When Steven Seggi steps outside, his mom always makes sure he's breathing through a scarf.
The 6-year-old Bellevue boy has asthma, and cold weather can trigger an attack.
“When he goes out (it's like) he's in a bubble,”said Susan Seggi, his mother.
Doctors are warning people with asthma about the potential dangers of low temperatures.
Adults and children can suffer an asthma attack because of freezing conditions, said Dr. Amy Lacroix of the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
The lower the temperature, the more likely an asthma attack could occur, she said. Temperatures below 20 degrees can be particularly dangerous.
Asthma is one of the most common chronic illnesses in adults and children, affecting nearly 23 million people in the United States, according to the American Lung Association. The prevalence of the condition has increased over the past two decades.
In the United States, about one in 10 children suffers from asthma.
Worsening air pollution is one possible reason for increases in asthma rates, said Dr. Linda Ford, a Papillion asthma and allergy specialist.
Wearing a scarf or face mask will help warm the air going into the lungs and reduce the chances of an asthma attack, said Dr. Jill Reel of Boys Town Pediatrics. Breathing through the nose also will warm the air.
Seggi said she holds a scarf over her son's mouth and nose when he's walking to the car to make sure it doesn't slip off.
Before going outside, people with asthma should use their inhaler, which delivers a medication to open airways, Lacroix said.
Ford said that if people with asthma feel their chest tightening, they should get inside immediately and use their inhaler again.
People with asthma should also be careful about exercising in cold weather. Sledding, skating and other outdoor winter exercise can trigger an attack.
Asthma occurs when the airways in the lungs become inflamed and constricted. Severe asthma attacks can be life-threatening.
Signs of an attack that need emergency treatment include rapid worsening of shortness of breath or wheezing; shortness of breath with minimal activity; and no improvement in symptoms after using an inhaler.