Airways obstruction in asthmatics induced by body cooling

Pulmonary and thermoregulatory reactions to body cooling were studied in eight asthmatic and five normal subjects. The cooling was achieved by a cold shower at water temperature (T) of 15 degrees C for 1 min, followed by exposing the wet body to a high wind generated by a fan for another minute. The skin T, oral T and pulmonary functions were measured before and after cooling. After the cooling, skin T fell a mean of 7 degrees in all subjects and the oral T fell 0.5 degrees in the normals and 0.7 degrees in the asthmatics. In asthmatics, the post-cooling forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and maximal mid-expiratory flow (MMEF) fell significantly (P less than .05) to a mean of 79% and 72%of baseline, respectively, and thoracic gas volume (TGV) and airway resistance (Raw) increased significantly to 133% and 198% of baseline, respectively. In normal subjects a small but significant increase in Raw was found. No obstruction developed in the asthmatics after a warm shower at 37 degrees or after breathing the cold shower mist. It is suggested that it is body cooling which leads first to vasoconstriction and then cooling of respiratory mucosa that initiates bronchoconstriction in asthmatics.