Asthma

[Guest]

Several years ago, my daughter told me if she took her babies with an asthma attack into cold air, the constriction was reduced, breathing was better. Today, her 10 year old had a cough, went outside, came back in, and wanted to go back outside because "my cough stopped outside in the cold air".
She has not had asthma in years. I looked up on the Internet and it seems that cold air (coupled with exercise) brings on an attack. Could this be wrong? Could it be that the cold air by itself, with no exercise, is beneficial? My granddaughter was not aware she had had asthma as a baby and was not responding to things she had heard. Interesting.
Any thoughts out there?
Grandma

[Schoulayer]

I'm not a doctor, this is just a theory...

When the body experiences cold obvious things happen like goosebumps and shivering. I half wonder if lung constriction is also an adaptation to the cold we evolved in the past. It would aid in preserving heat and because the cold air is denser you would need to breath less of it to get the same amount of oxygen...?

I don't think our bodies were made to go outside in 20 degree weather, then suddenly come back inside to a warm 80 degree house. Maybe when they go outside in the cold air their lungs constrict to conform to the denser outside climate, then when they suddenly come back inside to a warm house their constricted lungs make them feel short of breath.

In that case it would make sense that going outside where the air is denser would make them feel better when they're feeling symptomatic - but the cold could also be the cause of their problem in the first place.

[Joseph]

Hi.
I love theories.
Cold air with exercise DO cause attacks.
If they do not, it means that there is another reason, another cause.
The problem may not lye with cold air. The problem may be right inside the house.
Three years ago I was compelled to change all my furniture, all carpets, curtains, sheets, even wallpaper. I started coughing right when entering my apartment. It was allergy.
I do not smoke generally, but a cigarette would calm me down for at least half an hour.
I don't want to mislead anyone. I am not a doctor myself. I do not smoke. Fog and mist still triggers severe coughing. I am not well, maybe a bit better. I do not cough in the house anymore.
Take care!

[Davy9]

Just a note about oxygen transport. You suggest the airways constrict as an 'adaptation' to deliver the 'same amount of oxygen' in cold weather.

If that were the case then the airways would also constrict when high concentrations of oxygen gets administered via masks, etc, and we know that does not occur. It is true that airways and the vasculature in the lungs work to best match ventilation to perfusion but that is always done to maximize oxygen uptake and CO2 removal. It is also true that too much oxygen for too long is toxic but the lungs still deliver it to the body anyway.