The winter weather can be tough on anyone’s wellbeing, but it seems to be that extra bit harmful to your wellness if you suffer with asthma. Thanks to the cold, dry air, you can experience all kinds of unpleasant symptoms, such as having shortness of breath, feelings of chest tightness, wheezing and coughing. It’s enough to make you lock yourself in your room until spring arrives, but there are things you can do to reduce your exposure and minimize those nasty symptoms.
There are three big triggers linked to cold weather, and you have to know your enemies before you can defeat them. The first one is infection; namely the flu, the common cold and sinusitis, but there are many that can rear their ugly heads this time of year and spark a flare-up. In particular, the flu is a big deal for sufferers of asthma, even if your asthma is mild or well-controlled by medications, because it can develop into pneumonia and other complications.
However, you can defeat this fluey foe by getting a flu vaccine on a yearly basis, and slowing the spread of the common cold by washing your hands as often as possible, distancing yourself from sniffling, sneezing friends, and coughing into a tissue or the inner crook of your elbow so that you don’t contaminate your hands.
Next, the colder weather can drive you inside the house, which means you’re surrounded by indoor allergens including dust, pollen, pet dander, cockroaches and mould. At least 30% of adult asthma cases are triggered by allergies, and according to a recent study from the National Institutes of Health and Duke University, a bacterial protein in household dust may make allergic responses to indoor allergens more severe and spur allergic asthma. Unfortunately, this is a trigger that you can’t escape entirely, but you can clean your home weekly, wash curtains and blinds, encase pillows and mattresses and toss your throw rugs.
Finally, smoke is an asthma aggravator, whether it’s from a cigarette or a fireplace or wood-burning oven. Therefore, the Environmental Protection Agency advises that you do not burn wood at home, if you have asthma, or you make sure that the wood you burn is dry and has been split, stacked, covered and stored for at least six months. That way, you will reduce the smoke it produces, and protect yourself from asthma aggravation.
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