SALT LAKE CITY — The world of health and medicine can be confusing to many parents. But Nurse Suzy is here to help clarify some of the issues that are important to you and your family.

Question:

Why do people with respiratory problems have a hard time breathing during the winter months?

Answer:

People with respiratory problems often have a hard time breathing, and when the air is full of particulate matter it becomes almost impossible for them to get a good breath.

In the winter, or on very hot summer days, it seems more difficult to breathe because the air holds onto pollution particles and the air pressure makes it so they have nowhere to go. Because of the damage to their respiratory system, people with respiratory issues have very little ability to filter out the bad particles.

Let me just give some brief information about respiratory problems.

Symptoms of a respiratory problem include:

• dyspnea (difficulty breathing)
• tachypnea (rapid breathing)
• hypopnea (shallow breathing)
• hyperpnea (deep breathing)
• apnea (absence of breathing) Breathing problems may occur with conditions affecting the lungs alone or may be seen in association with more generalized conditions, according to an article on BetterMedicine.com. Examples of such conditions include dehydration, infections or side effects from medications."Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis) and asthma are common causes of respiratory symptoms," BetterMedicine.com states. "Other common causes include infections, such as pneumonia or acute bronchitis."

Depending on the cause, respiratory symptoms may begin in one or both lungs and may be accompanied by rapid heart rate, low blood pressure, shortness of breath, headache and dizziness.

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Do you have a question for Nurse Suzy, or maybe a topic you'd like her opinion on? Email her at <a href="mailto:nursesuzyksl@gmail.com">nursesuzyksl@gmail.com</a>.

The article goes on to say that heart conditions can lead to respiratory symptoms, as can anxiety and panic attacks.

When you have respiratory problems of any kind, particles in the air make it harder to breath. Cold air can literally freeze airway passages; and if you already have scarred airways, it just makes it worse.

Smoking, of course, is the worst way to damage your lungs, but breathing constant second-hand smoke, paint fumes, or dirt from construction or mining can also cause scarring. Congenital diseases and asthma can take their toll as well.

If you have many years of injury to your lungs and become ill, it will be harder to recover. While medical treatment can help, there is no "cure" to repair your injured lungs. Because of this, it becomes a real challenge to get patients with injured lungs through any illness — which can be very frustrating to both the patients and the doctors.

During the winter months, all hospitals see an increase in patients with respiratory problems due to the cold weather, poor air quality, viruses and bacteria — which are all common in our area.

But some of those visits can be avoided. If you know you have respiratory problems, stay indoors on inversion days. Also, take your respiratory medications as prescribed. If you cannot afford the medications, consult with your doctor to find a cheaper alternative. There are many medications that can be interchanged with no complications.

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Written by Suzanne Carlile with contributions from Jordan Ormond.

Suzanne Carlile, "Nurse Suzy," has been a nurse since 1982. Her main focus is critical care and nursing education. She holds a master's degree in nursing, is a Certified Emergency Nurse, and a member of NNSDO Intermountain West Chapter.

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