How to Breathe Better in Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall
From summer heat to winter’s bitter chill, extreme weather can cause discomfort for anyone. But if you’re living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), these seasonal conditions can make dangerous symptoms worse.
COPD is an umbrella term for incurable lung conditions, such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis, that affect breathing. Other COPD symptoms include coughing, wheezing and tightness in the chest.
“Major weather changes make COPD patients work harder to breathe,” says pulmonologist Harish Murthy, M.D., medical director of intensive care at Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose, Calif.
Temperatures below freezing or above 90 degrees often cause flare-ups in COPD symptoms, leading to more shortness of breath and an increase in saliva and mucus production, according to the COPD Foundation. And increased pollen counts in spring or fall can worsen allergies, another trigger for breathing problems.
But what causes one COPD patient to gasp for air may not affect another.
“I’ve had patients who are symptom-free in summer but have a lot of trouble breathing in winter, and vice versa,” Dr. Murthy says. “Some patients find it easier to breathe in coastal areas, and others the desert.”
Wherever you call home, here are expert-recommended steps to help keep COPD symptoms in check during every season.
