Managing COPD Symptoms That Flare When It Gets Chilly in Tampa, FL

If you’re living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), you may have noticed that your symptoms seem to worsen as the weather gets colder. For instance, you might feel inexplicably tired or winded when the outdoor temperatures dip in Tampa, Florida. It’s not your imagination. Cold weather can aggravate your COPD symptoms by affecting your heart and respiratory functions, which are closely linked.

What happens to your heart and lungs when it gets cold?

As you breathe, your lungs supply oxygen to your bloodstream. With every beat of your heart, that oxygen is delivered via your circulatory system to various areas of your body. In response to a cold temperature, your respiratory rate will increase initially, but then quickly drop. Cold weather conditions also encourage sputum production in your lungs, which can slow your breathing by creating obstructions. Additionally, your blood vessels will begin to narrow, restricting your blood flow and slowing the delivery of oxygen throughout your body.

Even mild cold can create considerable stress on your respiratory and circulatory systems, as can the humidity that engulfs Tampa year round – including the winter. In humid conditions, the air you breathe becomes denser, creating further resistance to the airflow in your lungs.

How to prevent COPD flare-ups in the winter

Here are a few tips to help you prepare for and minimize the effects of chilly air on your COPD:

• If possible, change your schedule to avoid being outside in cold temperatures.
• Cover your nose and mouth with a scarf or facemask, which will help warm the air before it enters your lungs.
• Breathe through your nose instead of your mouth; the moist surfaces in your nasal passages will help to warm and humidify air as it makes its way to your lungs.
• Do not use a fireplace or wood-burning stove, which produce lung-irritating smoke.
• Do not use scented candles, perfumes, lotions, or cleaning products, which are more likely to irritate your lungs when you are indoors with the windows closed.
• If you use an oxygen tank, cover the hose to help keep the air warm.

The effects of cold weather on COPD are not permanent, but the increased fatigue, wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath can make you uncomfortable. If you have questions or need help, you are welcome to call or visit South Tampa Immediate Care. Our office is located at 602 South Howard Avenue in Tampa, FL, and we’re available without appointments seven days a week.