The extreme cold snap which hit this area this week brings many health dangers from the cold, and that includes your lungs. Anyone with respiratory problems should avoid extreme cold. In the video, Dr. Matthew Sharpe, pulmonologist at The University of Kansas Health System, says people with asthma and COPD are especially vulnerable to breathing complications in a cold wave. Dr. Sharpe says older people are also more at risk as their lung function reduces with age. Even healthy people who like exercising in below zero conditions should know warning signs if the cold is causing a lung problem. However, Dr. Sharpe says there are ways for vulnerable people to lessen the threat from the cold and keep their lungs healthy even during a bitter winter.
