To many people, crackling fires, evergreen wreaths and cinnamon-scented air fresheners are cozy parts of winter. But to people with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or lung cancer, those smells can be bothersome or harmful.
If winter poses special challenges for your lungs, consider this advice:
Keep a mask or respiratory handy. Masks and respirators can help protect your lungs from smells in office buildings, rental cars and other places where scented cleaners might be used.
Shorten shopping trips. Keep shopping trips brief to avoid running across strong smells. If you can, plan your route to avoid perfume counters and cleaning product aisles. If strong holiday scents like pine cones or Christmas wreaths are placed at the entrances to places you visit, slip on a mask.
Travel with an inhaler. Planes and trains can put you in close quarters with people and their fragrances. Pack an inhaler in your carry-on.
Check the church schedule. Since smells like incense can bother people, many places of worship announce online or in bulletins which services will use it. If your church doesn't, call to ask.
Keep your home fragrance-free. Strong scents in items like candles, air fresheners and household cleaners can be especially difficult for people who are sensitive to smells.
Ask for fragrance-free space. It's not uncommon for offices, community spaces, and clinics to ask that people refrain from wearing perfume or using harsh cleaning products. Ask a manager to designate the space fragrance-free if needed.
Get vaccinated against respiratory diseases. Help protect lung health by keeping up to date on vaccinations. Vaccines are available for COVID-19, influenza, pneumonia, whooping cough (pertussis) and tuberculosis. Ask your healthcare team for more information.
Wear a scarf. Cold, dry air can irritate airways, leading to wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath. Wrapping a scarf around your nose and mouth can help warm the air before it enters your lungs. On really cold days, try breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth.