cold weather

[Hiddenhidden224]

is it just me or has this Uk cold weather worsened symptoms? My chest feels tight I’m wheezy ! Ugh I hate winter

[Tink1313]

not just you mines not the greatest too!

[Danielmystar]

The weather has got colder and is meant to get even colder its affecting me aswell ill be glad when it's not so cold the hot weather affects me aswell but not as much as this uk cold weather x

[Itswonderful]

no Hiddenhidden. It's not just you. It's a real trigger. I have bought myself a heated neck warmer and it is helping a lot. I keep the house warm and humid( I know that doesn't suit everyone but cold dry air is a big trigger for me). And I have had to decide to return to hibernating between November and February because of the risk of catching colds and other respiratory infections when people are crowded in unventilated spaces. If I go anywhere I will wear a mask. It's restrictive but I dodged a bullet yesterday, had to see GP in a same day appointment because of a huge flare up. She said I was boarder line for an emergency admission and if my body hadn't been compensating as well as it had I'd be in. Take care and put your health as your priority.

[madonbrew in reply to Itswonderful]

Oh no...I'm sorry to hear that!! How are you today?

[Itswonderful in reply to madonbrew]

A bit better today thank you madonbrew. Got doxycycline for two weeks and high dose pred for two weeks as well. Doxycycline kicks in quite quickly so that accounts for feeling better today. GP gave me numbers to look out for for SATS etc and instructions to go to hospital if numbers went below those. Touch and go last night as felt very poorly but used lots of ventolin and it got me through. It's exhausting isn't it? X

[Patk1]

Yes it's not gd plus winter bugs r bad ths year.i wear scarves,wrapped round loosely so breathe in warmed air,which helps

[Bingo88]

Good morning. I think sadly we have different cold symptoms every year during the winter and they affect us all more who are suffering with lung conditions this year the dreaded cough and bunged up nose is affecting me. I have never had so much Catarrh coming from my nose. Take care. Hope you start to feel better soon. Brian

[AsthmaandMore]

yep! Mine is getting worse too. This winter is worse than the years before. Have contacted GP. Well… let’s say I need to chase them again next week. I hope you can get through it.

[Lilmix03]

Yep! Mines been awful since Christmas and it doesn't help that my GP is no help and the last Dr I saw refused me anymore steroids on the grounds that my chest was clear and my sats were 98% and told me in a very patronising tone 'You're only 20, we can't keep giving you steroids every month. They have side effects of their own so I suggest you just wait until you are seen in the respiratory clinic'

[peege]

Winter's my worst time too however, weirdly I noticed an hour into my dog walk yesterday that my lungs felt really well. I realised it must be due to the dryness we've had over the last week. I did feel rough over tge weeks since Xmas when it's been so wet n damp, couldn't go out at all. I'm sorry you're feeling it though and suggest you get a gp appointment to get your lungs listened to. Good luck

I always wear a Buff pulled up over my mouth n nose. I'm a nose breather luckily, know it makes a difference, for me at least.

[Mandevilla]

Wet weather is worse for me so I actually do better when it's dry and cold than when it's slightly warmer but misty/rainy. But whether it's the cold or the wet, I think winter is a tough time for us all!

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador in reply to Mandevilla]

I think I've also found the dry cold better but it's hard to tell as I've also been better about putting a scarf over my face. I got lazy during the not quite as cold but damp days and lungs were going nuts.

[runcyclexcski in reply to Lysistrata]

It's interesting that you feel better in dry cold, Lysistrata. When my asthma is bad, it's a death spell for me, even though there are no allergens outdoors. Also, people burn wood when it's cold, plus the air inversion can keep the diesel etc low to the ground. Everyone is different, I guess.

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador in reply to runcyclexcski]

And plenty of people find that temperature or pressure changes by themselves can be a trigger even without other triggers! Though I'm guessing a bit for myself with dry Vs damp - it may be that I'm just being more careful with the scarf etc when it's so cold and I wasn't before. I certainly find it harder to exert myself, lungwise, in this weather.

[runcyclexcski in reply to Lysistrata]

Pressure is an interesting one. I wonder if it has to do with the pulmonary blood pressure (e.g. some of my altitude problems could be due to that). I know nothing about cardio physiology, but my blood pressure has been through the roof; the doctors it's because me over-using the blue inhaler and salmeterol.

[Mandevilla in reply to runcyclexcski]

I'm fortunate in that I don't tend to react much to everyday allergens although I have to avoid alcohol - any form, whether as a cleaner or a drink is lethal! But fog, mist or rain...urgh! I also have to be careful around rivers in the evening, when the mist starts rising off them - but sea mist is no trouble at all...

[runcyclexcski in reply to Mandevilla]

Mandevilla -- I am exactly the opposite with the sea: the mist and the smell of the sea are bad news :).

[Mandevilla in reply to runcyclexcski]

I'm happy that sea is good for me as I love it and would find it hard if it made me ill. But the downside is that we live SO FAR from it! Just come back from a week's holiday a few minute's walk from a beach, and I've been able to run and climb and not had even the slightest symptom. Been back home - and lovely damp weather to welcome me back! - just a couple of hours and already I'm just 'aware' of my lungs all the time and back to coughing a lot ☹️.

[Helloeveryone_]

I put a scarf up to filter the air a bit also try to breathe through my nose as that warms air.

Also trying to remember to drink enough water as that helps me esp in central heated places.

Getting as much sleep as I can really helps me too.

If you’re noticing worse symptoms though its always best to get checked out.

[Mrteddycat]

Hating it too esp in scotland lol. Being a posty walking up to 6 hours a day in this dsnt help. Trying some raw ginger honey and lemon tea when i get home . All new to me this

[runcyclexcski]

I wear an FFP3 mask with a bandana on top in the winter. Today it was -10C where I am, "great". I go skiing to the Alps every 2-3 weeks, and I have a stash of 5mg prednisolone tabs with me at all times. Had to take them last time I went: obviously, not skiing was not an option.

I also found this moisturizer-humidifier winter mask which is an old technology developed at the Uni of Liverpool. It is now out of patent, so others started making it. I am thinking to try it, it's quite cheap. If one is not enough, I can connect 3 in parallel.

They claim it was used at the Bejing "winter" Olympics. Those games were a disaster health-wise: polluted air, altitude, frigid cold winds and -10C.

lungplus.ch/

The 1992 Liverpool paper (the PDF is free).

thorax.bmj.com/content/47/6...

[madonbrew]

Yes mine too! Although I often find it's when there's a change I the weather...doesn't matter which way, it seems to affect my asthma. These dodgy lungs 🫁 huh

[54chelle]

yes I totally agree with you and it’s only going to get worse next week , I am dreading it, also I find when I am stressed my symptoms get worse as well

[CazzyB1 in reply to 54chelle]

I find if my body is really tired that my breathing gets shallower.

[54chelle in reply to CazzyB1]

That is the worst feeling, and I am also waking up in the middle of the night, with the worst cough it is killing me , but the strange thing is that I don’t cough much in the day time .

[CazzyB1]

Definitely affects my breathing, breaths get shorter. Use inhaler five mins before going out into cold, I find this really helps.