Recently my part of the country had a sharp cold spell and with a very windy night. At one point a gust of wind occurred at the same time I was inhaling. It seemed for a few seconds that I could not breathe in. Was this because it was cold and I just paused in my breathing or did the cold air and gusty condition create a low pressure zone where I could not inhale with a ‘normal’ amount of inhalation? Or am I really overthinking this?
Cold air can certainly make it more difficult to breathe. How much more difficult can depend on many things and it might be worth mentioning to your doctor next time you see them (but, unless it was extreme distress, I think you can wait till your next check-up…IANADoctor so do not rely on me for medical advice).
I live in a city that regularly gets cold weather and I have experienced this a little bit. I think it is mostly normal within some arbitrary definition of “normal.” Usually it is the initial shock of the cold and I’m fine within 30 seconds. YMMV
I agree. It’s likely more due to the shock of cold air hitting your lungs, then a momentary “low pressure zone.”
Moderator Note
Title edited to more clearly indicate the topic.
It appears to be a bronchoconstriction effect (constriction of air passages in the lungs) caused by sudden cold exposure.
Bronchconstriction means you can’t easily draw a breath, and if you’ve already gasped (because the air triggered a partial cold shock response), that means you have a lungful of air that your bronchi have clamped down on.