If you find breathing harder when you head off to work on mornings when it’s 20-something degrees, you aren’t alone. It’s a known phenomenon.
But what makes it so challenging to take a deep breath on particularly cold days? Several factors at play can cause that all-too-familiar lung burn.
Even if you don’t struggle to breathe deeply, you may experience other respiratory issues this time of year. Read on as Jonathan Davis, MD, a pulmonologist with West Tennessee Medical Group Pulmonology, breaks down why that happens and how to find relief.
How Cold Air Affects the Lungs
In most cases, the lungs are pretty strong. But the somewhat cold weather of a Tennessee winter—and particularly those frigid days thrown into the mix—can make it harder to breathe in many ways.
First, when the air is cold, it’s also dry. When there’s less moisture in the air, the air you’re breathing in can irritate your airways. That, in turn, can lead to coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, or that familiar lung burn.
Interestingly enough, you can experience a similar effect when it’s warm and the air is dry. That’s why it can be harder to breathe indoors during the winter, as your heater warms up the space but dries out the air.
When it’s particularly cold, air can irritate the lungs, causing the muscles surrounding the airways to contract. When those muscles contract, it causes the airways themselves to narrow—this is what’s known as a “bronchospasm.”
Cold air also makes it harder to breathe by increasing mucus production in the body. If you find yourself constantly blowing your nose or dealing with postnasal drip this time of year, it may not be an illness, it may simply be the effect of the temperature drop.
Cold Air & Lung-Related Health Conditions
The effects we’ve listed above can happen to anyone, even those who are in optimal health. But cold weather breathing difficulties are more common among those who have lung health issues.
People who have asthma, COPD, or even something less serious like sinusitis or allergies can all struggle to breathe when they’re outdoors this time of year. Those who have pulmonary hypertension, a condition that causes the blood vessels in the lungs to tighten or thicken, may also experience cold-related breathing challenges.
People who have asthma may be particularly affected by cold air. When a person has asthma, it is aggravated by certain triggers. Cold weather can be a trigger in many cases, leading to an increased number of asthma flare-ups during the winter.
How to Breathe Easier When It’s Cold
There are some steps you can take to make it less difficult to breathe, even on the coldest days. Start here:
- Cover your face when you’re outside. On days when it’s especially cold, wrap up your face. It’s natural instinct to pull on a coat, but a coat doesn’t protect your face, so also bring along a scarf. Use a scarf or even a face mask to cover your mouth and nose, which will trap warm air inside and keep cold air out.
- Practice breathing through your nose. Your nose can act as a miniature heater when you breathe through it. When you breathe through your nose, your nose will heat up the air and keep it more moist than the mouth does.
- When it’s really cold, exercise indoors. While the two habits above can help you breathe easier in the cold, don’t push it! Instead of testing your lungs in the frigid temperatures, take your run to the treadmill instead.
- Improve your indoor air. We mentioned above that the heat inside your home during the winter can also dry out the air, which makes it harder to breathe. Use a humidifier to add moisture back into the air. Staying hydrated by drinking plenty of water is also helpful.
- Baby your lungs. What does that mean? Well, there are many different triggers that can make breathing more challenging, particularly for those with lung health issues. Since you know you’ll already be facing cold air during this time of year, do your absolute best to avoid other triggers. Don’t smoke, steer clear of allergens, make sure you use cleaning products only in a well-ventilated space, and dust and vacuum regularly.
Have asthma, COPD, or another health condition that makes breathing a challenge? Schedule an appointment with a West Tennessee Medical Group pulmonologist who can help.
