Can heat and humidity trigger asthma?

0 votes
asked Jul 11, 2023 in Diseases Conditions by Matrixowl (720 points)
Can heat and humidity trigger asthma?

1 Answer

0 votes
answered Jul 11, 2023 by Gracy (132,900 points)
Heat and humidity can trigger asthma and worsen asthma symptoms as the humidity can make it harder to breathe due to the air being dense and the humidity also allows common allergens like mold and dust mites to grow and thrive which can also trigger asthma.

Also the air pollution and pollen and ozone go up during hot and humid weather which is also another factor in triggering of asthma.

A warm room can make a cough worse and especially if the room is warm and humid.

If the warm room air is dry then you should use a cool mist humidifier to help moisten the air and ease coughing and if your room is warm and humid you should use an air conditioner or at least a dehumidifier to help keep the humidity levels low enough.

Keep your air conditioner and humidifiers clean to prevent growth of mold and bacteria which can also cause coughing.

Temperature does affect coughing and in the winter months when it's colder the air becomes drier which makes it harder to breathe for some people and irritates the throat, causes shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, make bronchitis worse, COPD worse and asthma.

Even when the temperature gets warmer and even humid it can cause coughing and make it harder to breathe.

Coughing so much in hot weather can be due to high humidity or because of the heat itself making your body work harder to breathe or because of heat triggering the release of pollen on some trees or plants.

And the humidity during the hot weather can also cause fungus or mold growth on plants and surfaces which can lead to irritation of the lungs and nasal cavities and lead to coughing.

High humidity can cause coughing as high humidity can make it harder to breathe because the humid air is dense because of the high water content and when the dense air increases the airways resistance in your body which results in more effort to breathe.

Your lungs are sensitive to humidity as the humid air feels more thick and dense which makes your body and lungs work harder to breathe.

When the weather is more humid then you might need more oxygen and you may also fee tired and short of breath.

The humid air also allow mold growth and dust mites to grow better which likes warm and moist environments which can cause coughing and difficulty breathing.

The reason you can't breathe when it's hot and humid is because the humid and hot air is dense because of the high water content which increases resistance in your airways.

High humidity makes it hard to breathe because the humid air is dense because of the high water content.

When the air is dense and humid it increases the airways resistance in your body which results in more effort to breathe.

High humidity can also worsen COPD or other lung issues as well such as fatigue and shortness of breath.

The hot and humid weather also requires your body to work much harder to stay cool.

If you're having trouble breathing in hot and humid weather or humid weather then using a humidifier or air conditioner can help you breathe by removing the humidity.

Air conditioners not only cool you and the room you're in but they also remove humidity which helps you breathe better and also prevents mold growth in the home.

Humid air feels thick and dense. It makes your body work harder to breathe.

You may need more oxygen, and you may feel tired and short of breath.

As the relative humidity of air increases, the volume concentration of oxygen in air (nominally 20.9% in dry air) is reduced by the increasing water vapor pressure.

Humidity in the home can be a good thing as long as it is not in excess.

Excess humidity can cause health effects and other issues, but so can having air that is too dry.

To protect your lungs and health on hot and humid days.

Stay indoors in an air-conditioned place with good indoor air quality.
Keep your windows and doors closed to keep your house cool and keep pollutants out.
Keep your rescue medicine (usually a blue puffer) with you, take your medication regularly.

“The best climate to live in with COPD would be an area that avoids temperature extremes.

Try to find an area that is cool, dry, with low humidity, and that has good medical resources and care for COPD.”

Summer can be the most humid months, with 80 to 90 percent humidity outside.

Indoors, humidity levels of about 30 percent to 50 percent are considered comfortable.

Indoor humidity levels higher than 50 percent can cause mildew, condensation, mold, pest damage and allergies.

High levels of humidity means the air is full of moisture and often very stagnant, which when inhaled by asthma sufferers, can trigger your asthma symptoms.

It also creates an optimal environment for mold and bacteria growth, which can affect your asthma.

In addition, high humidity coupled with high temperatures can increase airway resistance when you breathe (making it feel more difficult to take a good breath) and trigger coughing and airway constriction in people with even mild asthma.

Spending time in an environment with too much humidity can actually make you sick, especially from respiratory infections.

The bacteria and viruses that cause illness thrive and grow in air that's above 60 percent relative humidity.

It's ideal to keep the humidity in your home between 30% and 50%.

Humidity that's too low or too high can cause problems.

Many people mistakenly believe that the best alternative to really high humidity is really low humidity.

In fact, most people are most comfortable if the humidity levels are between 30%-50%.

So while less is more, too dry isn't that much better.

102,796 questions

98,941 answers

1,302 comments

7,014,774 users

...