Don’t let cold air keep you from being active.
Cold, dry winter air can lead to breathing problems. Why is that, and what can people do about it? Elena Burke, MD, a pulmonologist and intensivist at Saint Barnabas Medical Center Pulmonary Consultants in Millburn and a member of RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group, explains.
How can we minimize the effect of cold air on breathing?
With certain conditions, like asthma and COPD [chronic obstructive pulmonary disease], cold air can cause airways to constrict, making it harder for air to move in and out. This can cause these chronic conditions to be aggravated or become more symptomatic, making it even more important to continue your normal medications and tell your doctor if you’re experiencing worsened symptoms.
Viruses also tend to be worse in the winter months, so everyone needs to be taking precautions such as washing hands frequently, wearing a mask and avoiding unprotected close contact with people outside of your household—especially indoors, as viruses can be spread through droplets or through the air.
I also strongly encourage everyone to protect themselves by getting the flu vaccine. Even though we’re well into flu season, it’s not too late. Talk with your doctor about whether you need the pneumonia vaccine as well.
Is it OK to exercise outdoors?
Working out or running in cold weather can trigger breathing problems for some people. If you wrap a gaiter around your neck and over your mouth, you’ll breathe in warmer air and you may find it easier to exercise.
Whether you do it indoors or out, it’s very important to continue to exercise throughout the winter. The more you move, the stronger you’ll be. Exercise also lift s the mood and is a way of taking care of our mental health.
When should a person worry about a winter cough?
The cause of a cough often depends on how long it’s been present. For example, after a viral infection, a cough can linger for up to three weeks, and supportive care—like drinking tea with honey—may be all that’s needed. Warning signs would include continued fever, getting better and then sick again, coughing up blood or struggling to breathe.
For a more chronic cough, I would look into treating the most common causes such as asthma, heartburn or allergies. We can also use pulmonary function tests, X-rays or CT scans and blood tests to look for other causes.
What other conditions are you treating at Pulmonary Consultants?
I am a general pulmonologist and am happy to see all types of conditions or symptoms.
That said, I have a special interest in interventional pulmonology, including advanced procedures such as bronchoscopies, which can diagnose lung cancer at a very early, treatable phase. I’m also very interested in interstitial lung disease, a group of diseases that’s caused by either inflammation or scarring of the lung tissue.
Pulmonology often requires a team-based approach, where the pulmonologist works closely with the patient’s primary care doctor and perhaps a rheumatologist, a thoracic surgeon or any one of a number of specialists. At Saint Barnabas Medical Center, all these specialists coordinate closely on a patient’s care.
Saint Barnabas Medical Center Pulmonary Consultants is located at 235 Millburn Avenue, Suite 101, in Millburn. To make an appointment, call 973.376.8034 or visit www.rwjbh.org/sbmcpulmonary.