Changes of season can be refreshing, but when it comes to your lungs, they can pose unseen dangers. With increased cases of pollution, infection, and allergens, every season poses its own threat to breathing. By learning how this impacts breathing health, you can stay healthier throughout the seasons. Here’s what you need to know about the impact of seasonal changes on breathing.
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Winter Air Causes Illnesses And Shortness Of Breath
Cold air is dry and may cause irritation to the respiratory passages, leading to difficulty in breathing, which can be prevalent in asthma or COPD patients.
Winter is also a period when respiratory illnesses increase due to influenza, bronchitis, or pneumonia. The efficiency of the human immune system is reduced due to cold in the respiratory passages, causing Easy proliferation of Influenza Virus. Heating in buildings increases drying in the air, causing respiratory trouble leading to coughing.
What Works: Using a humidifier, drinking fluids, and keeping your nose and mouth covered in the winter months may help your lungs.
Spring Allergens Overload The Airways
With spring comes blooming flowers and, unfortunately, pollen. If you have allergic rhinitis or asthma, your exposure to pollen could trigger wheezing, coughing, tightness in your chest, and shortness of breath. If you have existing breathing conditions, spring could be even worse.
What works: Pollen counting, closing windows during peak periods, and showering afterwards are the remedies.
Effect Of Increased Summer Heat On Pollution
This leads to the acceleration of the production of ground ozone, a pollutant of the air that irritates the lungs. Owing to the high temperatures, the mucus may become thick when a person gets dehydrated during the hot months. This makes it difficult for the lungs to remove the infections from the respiratory passages.
What helps: Remaining in an air-conditioned room during the hottest part of the day, staying hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids, not exercising in poor air quality outside.
Monsoon Moisture Encourages
The rainy seasons bring about humidity, leading to a concentration that is ideal for mold, dust mites, and fungus, all of which cause respiratory allergies and asthma attacks. The humid environment also increases the prevalence of bacterial and viral respiratory infections.
What works: Ensuring adequate ventilation at home, addressing damp spots, and maintaining clean air filters.
Seasonal Transitions Can Trigger Flare-U
Sudden temperature and humidity changes can shock the breathing system. Temperature changes associated with season shifts can trigger asthmatic attacks, chronic coughing, and breathing difficulties because of hypersensitivity in the air passages.
What works: Acclimatization, regular use of medication, and managing symptoms.
Pollution Peaks During Certain Seasons
In most urban centers, air pollution tends to worsen during winter as a result of temperature inversion. During the summer season, air pollutants contribute towards the formation of ozone, thus poor air tends to affect people’s health by causing lung inflammation, reduced lung function, or respiratory diseases.
What helps: Following air quality indexes (AQI) and wearing masks or air purifiers in the case of high indexes.
Immunity Varies Depending On The Seasons
Levels of this vitamin are also lower in winter because of less sunlight, making one’s immune system in the lungs less resistant to infections.
What works: Proper nutrition, careful sunshine, and preventive vaccinations.
Disclaimer: The information provided in the article is shared by experts and is intended for general informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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