Millions of people across the UK are being advised to consider wearing face masks as a severe cold snap continues to grip the nation, posing a significant health risk to those with respiratory conditions.
Why the cold weather is a major trigger
The Met Office has extended snow and ice warnings following Storm Goretti, with frigid temperatures forecast to persist through the weekend and into next week. For the estimated 7.2 million people in the UK living with asthma, this presents a serious danger. Cold air can cause airways to tighten, leading to symptoms like wheezing, breathlessness, and chest tightness, which can escalate into a life-threatening asthma attack.
In response to the heightened risk, a prominent asthma advocate known online as TheAsthmaInfluencer has issued crucial guidance via TikTok. She emphasised the importance of proactive measures to prevent emergency hospital visits during this period.
Essential tips to protect your lungs in the cold
The influencer's first piece of advice is to always wrap up warm and protect your chest and airways. She specifically recommends that wearing a face mask outdoors can help by warming the air you breathe before it enters your lungs.
Her other key recommendations include:
- Conducting a daily peak flow test to monitor for any declining pattern in lung function, which could signal an impending severe attack.
- Ensuring you have a spacer device at home, as using an inhaler with a spacer delivers more medication directly to the lungs and can provide instant relief if your chest deteriorates.
- Using a home nebuliser if you have one, and keeping a hot drink to hand to help keep your airways warm.
She also suggested a simple home remedy for tight chests: creating steam by running a hot tap in a closed bathroom to help ease breathing.
Official charity guidance for staying safe
Charity Asthma + Lung UK strongly supports the use of face coverings in the cold for those who are comfortable with them. Their official advice for staying safe outdoors in low temperatures includes several critical steps:
To warm the air you breathe, you should breathe through your nose or loosely wrap a scarf around your nose and mouth. It is also vital to keep your reliever inhaler with you at all times and to check the weather forecast before venturing out.
The charity further advises planning ahead by asking someone to accompany you or check in on you if you are worried, and dressing in multiple thin layers, including thermal wear, along with a hat, gloves, and warm socks.
With millions at risk, these simple precautions could be the difference between managing a chronic condition at home and facing a medical emergency during one of the coldest periods of the year.
