Is really cold weather bad for cf'ers

[threebabies]

I was wondering if exposure to extreme cold temperatures is bad for cf'ers. We are have a bit of a cold blast here in New York. My kids want to go out and play. Dh says it isn't a good idea. Any opinions?

 

[Ratatosk]

We live in North Dakota. DS is 10 and has been playing outside since he was very small. He LOVES playing outside and before the holidays and the air temp (NOT windchill) was -5F. He played in the snow for about 15 minutes while I sat in my warm car. With our extreme cold weather he hasn't been able to play outside at daycare or at school all week, so he's a bit bummed. I would think if your kids have warm clothes -- hats, gloves, jackets they should be fine.

Do your children have asthma and would cold trigger an asthma attack?

 

[threebabies]

No asthma, but the twins are getting admitted for a tune up on Wednesday

 

[dolphinsrule]

Extreme cold weather can have an effect on the lungs; you don't necessarily see immediate evidence - think of secondhand smoke. Using a scarf or partial face mask around the nose and mouth can help to protect the lungs from arctic air.

 

[welshwitch]

I've never really heard of anything about this. I've heard much worse about bad air quality (ie my growing up my parents were deathly afraid to take me to Los Angeles)

 

[Ratatosk]

I guess I was always led to believe clean fresh air is good. Ds gets exercise, fresh air...no issues.

 

[Red9928]

I think it's partly a matter of tolerance. I'm in Massachusetts where temps have also dipped. I breath horribly in this cold, with wheezing when I'm outside. I also have a slight asthma component and bronchiectasis, with PFTs at 55%. I don't remember the cold bothering my breathing as a child, that happened into my 30s after the bronchiectasis diagnosis.

 

[nmw0615]

Like Red9928, when I was a kid cold didn't bother me at all. I'd love to go out and play until my fingers and toes were frozen. Now that I've had several years of difficult health, anything below 55 degrees starts to bother me and anything below 30 degrees is extremely hard to breathe in.

 

[jcool18]

I'm 44 and PFTs at 23%. Very hard for me to breathe in very cold weather. I usually use my inhaler before I go out and it helps a little. I find that covering my face with a scarf restricted my breathing too much.

 

[iefisherman]

I'm 31 with pft's in the low 30%. The transition from a warm house or car to cold air bothers me, but once i'm out for a little bit the cold air makes me feel great. I have been out icefishing in sun-zero temps many times. Trapping and snow shoeing also. I'm probably the most active in winter. Hot humid weather is what bothers me. Everyone is different.

 

[Gnome]

Cold air may be bad but usually it is dry or moist air that causes more problems depending on the CFer. Usually if it is really cold people stay inside and are lucky to be outside for a minute. Which is how long it takes to get from the car to the house.

 

[hammerpocket]

My previous doctor told me that as long as I was bundled up, running when it's cold was not a problem. But back then I lived in Tennessee, where "really cold" means the low 30s. Now I'm in Minnesota, where the current wind chill is such that exposed flesh can freeze in five minutes. Still, my doctors here have never advised me to avoid the cold air.