Health Asthma


asthma Managing this winter


If you find your asthma symptoms are affected by the recent change in season, here's all you need to know about keeping your triggers under control


Winter can be a challenge if you’re one of the 5.4 million people in the UK living with asthma, says Asthma UK. Colder weather and the fact that cold and flu viruses are currently more widespread at this time of year are just two of the things that can affect your asthma symptoms. However, the good news is there’s lots you can do to stay well, even when it’s cold outside. If you have asthma, your airways can be sensitive and


inflamed. This means they are easily irritated when they come into contact with your asthma triggers. Besides cold air and infections such as colds or flu,


common asthma triggers include air pollution, cigarette smoke, pet dander, house dust mites, mould,stress and certain medicines. When your airways react to one or more triggers they become more inflamed and narrower. This is what causes symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath and a tight feeling in the chest. Asthma can affect anyone of any age, and often starts in


childhood. Experts still don’t know why some people develop it, but it’s thought that some things may increase your risk of asthma, such as:


• Having an allergy such as eczema, hayfever or a food allergy (atopic conditions)


• Having a family history of asthma or other atopic conditions


• Childhood exposure to tobacco smoke • Having had bronchiolitis (a common lung infection) as a child


• Being born prematurely or with a low birthweight • Having a job that increases your risk (if you breathe in substances such as dust, chemicals, fumes or animal fur at work – this is called occupational asthma)


20 All About health


Weather conditions According to an Asthma UK survey, 78 per cent of people living with asthma said their symptoms were triggered by cold and damp weather. This is because cold can enter the airways and trigger them to go into spasm, which causes asthma symptoms. If it’s damp as well as cold, there may also be more mould spores in the air, which can also trigger asthma symptoms. Many people get cold and flu viruses during the winter


months too, and the symptoms of these winter bugs can also make your asthma worse (for more information on how to soothe cold and flu symptoms, turn to page 9). It's also common for people to stay indoors during the


cold weather. However this means you may be exposed to more indoor allergens than usual, such as house dust mites. To reduce the effect winter can have on your asthma, here are some practical tips from Asthma UK you could try:


• Keep an eye on the weather forecast so that you’re prepared should the temperature suddenly drop.


• Try wrapping a scarf loosely over your nose and mouth before you go out, so that you don’t experience sudden changes in temperature.


• Try breathing in through your nose instead of your mouth, as it can help warm the air more effectively as you breathe in.


• Stay as warm and dry as possible – wear gloves, a scarf and a hat, and carry an umbrella.


• Try to stay as active as possible, but if it’s really cold you may want to stick to indoor activities until the temperatures improve (try using a workout DVD at home or turn to page 44 for more indoor exercise ideas).


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