How hot and humid weather affects asthma?

Have you noticed that sudden climatic changes can trigger your asthma symptoms? If so you're not the only one. In a recent survey, 75 per cent of people said that cold air can trigger symptoms of asthma. Hot weather, damp weather, thunderstorms, and sudden climatic changes also trigger asthma symptoms for some people.

 

So, why do symptoms of asthma seem to get worse with changes in the weather? There are some annual trends, as well as reasons why asthma symptoms are worse at particular times of the year. We can call that reason as asthma triggers, such as pet dander, secondhand smoke, and exercise. But knowing the triggers that can vary by seasonal changes such as pollens, pollution, and viruses can help people with asthma disease to pay attention towards medication and asthma cure.

 

Asthma Symptoms Getting Worse In Hot And Humid Weather

 

Hot and humid weather during summer season usually provides some relief for people suffering from asthma disease. But, that doesn’t mean, summers can’t pose any threat to asthmatics ever. Asthma symptoms and its triggering factors vary from person to person for any season or condition. Some patients go crazy with the asthma symptoms getting triggered with the rise in temperature.

The main enemies of people with asthma during the summer season are heat and humidity. The combined action of these two reduces the amount of air intake into the lungs of asthma patients. The increase in heat promotes the growth of molds that in turn act as allergens initiating the symptoms of asthma.

 

Also Read: Asthma and Smoking – a deadly combination

 

Another fact is that increase in external temperature automatically increases body temperature and that in turn increases the body metabolism which demands more oxygen. In asthma patients, meeting increased demands of oxygen is a nightmare. On the other hand, the humidity reduces the body temperature which even makes the body work hard to increase the temperature. Many of you might have noticed also – When we exercise during summers, it is harder to breathe than ordinary days. If an asthmatic is doing exercise in such climatic condition, the patient struggles to breathe even more.

 

It has been observed that people who remain in air-conditioned rooms for a long time cannot cope up with external temperatures, and can become easily susceptible to asthma when exposed to extremes of temperatures. However, if the asthma symptoms are worse and cannot be controlled it is recommended to stay in air-conditioned rooms to gain control over the condition. Make sure to maintain a humidity level of 30-50 percent. It is highly dangerous for the asthmatic patients to remain in environments where the humidity levels are above 80 percent. The increasing environment pollution that increases the temperature is also increasing the number of asthma cases.

 

Managing Asthma Disease

Managing the symptoms of asthma caused due to seasonal changes is similar to managing asthma that is triggered by any cause, like secondhand smoke. Whether the trigger is heat or pollen, the best way to avoid seasonal asthma changes is to first identify what your triggers are because they may vary from person to person. For e.g. if your asthma disease tends to worsen in hot and humid climate, it is better to remain in air conditioned spaces.

Also Read: Treat Asthma With Homeopathy

It is always advised to keep a check on the weather forecast, temperature changes, forecast for rain, humidity, air pressure changes so that you can take necessary precautions.

Another effective way to control seasonal asthma changes is by taking your prescribed asthma medications under the guidance of your healthcare professional. You can also take help of homeopathic medicines to get a cure for asthma disease. Asthma treatment in homeopathy uses a holistic approach that includes understanding the emotional and physical concerns of the patient, like anxiety and fear, loss of a loved one, etc. Conditions like change of weather, allergy to pollens and dust, etc., are also considered before suggesting an appropriate remedy. Natural medicines are given to help reduce spasms of the respiratory tract and build overall body immunity.

Apart from regular medications, it is recommended to practice regular exercise to fight with asthma symptoms. However, the level of exercises should be kept to moderate to prevent exercise-induced asthma. Regular practice of controlled physical activity trains your lungs to breathe appropriately. You can cope with asthma symptoms even in adverse conditions to some extent compared to those who do not practice regular exercise.