Cold and flu season can be disruptive for anyone, but it can be especially challenging when breathing symptoms, oxygen therapy, airway clearance, CPAP/BiPAP, ventilator support, or tracheostomy care are already part of daily life. A mild respiratory illness for one person may create more coughing, mucus, fatigue, or shortness of breath for someone with an existing respiratory condition.

People with COPD, asthma, chronic lung disease, or home oxygen should prepare for cold and flu season by reviewing their care plan, checking equipment and supplies, asking about recommended vaccines, reducing exposure to respiratory viruses, and knowing when to call their provider. Taking a few steps now can make managing daily routines easier if illness affects your household

At Respire Homecare, our goal is to help patients, families, and caregivers feel more prepared at home. The steps below can help you organize supplies, reduce avoidable risks, and recognize changes that may need attention from your healthcare team.

Medical disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and does not replace care from a physician, respiratory therapist, pharmacist, or emergency provider. Always follow your prescribed care plan and ask your provider what is right for your condition.

Quick Navigation

Why Cold and Flu Season Can Be Harder on Respiratory Patients

Cold and flu season can place extra strain on people with COPD, asthma, chronic lung disease, oxygen therapy, ventilator support, or tracheostomy care. Respiratory infections may increase coughing, thicken mucus, trigger wheezing, worsen shortness of breath, or make regular home care routines harder to keep up with.

For someone who already has a respiratory condition, the concern is not only “getting sick.” It’s how an illness affects their baseline. A person who normally uses oxygen during activity may feel winded sooner. Someone who manages asthma may notice more coughing or chest tightness. A child or adult with a tracheostomy may need to pay closer attention to secretion changes.

Preparation gives families a better starting point. It helps you avoid last-minute supply issues, clarify provider instructions, and spot breathing changes earlier. It can also help caregivers feel more confident about what to do if symptoms begin over a weekend, overnight, or during a busy holiday stretch.

Review Your Respiratory Care Plan Before You Feel Sick

The best time to review your respiratory care plan is before cold and flu season is fully underway. If you wait until symptoms start, it may be harder to remember what medications are due, which symptoms matter most, or who to call first.

Start by looking at the parts of care that already happen at home:

  • Daily respiratory medications, inhalers, or nebulizer treatments
  • Oxygen therapy instructions and equipment use
  • CPAP, BiPAP, ventilator, or airway clearance routines
  • Emergency contact numbers and backup caregiver plans

If you use inhalers, ask your provider or pharmacist to review technique and timing. Many patients have more than one inhaler, and it can be easy to confuse daily maintenance medications with rescue medications. If you use a nebulizer, airway clearance device, suction equipment, oxygen concentrator, or ventilator, make sure caregivers know the regular routine and who to contact if something seems off.

It may also help to write down what “normal” looks like. For some patients, that means typical oxygen saturation readings when monitored under provider guidance. For others, it may mean usual mucus color, daily activity tolerance, sleep patterns, or how often rescue medication is needed. Knowing the baseline makes changes easier to recognize.

What should your respiratory care plan include?

A cold and flu season care plan should include your current medication list, equipment routines, provider contacts, symptoms to watch for, and instructions for when to call for help. If multiple caregivers are involved, keep the plan in a shared, easy-to-find place.

Ask Your Provider Which Vaccines Are Recommended

Vaccines are an important part of respiratory illness prevention at home, especially for people with COPD, asthma, chronic lung disease, oxygen therapy, or other respiratory support needs.

Recommendations vary based on age, diagnosis, vaccine history, risk factors, and overall health, so it is best to ask your physician, pharmacist, or other qualified provider what is appropriate for you.

Common vaccines to ask about before or during respiratory illness season include:

  • Flu vaccine
  • COVID-19 vaccine or updated doses
  • RSV vaccine, when recommended
  • Pneumonia or pneumococcal vaccines

For people with asthma, respiratory infections such as flu, COVID-19, and RSV can trigger asthma attacks or lead to more serious illness. People with COPD may also be at greater risk for flare-ups when respiratory infections affect the lungs. That does not mean every illness can be avoided, but staying current on recommended vaccines may help reduce the risk of severe illness.

Caregivers should ask about their own vaccines, too. Protecting the household can help reduce exposure for a person who may be more vulnerable to respiratory complications.

Related Reading: Vaccines for Respiratory Patients

Check Your Oxygen Equipment, Supplies, and Backup Plan

Preparing your oxygen equipment before cold and flu season should be simple, practical, and done early. Home oxygen users should check tubing, cannulas, humidification supplies if prescribed, backup tanks if part of the care plan, and contact information for equipment concerns.

Do not change oxygen flow settings unless your provider instructs you to. Your oxygen prescription is individualized, and changes should be guided by your care team.
Before respiratory illness season gets busy, review your setup:

  • Check tubing, cannulas, and prescribed humidification supplies.
  • Confirm that backup tanks are available if they are part of your plan.
  • Keep your equipment provider’s phone number easy to find.
  • Review power outage, travel, or appointment plans.

Winter home oxygen safety routines also deserve attention. Keep oxygen away from open flames, candles, smoking, and heat sources. Cold weather often brings space heaters, fireplaces, and holiday candles into the home, so it may be helpful to review safety rules with everyone who visits.

If you are unsure whether your equipment is working as expected, contact your equipment provider or care team. It is better to ask early than to wait until illness, weather, or supply needs make the situation more emergent and stressful.

Build a Cold and Flu Season Home Checklist

A home checklist can help respiratory patients and caregivers prepare before symptoms start. Keep supplies in one place when possible, and update the list as prescriptions, equipment, or caregiver routines change.

Cold and Flu Season Respiratory Care Checklist

  • Refill prescription medications before they run low.

  • Keep a working thermometer and a pulse oximeter if recommended by your provider.

  • Stock tissues, hand sanitizer, soap, and routine cleaning supplies.

  • Organize respiratory equipment supplies, such as tubing, cannulas, filters, nebulizer cups, suction supplies, or tracheostomy supplies as applicable.

  • Update provider, pharmacy, and after-hours contact information.

  • Create a backup caregiver and transportation plan.

Caregivers may want to add a few household notes as well. Who can pick up prescriptions? Who can stay with the patient if another caregiver gets sick? Which family members understand the equipment routine? These details can prevent confusion if a busy week becomes more complicated.

Reduce Exposure Without Putting Life on Hold

Respiratory illness prevention at home does not have to mean avoiding every normal activity. The goal is to reduce exposure where it is reasonable, especially during periods when flu, RSV, COVID-19, and other respiratory viruses are spreading in the community.

Small habits can make a difference:

  • Wash hands often and use hand sanitizer when needed.
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick when possible.
  • Ask visitors to stay home if they have a fever, cough, sore throat, or other symptoms.
  • Clean high-touch surfaces such as doorknobs, phones, counters, and remote controls.
  • Consider a mask in crowded indoor settings if advised by a provider or preferred by the patient.

For households with children, visitors, home health routines, or multiple caregivers, exposure reduction can feel imperfect. That’s normal. Focus on practical steps that fit your home instead of trying to control every situation.

If someone in the household gets sick, separate towels, cups, utensils, and sleeping areas may help when feasible. Caregivers should also protect their own rest, hydration, and health needs.

A backup plan matters because caregiving can become harder if several people in the home are sick at the same time.

Watch for Changes in Breathing, Mucus, or Energy

Patients and caregivers should know the person’s usual breathing pattern and watch for changes during cold and flu season. For many respiratory conditions, early changes may show up as increased coughing, thicker mucus, lower energy, or more difficulty completing normal routines.

Signs of respiratory infection or a possible flare-up may include:

  • Increased shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, or chest tightness
  • Fever, chills, or unusual fatigue
  • Change in mucus amount, color, or thickness
  • Lower oxygen readings if monitored under provider guidance
  • Confusion, behavior changes, or difficulty completing normal routines

A single symptom doesn’t always mean something serious is happening. What matters is the pattern, the person’s baseline, and whether symptoms are worsening or not improving. If a patient has a written COPD action plan, asthma action plan, ventilator plan, tracheostomy plan, or oxygen plan, follow the instructions provided by their healthcare team.

Caregivers may notice subtle changes before the patient does. A person may be talking less, taking longer to walk across a room, eating less, or needing more breaks during daily activities. These observations are worth sharing when you contact a provider.

When to Call Your Provider or Seek Urgent Help

Someone with COPD, asthma, oxygen therapy, or other respiratory support needs should call their provider if breathing symptoms worsen, symptoms do not improve as expected, oxygen readings change in a concerning way under provider guidance, fever develops, chest discomfort occurs, mucus changes significantly, or normal routines become harder to complete.

Call your healthcare provider if you notice:

  • Shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, or chest tightness that is worse than usual
  • Fever, chills, mucus changes, or symptoms that suggest infection
  • Increased need for rescue medication, if applicable
  • Trouble tolerating CPAP, BiPAP, oxygen, ventilator, or airway clearance routines
  • Caregiver concern that “something is different” from the patient’s normal baseline

Seek emergency care or call 911 for severe trouble breathing, bluish lips or face, chest pain, confusion, fainting, severe weakness, or other emergency symptoms. If you are unsure whether symptoms are urgent, it is safer to contact a medical professional for guidance.

Do not delay emergency care while waiting for a routine office call, equipment appointment, or callback if symptoms appear severe.

How We Help Patients Prepare for Respiratory Illness Season at Home

At Respire Homecare, we support patients and caregivers who manage complex respiratory needs at home. Our respiratory therapists understand that cold and flu season can affect much more than physical symptoms. It can affect daily routines, caregiver confidence, equipment use, sleep, mobility, and peace of mind.

Our team helps with respiratory equipment, oxygen therapy, ventilator support, tracheostomy care, CPAP/BiPAP support, airway clearance, secretion management, equipment education, and home respiratory routines. For adults with high-tech respiratory needs, RespireVent+ provides specialized support. For children and families, RespireKids+ helps caregivers manage pediatric respiratory care with education and ongoing guidance.

If you need help reviewing equipment needs, understanding respiratory supplies, or preparing for seasonal changes at home, explore our clinical respiratory services or learn more about our durable medical equipment and other services. You can also view our locations or contact our team with questions.

For more respiratory care at home resources, visit our blog, COPD category, or respiratory category.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I prepare for cold and flu season if I have COPD?

To prepare for cold and flu season with COPD, review your COPD action plan, refill medications, ask about recommended vaccines, check oxygen or respiratory equipment, reduce exposure to sick contacts when possible, and know which symptoms should prompt a call to your provider.

It also helps to write down your normal breathing patterns, mucus, energy level, and oxygen readings if you monitor them under provider guidance. That makes it easier to recognize changes.

What should oxygen users check before winter or flu season?

Oxygen users should check cannulas, tubing, humidification supplies if prescribed, backup tanks if included in the care plan, and equipment contact numbers. If you use an oxygen concentrator, review your power outage plan.

Do not adjust oxygen settings unless instructed by your provider. If your breathing changes or equipment does not seem to be working properly, contact your care team or equipment provider.

Should people with asthma be extra careful during cold and flu season?

Yes. People with asthma may be more likely to have breathing symptoms triggered by respiratory infections. Cold and flu season can increase the chance of exposure to viruses that may lead to coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, or asthma attacks.

Follow your asthma action plan, take medications as prescribed, ask about recommended vaccines, and call your provider if symptoms worsen or do not respond to your usual plan.

What supplies should I keep at home for respiratory illness season?

Respiratory patients may want to keep medication refills, a thermometer, tissues, hand sanitizer, cleaning supplies, masks if recommended or preferred, hydration supplies, provider contact numbers, and respiratory equipment supplies at home.

If you use oxygen, CPAP/BiPAP, a nebulizer, suction equipment, airway clearance devices, ventilator support, or tracheostomy supplies, check those items before you are nearly out.

When should I call my provider about breathing changes?

Call your provider if you notice worsening shortness of breath, increased coughing or wheezing, fever, chest tightness, mucus changes, lower oxygen readings based on provider guidance, unusual fatigue, or trouble completing normal routines.

Call 911 or seek emergency care for severe trouble breathing, bluish lips or face, chest pain, confusion, fainting, or other emergency symptoms.

Can cold air make breathing symptoms worse?

Cold, dry air may bother some people with COPD, asthma, or chronic respiratory symptoms. It can feel irritating to the airways and may contribute to coughing, tightness, or shortness of breath for certain patients.

Ask your provider how to manage cold air exposure based on your specific condition. Some people benefit from covering the mouth and nose loosely with a scarf when outside, warming up indoors before activity, or avoiding outdoor exertion when the air feels harsh.

How can caregivers help someone with COPD or oxygen therapy avoid respiratory illness?

Caregivers can help by encouraging handwashing, limiting close contact with sick visitors, keeping supplies organized, watching for changes in breathing or mucus, helping with medication refills, and keeping provider contact information easy to find.

Caregivers should also have a backup plan. If the main caregiver gets sick, the patient may still need help with oxygen equipment, meals, transportation, medications, and daily respiratory routines.