Yunjeong Bae, MD, PhD
Yunjeong Bae, MD, PhD
Cello Hospital Internal Medicine Specialist
play health. Symptoms of asthma, a disease to watch out for in winter
Many people come to the clinic because their asthma suddenly worsens due to the suddenly cold weather. Although people who were previously diagnosed and treated for asthma may experience shortness of breath or cough, there are also many cases where people who did not have asthma suddenly develop severe asthma symptoms and are diagnosed for the first time. This is a story about asthma, which you need to be especially careful about in winter.
Asthma is a common chronic airway disease in all ages. The prevalence of asthma in children and adolescents is 7.5-10%, and it is so common that 2-3 people in an elementary school classroom have asthma. Although not as common as in children, asthma in adults is also increasing, accounting for approximately 3% of all adults. Elderly asthma is also important as it accounts for 6 to 8% of people aged 70 or older.
Asthma symptoms are not special, but are common respiratory symptoms such as a long-lasting cough, phlegm, shortness of breath, or occasional wheezing sounds in the chest. It often gets worse at night or early in the morning and causes people to wake up while sleeping, so some people visit the doctor’s office early in the morning after a difficult night. A characteristic of asthma is that these respiratory symptoms get worse, then get better, and then repeat.
The reason why there are so many asthma patients in winter is because there are many factors that make asthma worse. Asthma symptoms become worse due to seasonal factors such as cold weather or cold winds, respiratory viral infections such as colds or flu, air pollution such as fine dust, exercise, or exposure to allergens.
I always ask patients suspected of having asthma if they have pets, because allergies related to pets such as dogs and cats have recently increased, and many people come in because their asthma symptoms have worsened while living with pets. It is important to find the cause and avoid it, but it is true that it is not easy to avoid it because it is a pet that is like a family member.
Smoking is also an important aggravating factor. In fact, one in five asthma patients is a smoker, and smoking increases the risk of developing asthma and worsening symptoms. Recently, many people are using electronic cigarettes, which also have a negative effect on asthma.
If you have previously had an allergic disease such as allergic rhinitis or atopic dermatitis, or if you have a family member with asthma, you are prone to developing asthma. In particular, patients with allergic rhinitis often develop asthma over time. If you have allergic rhinitis and experience difficulty breathing or wheezing in the winter, you should check carefully to see if you have asthma.
Recently, obesity-related asthma has received attention. Regardless of your allergic constitution, being obese makes you more likely to develop asthma, make your symptoms more severe, and make asthma medications less effective. Naturally, losing weight improves asthma, so obese asthma patients emphasize weight loss.
Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease that requires constant management. If you have any suspected symptoms of asthma, which is a disease that requires caution during the winter, we recommend that you receive internal medicine treatment and a pulmonary function test.
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2024-01-16 06:00:00
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