Nearly half of all asthma cases occur in January and February, the winter months. photo | Clip Art Korea, Daedong Hospital
– Decreased bronchial function due to cold and dry weather
-Occurs in up to half of all patients in January and February
Spring has passed, but the recently quiet cold has returned. Winter is a time when asthma is aggravated by cold air and the number of patients soars. Of the 926,644 asthma patients in 2020, 440,9063 (48.4%) visited the hospital in January and February.
Asthma is a chronic airway allergic inflammatory disease. The English word for asthma, ‘asthma’, is derived from the Greek word ‘to gasp for breath’. Asthma is known to be caused by causative agents such as pollen, house dust mites, food, and drugs, as well as aggravating factors such as climate change, cold, indoor pollution, air pollution, and cigarette smoke. It is characterized by sudden or repeated respiratory symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, chest compressions, shortness of breath, and phlegm due to narrowing of the bronchi in the lungs.
A wheezing or whistling sound when breathing is called wheezing. Asthma-caused cough gets worse at night, and usually appears repeatedly once you start coughing without stopping. Due to the narrowed airway, the chest feels tight or stuffy, and it is difficult to breathe like breathing with a straw in your mouth, or in severe cases, you may lose consciousness and be taken to the emergency room.
Director Gyu-min Lee (respiratory internal medicine specialist) at Daedong Hospital Respiratory Clinic said, “In the case of the elderly over 60, bronchial function is weaker due to the characteristics of cold air and dry winter, so it is necessary to be careful.” There are many cases where the treatment time is overlooked, but early treatment is important, so if symptoms appear, you should visit a nearby medical institution for diagnosis.
Asthma is diagnosed through lung function tests, bronchial provocation tests, chest radiographs, and sputum tests, and environmental therapy to avoid causative and exacerbating factors, as well as medication to alleviate symptoms or prevent asthma attacks. If left untreated, it may cause deterioration of lung function, making daily life difficult and requiring oxygen treatment.
Department of Pulmonology, Daedong Hospital, Kyu-min Lee, Manager
For prevention, thorough personal hygiene including hand hygiene is recommended. In winter, it is recommended to maintain an appropriate temperature so that there is not a large temperature difference between indoors and outdoors.
Be careful not to be exposed to irritating odors such as cigarette smoke or chemicals, air pollution, or yellow dust, and use an air purifier to manage indoor air quality such as fine dust. Make sure you have an attitude of enjoying a leisurely life with appropriate exercise and stress management, and do not stop taking medications arbitrarily even if your symptoms improve.
Sports Dong-a reporter Kim Jae-beom oldfield@donga.com More articles by the reporter