack. The need to move your exercise routine indoors during the winter months is a good opportunity to take an exercise class at a gym, start a home workout programme, or join a walking club at a local mall.
6. Adjust the indoor air: Keep the air warm and moist. Don't let the indoor air temperature fall below 64 F. And use a humidifier to keep the air from becoming too dry.
7. Avoid lung irritants like wood-burning fireplaces
8. Take annual flu shot
9. Complete your pneumonia vaccine protocol
10. Make sure you do not miss heart symptoms as lung symptoms. Both are common in winter.
