As summer ends and the weather begins to change, you may notice that your breathing changes too.
Perhaps you have started coughing more frequently. You may feel wheezy when exercising, experience tightness in your chest or find yourself becoming unusually breathless when walking upstairs.
For some people, these symptoms return at a similar time every year. For others, they appear for the first time and are easily dismissed as a seasonal cold.
However, a persistent cough, wheezing or increasing breathlessness can sometimes indicate that your airways are irritated, inflamed or not functioning as effectively as they should.
At Axis Core Health in Warrington, our respiratory assessments can help you gain a clearer understanding of what may be happening with your breathing.
Why can breathing symptoms become worse during autumn?
The change from summer into autumn introduces several potential respiratory triggers.
Temperatures begin to fall, children return to school, respiratory infections circulate more readily and many of us start spending more time indoors.
Individually or collectively, these changes can contribute to coughing, wheezing and breathlessness.
Colder air can irritate sensitive airways
Cold, dry air can irritate the airways, particularly in people with asthma or increased airway sensitivity.
When you breathe in colder air, the muscles around the airways may tighten. This can make breathing feel more difficult and may trigger symptoms such as:
- Coughing
- Wheezing
- Chest tightness
- Shortness of breath
- Reduced exercise tolerance
You may notice this most when exercising outside, walking quickly or moving between warm indoor environments and colder outdoor temperatures.
If this happens repeatedly, it is worth investigating rather than assuming you are simply unfit or reacting normally to the weather.
Autumn allergens may still affect your breathing
Hay fever is often associated with spring and summer, but allergens do not disappear as soon as autumn begins.
Weed pollen can remain present into early autumn. Fallen leaves and damp conditions can also encourage mould spores, while spending more time indoors may increase exposure to dust mites, pet dander and indoor mould.
For someone with allergic or eosinophilic airway inflammation, these triggers may cause:
- A dry or irritating cough
- Wheezing
- A tight feeling in the chest
- Throat irritation
- Breathlessness
- Symptoms that become worse at night or in certain environments
A FeNO test may be recommended as part of an appropriate respiratory assessment. This measures the amount of nitric oxide in your exhaled breath, which can provide useful information about certain types of airway inflammation.
However, a FeNO result should not be considered in isolation. Symptoms, medical history and other test results may all be relevant when determining the most appropriate next steps.
Respiratory infections begin to circulate
As schools reopen and people spend more time together indoors, coughs and respiratory infections can spread more easily.
A cough caused by a viral infection will often improve as you recover. However, coughing can sometimes continue after the initial infection has passed because the airways remain irritated or temporarily more sensitive.
An infection may also reveal an underlying breathing problem that was not previously obvious.
For example, you may notice that:
- Your cough lasts longer than expected
- You continue to wheeze after the infection
- Exercise feels more difficult than it did before
- You are repeatedly reaching for an inhaler
- Each cold seems to “go straight to your chest”
- You experience frequent or recurring chest infections
If symptoms are persistent, recurrent or affecting your daily life, further assessment may be appropriate.
Could it be asthma?
Asthma does not always present as a dramatic asthma attack.
Some people experience much subtler symptoms, such as coughing at night, wheezing during exercise or becoming more breathless in cold weather. Others may have a cough as their most noticeable symptom.
Possible signs of asthma can include:
- Coughing that is worse at night or early in the morning
- Wheezing
- Chest tightness
- Breathlessness triggered by exercise
- Symptoms triggered by cold air, infections or allergens
- Symptoms that improve and then return
These symptoms do not automatically mean that you have asthma. Several conditions can produce similar symptoms, which is why proper assessment and interpretation are important.
When is a cough considered persistent?
Many short-term coughs improve within a few weeks. A cough lasting longer than three weeks is generally described as persistent and should be discussed with an appropriate healthcare professional.
You should also seek medical advice if a cough repeatedly returns or is accompanied by breathlessness, wheezing, chest discomfort or reduced exercise tolerance.
Seek urgent medical attention if you are struggling to breathe, develop significant chest pain, feel severely unwell or cough up blood.
How can lung function testing help?
Symptoms alone cannot always show how well your lungs and airways are functioning.
Spirometry is a breathing test that measures how much air you can breathe out and how quickly you can empty your lungs. It can help identify patterns of airflow limitation and provide useful information about your respiratory health.
Depending on the assessment selected and your individual circumstances, testing at Axis Core Health may include:
Spirometry
Spirometry measures airflow and lung volume. It may help identify whether your airways appear narrowed or obstructed.
Lung age
A lung age calculation compares aspects of your lung function with the expected results for a healthy person of a particular age. This can provide an accessible way to understand your results.
FeNO testing
A FeNO test measures nitric oxide in your exhaled breath and may provide evidence of eosinophilic inflammation within the airways.
Oxygen saturation and blood pressure
These basic observations can provide additional information about your current health and respiratory function.
Breathing pattern assessment
Not every experience of breathlessness is caused by reduced lung capacity. An inefficient or dysfunctional breathing pattern can also contribute to symptoms.
A comprehensive breathing pattern assessment can identify changes in the way you breathe and may include personalised techniques to support more efficient breathing.
Is a lung assessment suitable if I have already been diagnosed with asthma?
Testing may still provide useful information if you have an existing diagnosis but feel that your symptoms have changed.
You might consider a respiratory review if:
- Your usual symptoms are becoming more frequent
- Exercise is increasingly difficult
- You regularly wake during the night coughing
- Your inhaler does not seem to provide the same relief
- You are unsure whether your symptoms are being adequately controlled
- You would like a clearer picture of your current lung function
Do not stop or change prescribed medication without speaking to the healthcare professional responsible for your care.
Private lung function testing in Warrington
It is easy to dismiss seasonal breathing changes as “just a cold”, “just the weather” or a natural decline in fitness.
But if coughing, wheezing or breathlessness keeps returning, understanding what is happening can help you make more informed decisions about your health.
Axis Core Health provides private lung function testing and respiratory assessments in Warrington. Several assessment options are available, from individual spirometry or FeNO testing to more comprehensive testing and consultant review.
The most appropriate option will depend on your symptoms, health history and what you would like to understand.
Our assessments do not replace emergency care and cannot rule out every possible respiratory condition. If your results or symptoms suggest that further investigation is required, you will be advised about the appropriate next steps.
Book a lung assessment in Warrington
If your cough has not gone away, your asthma symptoms appear to be changing or you have started feeling more breathless than usual, it may be time to take a closer look at your lung health.
Book your lung assessment at Axis Core Health in Warrington and gain clearer insight into how your lungs and airways are functioning. Book via email: info@axiscorehealth.co.uk
Breathe better. Screen earlier. Act sooner.