Asthma and Bronchiectasis seems worse in hot humid weather?

Hi, Deborah,

It's true, humidity seems to make u more unable to breathe - I don't know if that would be 'getting worse' or rather just one of our triggers.  Anything we read about asthma tells us that hot humid weather is a trigger as is cold weather or fans blowing on us.  So the trick is stay inside when it's humid.  I went out today on my patio and humidity is terrible because we've had rain recently and the summer is bad anyway where I am so I try to stay in.   The thing you can do is nebulize before u have to go which I am about to do.  I walk up the hill every night and I'm puffing half way up and this will be bad in the humidity so I may not walk as far.  In good weather I get all the way up then I'm puffing and wait at the top before coming down.   So I sympathize and empathize and everything.

If you work outside, which it sounds like you might I could see changing jobs!!!!! But if you are in A/C all day then try to avoid going out to lunch maybe if that makes you worse.  ALSO  do u take Singulair?  I was just put on that 2 mos ago and everything has improved with me.  Years ago I stopped taking that because I didn't feel a difference but this time round ( a new dr. put me on it and I said I'd try it again) it seems to have made all the difference but I don't know really what it does.  I feel dry (mouth and throat) and hope it's not that but have had that problem for a couple or so years anyway (still don't know why)) but I'm having an easier time whether it's with the BX or asthma but I have less mucous.  I am going to ask that dr. next appt. this mo. if Singulair dries us up from inside because as I understand it I'm not sure that's what we want. Or maybe it's to stop us wheezing or something.  I'm not clear.  But I'm doing better somehow.  Maybe worth a try for you - even just a month you'd see a difference if it's going to help you.  (By the way a tip with the A/C I have in the past set mine at 74 in summer but even tho the air vents are a distance from my bed I always felt the breeze from it and I now turn it to 75 and even 76 and I don't feel the urge to cough much anymore when I first lie down in bed.  No breeze or fan is good for asthma.

and my husband doesn't mind in the least as he's always cold.  He thought I would never get over being hot but just this year I've discovered this change.

So let us know what you do and if it works .

Tabatha

P.S. to IDA - will u agree wth all this - you have asthma don't you?  do u find the same ???

WATER ,WATER WATER XX

Maybe it's the asthma aspect that suffers from warm humid weather.

I have bronchX but no asthma or COPD. I live in Thailand and spend about 80 days a year in the UK on visits. You don't get much more hot and humid in the world than here in Thailand. I don't notice any difference between the two countries so far as impact on my bronchX is concerned.

Furthermore I recall my first pulmomology specialist in Leeds UK commenting that I was living in the right place for lung complaints and lung infections when in Thailand; he was Indian by origin and said that many of his subcontinent patients suffered badly with their lung complaints when they moved to, or visited, the UK  

For ME it is the pollan in the Spring and early summer,also humidity changes from season to season

Hi Deborah,

I live in London and I notice differences in the air quality affects my breathing more than the temperature or humidity levels. I use the bbc weather app on my phone. This gives info on UV and pollution levels and the pollen count. I think the high pollution levels affect my breathing most of all and I hope to move to a rural area in the next few years.

Perhaps Steve lives in rural Thailand? I've been to the Phillipines and the cities there are very polluted. In the rural areas the weather tends to be hot and dry, which seems to suit me best.

Does anyone have any information on whether different areas in the UK are better, or worse for BX suffers? For instance, I know the east coast has less rainfall than the west coast, so I presume the east coast has a dryer climate?

John

I tend to think John is right about hot and dry climate being best.  That's why in the USA the doctors used to say at least that we should move out west to New Mexico or Arizona where it is that climate.

I drove out west a couple of times and stayed a week in Nevada which is further west and did so well I didn't even think about any health probem.  It's very dry and I was there in October, still very hot, and nary a problem at all.

But coming back east again it wasn't very long before I started with the huffing and wheezing a bit and having to do my inhalers consistently which I think I'd been a bit slack with out west.  

When I was 9 my family moved from Wolverhampton, UK to Toronto, Canada partly because of health problems and also for job opportunity for my father. I was told I was sick a lot.  I still remember all these years later the smell of the brewery emitting their fumes mixed with the smell of the buses that stopped right there at the brewery - would they be diesel or gasoline or what?I don't know but it was most horrible that combination.  

So we settle in Toronto with it's bus fumes and traffic and hot and humid in the summer and 4 yrs later I got I think my first case of pneumonia and lung abscess that started me off to the ruin of my lungs we're pretty sure.  So I don't know where it would be a good place to live to avoid everything.  If we can find hot and dry it's probably best for asthma I think but then there are other disadvantages like terribly dry skin that has to be contended with and no trees and grass and rain. At least where it's humid we don't have that big a problem with dry skin.  If it was just me and I was able to just up and move I probably would head further west for my health. 

I have one friend in London and her description of it would not want me to even dream about living there. She travels a lot and knows England well and she is always saying she wishes she knew a place in the world where she could move where it would be hot and sunny all the time so I think England must not offer any of that? 

That's just my take on lthings.

Tabatha

I am always far worse in hot humid weather. Sometimes it feels as if my lungs are being squashed by the weight of air. I keep inside as much as possible and do less if I can. I get up earlier so that I get what needs to be done organised while it is still cool. When I was at work it was far harder but if you can do more in the morning and less in the afternoon that is the best I managed! I drink loads of cool (not chilled) water and do anything sensible to keep cool. I have some asthma and allergies as well as bronchiectasis and I do feel better since taking Montelukast (Singulair). Good luck and listen to your body! Don't push yourself when it's just not possible.

Yes Definately, I have asthma as well as Bronc and hot and humid is not a good mix. I too take Singulair daily and believes it helps. You just need to stay out the lousey weather if possible and into AC. I use Advair twice daily as well as Flonase and do an Albuterol neb in morning before chest clearance machine. Keep windows closed and minimize outdoor time when weather crappy. Pollen doesnt help as I live in Mass. in states. I have a humistat in house to track humidy levels and watch Zytec app to be aware, I find its worth keeping tabs on weather conditions daily so as to minimize infections and flarups.. where do you live, thanks