Allergy and asthma sufferes: How's the weather affecting your asthma?
Sometimes I think I'm in denial that my son has asthma. Yes, he takes his Singulair every night and we do his two puffs of Flovent, but that is like some routine that we just do...without thinking about it. But over the last week, week and half our weather has really changed. It has gotten much cooler. And with that change I've noticed that my sons health is starting to change too. It started with a little eczema on his chin. Then moved on to a little runny nose. Now the nose is more runny and a cough has started. The eczema has gotten worse too and has moved from the chin to the trunk of his body too. I love fall. Or at least I used to love fall. Fall is when my sons worst asthma episodes start and they typically don't stop until mid to late June. As of this morning I've started increasing his medication and I've added in his albuterol inhaler hoping to stave off any major wheezing episodes. I hate to medicate my son. But by putting my head in the sand and hoping that his body will magically help itself, I know I will be doing more harm than good. I secretly hope that my husband gets a job transfer to a warmer climate. My son just seems so much healthier during the summer months.
That's why when I found this article, Rising Heat, Humidity Raise Risk of Asthma Flairs, from HealthDay I was very surprised. Now don't get me wrong, Global Warming is never a cause to celebrate nor is it ever a good thing (hence the reason we are trying to green up our act around our house!), but my son's asthma does seem so much better in the summer months that I would have thought that the risk of asthma flairs would have decreased, not rose.
In reading the article, it points out things that we all know. There are many triggers of asthma: virus/illness, pollen and dust, air pollution, tobacco smoke, etc. But another trigger I didn't necessarily attribute directly to asthma was drastic temperature changes. It makes sense. That's why my son has such terrible episodes in the fall and spring when shifts in temperatures are so dramatic from morning to evening (along with increased pollen levels during these seasons).
According to the article, "A 10 percent increase in humidity two days before the admission day was associated with one additional visit to the emergency department," said Baptist. "For temperature, an interday change of 10 degrees one day before the admission resulted in two additional visits." Just here in Cleveland today our morning temperature is starting out at 41 degrees F and the afternoon temps are supposed to be in the mid 60's. That's a pretty big jump in temperature!
So what should you do:
1. Take your preventative meds as prescribed
2. Watch for worsening symptoms and if you need to, use your rescue medication.
3. Have an asthma action plan (Rick Frea's post "An Asthma Action Plan will help you become a Gall...
4. Don't have an asthma action plan? Talk to your doctor about one. You need one. Click here to see WEGO Health member Kerri's emergency plan on her blog Hold Your Breath to Breathe.
5. If you are using your emergency medication too often or if you are really having problems breathing, call your doctor right away or call 911.
Other interesting weather related asthma posts: Asthma and Altitude - from Asthma Mom
Extreme Weather - Asthma Trigger and Irritant from About.com: Asthma
Asthma and Weather on Twitter
What do your readers say about their asthma and changes in weather? Do you have any tips that you can share with us for controlling your asthma during this time of the year? Does your asthma seem to do better in warmer or cooler climates or does it even matter?
Visit the WEGO Health Asthma and Allergy Community to continue the conversation.
That's why when I found this article, Rising Heat, Humidity Raise Risk of Asthma Flairs, from HealthDay I was very surprised. Now don't get me wrong, Global Warming is never a cause to celebrate nor is it ever a good thing (hence the reason we are trying to green up our act around our house!), but my son's asthma does seem so much better in the summer months that I would have thought that the risk of asthma flairs would have decreased, not rose.
In reading the article, it points out things that we all know. There are many triggers of asthma: virus/illness, pollen and dust, air pollution, tobacco smoke, etc. But another trigger I didn't necessarily attribute directly to asthma was drastic temperature changes. It makes sense. That's why my son has such terrible episodes in the fall and spring when shifts in temperatures are so dramatic from morning to evening (along with increased pollen levels during these seasons).
According to the article, "A 10 percent increase in humidity two days before the admission day was associated with one additional visit to the emergency department," said Baptist. "For temperature, an interday change of 10 degrees one day before the admission resulted in two additional visits." Just here in Cleveland today our morning temperature is starting out at 41 degrees F and the afternoon temps are supposed to be in the mid 60's. That's a pretty big jump in temperature!
So what should you do:
1. Take your preventative meds as prescribed
2. Watch for worsening symptoms and if you need to, use your rescue medication.
3. Have an asthma action plan (Rick Frea's post "An Asthma Action Plan will help you become a Gall...
4. Don't have an asthma action plan? Talk to your doctor about one. You need one. Click here to see WEGO Health member Kerri's emergency plan on her blog Hold Your Breath to Breathe.
5. If you are using your emergency medication too often or if you are really having problems breathing, call your doctor right away or call 911.
Other interesting weather related asthma posts: Asthma and Altitude - from Asthma Mom
Extreme Weather - Asthma Trigger and Irritant from About.com: Asthma
Asthma and Weather on Twitter
What do your readers say about their asthma and changes in weather? Do you have any tips that you can share with us for controlling your asthma during this time of the year? Does your asthma seem to do better in warmer or cooler climates or does it even matter?
Visit the WEGO Health Asthma and Allergy Community to continue the conversation.
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Comment by Ellen S on October 8, 2009 at 10:20am -
Hey Janeen, this is great information. Thanks so much for sharing!
I'm wondering if there might be a cause/effect issue going on to? I know for instance, that I will begin wheezing pretty badly the moment I hit cold air. Pretty easy to see cause and effect there. I also know my allergies are bad in the winter due to me having to remain inside where I am in contact with dust (and those icky dust mites) I'm so sensitive to, etc. Now that my Lupus has me indoors every day, it seems this is a constant battle. I do so look forward to getting finished with our construction project and the hardwood floors I dream about so much! So, my question, could it be related to the behaviors we have when cooler weather hits, or only the weather itself? What's your experience been?
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Comment by Janeen on October 8, 2009 at 10:52am -
Right now I think for my son it's a bit of both. As soon as the weather changes his asthma flairs up (just like my migraines!), but as the season goes on, I do think some of it could be behavior related (staying inside=being around more people more often) and for him, most of it, is illness related. The kids at school are starting to get sick and my sons biggest trigger is the virus. The runny nose he's got leads me to think he's getting a cold which will eventually move into an ear infection (if it's not already there... he doesn't get pain or a fever so we only know when the doctor looks in there) which will trigger a severe wheezing episode and the need for the nebulizer. It's a fun little dance that happens ALL.WINTER.LONG. That's why I'm increasing the flovent from just nightime to mornings too and I added back in the Nasonex to try and keep down any swelling in the nasal cavities (helps with the ear infections too, we found that out this summer - who knew?).
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Comment by kerri on October 8, 2009 at 11:58pm -
Weather definitely has an effect on my asthma. (I can basically feel when it's going to rain without so much as a weather report or checking my peak flow!) Humidity is the worst, because even if you're not flaring, you can feel like you are!
With the winter coming, I know I'm going to become Scarf Girl again to protect my hyperactive lungs from the biting cold air outside!
Eileen, in inflammatory conditions, I'm pretty sure it's the weather itself (pressure changes, etc). I'm not sure if the system is available for lupus, but if you check out MediClim, they will send you e-mails 24 hours in advance of potential flare-ups in your condition (available for asthma, migraines, diabetes, etc). This thing has totally been synched with my lungs more than once, and I've felt myself getting tighter, only to go home and check my e-mails to find one of these alerts in my inbox!
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Comment by Janeen on October 9, 2009 at 7:23am
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Kerri,
Thank you so much for pointing out mediclim. What a fantastic resource. I'd never heard of it before, but I just signed up for asthma and migraine alerts (and will be forwarding it over to my father for arthritis). Thanks for the heads up on this website!
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Comment by Ellen S on October 9, 2009 at 10:09pm
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Mediclim is really neat! My Migraine issues aren't following their latest alerts, but maybe the others will - we'll see. :)
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Comment by kerri on October 9, 2009 at 10:56pm
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Not a problem! the Asthma Society of Canada pointed it out in an e-newsletter awhile ago. More than once it's been bang-on with my symptoms!
Hope it's useful for you guys!
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