Asthma Triggers How Winter Can Affect Asthma By Pat Bass, MD Pat Bass, MD LinkedIn Twitter Dr. Bass is a board-certified internist, pediatrician, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Physicians. Learn about our editorial process Updated on June 01, 2022 Medically reviewed by Reza Samad, MD Medically reviewed by Reza Samad, MD Reza Samad, MD, is a board-certified pulmonologist and assistant professor of medicine in New Jersey. Learn about our Medical Expert Board Print Asthma symptoms can worsen in different environments and may vary throughout the year. For some people, asthma can be affected by the winter season. The dry, cold winter weather can irritate the airways. More time spent indoors means more exposure to indoor irritants, and if you have allergic asthma, allergens like pet dander and dust can worsen your symptoms. Winter can also bring an increased risk of viruses that can aggravate your asthma. 1:53 Easy Tips for Reducing Asthma Triggers You might only have significant symptoms of asthma during certain seasons, or your symptoms can be consistent throughout the year. Recognizing the specific causes of your winter asthma flare-ups can help you avoid them and guide more effective treatment. Winter Asthma Triggers Seasonal variations in your indoor and outdoor worlds can cause inflammation in your lungs and trigger bronchospasm (sudden narrowing of the airways). These pulmonary changes result in asthma symptoms such as wheezing, shortness of breath, and a sensation of chest tightness. Outdoors For some people, the outside climate is a major factor when it comes to winter asthma. Cold weather can cause your airways to react, triggering your asthma. And, intense exercise in the cold can lead to bronchoconstriction and worsened asthma symptoms, especially if you have exercise-induced asthma. Depending on where you live, the concentration of outdoor pollutants—potential asthma triggers—may vary throughout the seasons due to factors like factory production, wind, and humidity. Additionally, changes in the atmospheric oxygen and nitrogen oxide concentrations during the winter have been associated with asthma exacerbations. A lack of sun exposure in the winter tends to lead to insufficient vitamin D; vitamin D deficiency is associated with worsened asthma. And if you live in an area that doesn't really get that cold in the winter, outdoor asthma triggers like pollen may never really go away completely. That means they can trigger your symptoms year-round. Indoors Your indoor environment might be more asthma-inducing in the winter, and you might also inhale more asthma-inducing air particles due to the amount of time you spend inside. Some common indoor asthma triggers: Dust mites Indoor molds Insect and mouse allergens Animal dander: More time spent inside by both you and your pet means more dander—and more exposure to it. Keep in mind extreme cleaning isn't necessarily the answer to controlling your asthma because exposure to cleaners can be an asthma trigger too. Turning on the furnace indoors can stir up small asthma-inducing particles from filters, vents, and carpets, making them circulate in the air inside your home or workplace. Wood fires in fireplaces and stoves can also worsen asthma. Even windowpane condensation can cause exacerbations. You might also be around secondhand smoke more often during the winter months if smokers are hesitant to go outside in the cold. Infections Respiratory infections are a leading cause of asthma hospitalizations. In general, contagious respiratory infections tend to be more common during the winter. Respiratory infections increase inflammation, making the effects of your asthma worse. And these infections can also trigger bronchospasm, increasing your risk of having an asthma attack. Can Having a Cold Make Your Asthma Worse? dragana991 / Getty Images Diagnosis If you're noticing that your breathing tends to be more labored in the winter or that you often feel chest tightness during that time of year, you should talk to your healthcare provider about it. Your medical evaluation will include a history and physical exam, as well as diagnostic testing. You may need a chest X-ray if there is concern about a lung infection and you might have pulmonary function tests (PFTs) if it seems that your breathing is impaired. Additionally, you may have asthma-specific diagnostic tests: A bronchoprovocation challenge test evaluates changes in your lung function after exposure to asthma triggers. A bronchodilator response test measures your lung function before and after bronchodilator medication. If it seems that your asthma symptoms are more problematic during the winter months, your diagnostic tests might be more consistent with an asthma diagnosis during those times of the year when your condition is worse. How Asthma Is Diagnosed You could have undiagnosed asthma. If you've already been diagnosed with asthma, these symptoms can mean that your asthma is worse in the winter. Or your asthma may be worsening in general. Treatment and Prevention If your asthma symptoms are seasonal, your healthcare provider might prescribe a different type or dose of asthma controllers based on your needs. Your medication regimen might not be the same in the winter as it is at other times of the year. You will need to use a rescue inhaler for the treatment of your asthma attacks. Keeping track of how often you need to use a rescue inhaler can help your healthcare provider further tailor your treatment plan. If your asthma tends to mainly worsen in the winter, you might end up leaving your rescue inhaler sitting for some time unused. Be sure to check the expiration date and get a refill in advance of the cold months, if needed. You might also use some over-the-counter medications, such as the following, to help alleviate some of your other asthma symptoms: Antihistamines Nasal decongestant sprays Nasal steroid sprays Eye drops Saline nasal rinse/irrigation Asthma Doctor Discussion Guide Get our printable guide for your next healthcare provider's appointment to help you ask the right questions. Download PDF Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. Lifestyle It's important that you try to keep track of your symptom patterns. Take note of things like whether your symptoms change at home compared to at work, or whether turning on your heating or fan affects your asthma. When you recognize certain triggers, avoiding them can help prevent your asthma from acting up. You might need to pay special attention to some preventive approaches during the winter. These include: Using a filter for your home heating systemNot letting dust accumulateAvoiding upper respiratory infections by not sharing items or shaking hands with people who are sickFrequently washing your hands and keeping your hands away from your face to prevent infectionsGetting recommended vaccinesGetting a daily dose of sun exposure, if possibleWearing a face mask when you're outside to avoid inhaling cold airStaying indoors when the weather conditions outside exacerbate your asthmaEating healthfully for a strong immune systemAvoiding being around wood-burning fires 9 Useful Tips for Eliminating House Mites A Word From Verywell Winter presents some unique challenges when you have asthma. Both indoor and outdoor triggers can set off symptoms, and your environment might be different in the winter than it is during other seasons. It's important that you and your medical team tailor your asthma treatment and prevention planning to the seasonal variations in your asthma. 7 Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Hyrkäs-Palmu H, Ikäheimo TM, Laatikainen T, et al. Cold weather increases respiratory symptoms and functional disability especially among patients with asthma and allergic rhinitis. Sci Rep. 2018;8(1):10131. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-28466-y Frischhut C, Kennedy MD, Niedermeier M, Faulhaber M. Effects of a heat and moisture exchanger on respiratory function and symptoms post-cold air exercise. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2020;30(3):591-601.doi:10.1111/sms.13603 Shin SW, Bae DJ, Park CS, et al. Effects of air pollution on moderate and severe asthma exacerbations. J Asthma. 2019;:1-11.doi:10.1111/sms.13603 Jensen ME, Ducharme FM, Alos N, et al. Vitamin D in the prevention of exacerbations of asthma in preschoolers (DIVA): protocol for a multicentre randomised placebo-controlled triple-blind trial. BMJ Open. 2019;9(12):e033075.doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2019-033075 Mungan D, Özmen İ, Evyapan F, et al. Work-Related Symptoms of Patients with Asthma: A Multicenter Study. Turk Thorac J. 2019;20(4):241–247. doi:10.5152/TurkThoracJ.2018.18123 Wang J, Zhao Z, Zhang Y, et al. Asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema among parents of preschool children in relation to climate, and dampness and mold in dwellings in China. Environ Int. 2019;130:104910.doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2019.104910 Liew KY, Koh SK, Hooi SL, Ng MKL, Chee HY, Harith HH, Israf DA, Tham CL. Rhinovirus-induced cytokine alterations with potential implications in asthma exacerbations: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Immunol. 2022 Feb 15;13:782936. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2022.782936 Additional Reading Tips to Remember: Outdoor Allergens. 2007. American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology. 31 May 2008 By Pat Bass, MD Dr. Bass is a board-certified internist, pediatrician, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Physicians. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Medical Expert Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit