How Children Can Improve Their Cold Weather Breathing

Winter’s dry air can create a variety of breathing difficulties for the approximately 4.6 million children with asthma or other respiratory conditions in the United States. To keep the littlest lungs healthy during the coldest temperatures, parents to know what to look for and when to see the doctor.

Asthma & Allergies

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease that’s linked to air pollution, and exposure to smoke or chemicals. Dust, mold and pests can also be triggers for children. Watch your child closely if you observe wheezing, noisy breathing, coughing or breathlessness.

Allergies can be seasonal or year-round and can often be associated with asthmatic diagnoses so if your child has asthma, experts say it’s likely they will develop allergies, which can make the symptoms worse. Outdoor environmental triggers include pollen, grass and weeds. Dust, mold and pet dander can cause an indoor allergic reaction.

Stress

Deep breathing techniques are not just useful for adults. When children are anxious or experiencing stress, deep breathing has been found to calm the body in young children as well as teens.

One technique is referred to as belly breathing (also called diaphragmatic breathing) and is easy to do anywhere and at any time.

Air Quality

Air quality issues can occur indoors and outdoors. Indoor air can be two to five times more polluted than outdoor air, according to the American Lung Association.

This becomes more prevalent during winter months because when you seal up your home to maintain heat, you also may be trapping mold, dust and other pollutants inside that could create respiratory distress.

Avoid indoor respiratory triggers like smoking, vaping, candles and incense.

Check with a doctor if your child has a prolonged cough, congestion, faster breathing or low energy.

Other Medical Conditions

Babies and young children are at risk for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and croup during winter months. These illnesses bring along barking coughs and difficulty breathing.

Home remedies include humidifiers, steam and a damp washcloth across the forehead. Almost all children will have had an RSV by their second birthday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.