Overview
- Met Office snow and ice warnings remain in place following Storm Goretti as temperatures drop to well below freezing in parts of the UK.
- Asthma + Lung UK estimates 7.2 million people in the country have asthma, making cold-weather flare-ups a significant public health concern.
- Health guidance urges wearing a scarf or mask to warm inhaled air, breathing through the nose, checking conditions before going out, and dressing in layers.
- Clinicians advise sticking to daily controller medicines, keeping a reliever inhaler on hand, and using a spacer for multiple puffs to improve delivery during flare-ups.
- Awareness is rising about exercise-induced bronchoconstriction triggered by cold, dry air, with a survey reporting 64% struggle to regulate breathing and 66% become breathless more quickly when exercising in the cold.