As the temperatures drop, you may notice yourself coughing during or after a run in the colder air. It’s not a symptom you should ignore, but runner’s cough also doesn’t have to stop you in your tracks.   

Orthopedic surgeon and runner Dr. Karen Sutton shares her easy checklist to help prevent and ease coughing during and after winter runs.

(MORE: This temperature range could help you hit your best marathon time)

What is runner’s cough?

Cold air can constrict your airways, making it harder for your lungs to process the air. Cold, dry air can irritate those airways, making you cough.

“Runner's cough sometimes can be described as exercise-induced asthma, also a misnomer because not all the time it is associated with asthma,” said Sutton.“ Another term for it is exercise-induced bronchospasm, where sometimes those runners won't always get the diagnosis of asthma, but they have symptoms related to asthma as they're running.”

Symptoms like wheezing and chest tightness can begin 15 to 20 minutes into a run and can linger 30 to 60 minutes after. It usually eases on its own after your body has warmed back up.

Get More of Our News on Google

Set The Weather Company as a 'Preferred Source' to get quicker access to the news you value.

(MORE: Flu season follows humidity, not the calendar)

Why does runner's cough happen?

Running makes you breathe faster and you’re usually taking in more air through your mouth, sending the cold straight to your lungs. Pollutants in the air and seasonal allergies can also add to the irritation that induces coughing.

“As a runner myself, I would definitely encourage still running in the cold,” said Sutton. So here’s her advice for before, during and after your run.

Before you run

• Dress your entire body for the cold. The rest of your body helps keep your lungs warm, too.
• Warm up indoors for at least 10 minutes. Sutton suggests dynamic stretching: “Getting those big, big muscle groups fired up like the glutes, the quads, the hamstrings is gonna help to really increase that core body temperature and diminish that cold feeling of the air coming in.”
• Ease into the cold. Start with shorter runs so your body can acclimatize to the colder temperatures. Sutton said: “You may want to start with alternating between some treadmill runs and outdoor runs, where doing potentially 10 minutes, 15 minutes outdoors, and prior, you did 10 to 15 minutes on the treadmill.”
• Keep your mouth and throat moist. Stay hydrated and increase moisture where you can. “As long as you're avoiding choking … sometimes a cough drop can be helpful to decrease some of those symptoms and that feeling of that ongoing dry cough,” said Sutton.

(MORE: Why you still need water when it's chilly)

During your run

• Cover your face. A neck buff, balaclava or scarf, or something else around your nose and face, helps warm the air you're taking in. Sutton’s bonus tip: During very cold weather, petroleum jelly on your face adds warmth.
• Breathe in through your nose, out through your mouth. “Your nose can actually warm some of that air as it gets into your lungs,” she said.

If you have been diagnosed with exercise-induced bronchospasm, you should have an inhaler with you to use if symptoms start.

After your run

• Get into a more humid room. “If there's an area that has a humidifier and the air seems to be easier to breathe, that can be very helpful too,” said Sutton.
• Sip something warm. Sutton suggested hot water with lemon or hot tea to help coat and soothe your throat. It can also open up those cold airways.

When to see a doctor

If your cough lingers for more than 60 minutes after your run or into the next day, you should probably see your doctor. Sutton also said if you feel more malaise, your body feels weaker or you are coughing during regular runs (not just cold ones), see a doctor to find out if it's something else, like an upper respiratory infection or virus.

If not, she encourages you to keep running during the colder months: “That sunshine, getting outside really helps to actually avoid that seasonal affective disorder as well. So we can really enjoy all those natural endorphins by running outside.”