Climate Change and Asthma, An Unlikely Duo

Asthmatics will know just how many potential triggers there are for their condition. It’s a tricky condition to consistently manage due to this multitude of factors and the best way to do this is simply to be prepared for all the eventualities that you can be. This might mean carrying an inhaler throughout most of your day to day or life or it might mean avoiding certain areas at certain times of the year. Another big factor in asthma and its level of danger is the weather and temperature itself.

When the temperature fluctuates drastically this can set off an asthma attack. For a lot of people this can occur when they go from a warm indoor environment to a much colder outdoor environment, this can lead to them experiencing wheezing and difficulty breathing. This can be disconcerting to an asthmatic as it may not immediately be apparent what’s set off a condition they thought they understood so well! In these cases they might not react quickly enough and a slightly reaction could turn severe putting their health in jeopardy.

Unfortunately for asthmatics, there are some parts of the world where the temperature fluctuates so much and so drastically through a short period of time that it might trigger a reaction. In these cases there may be very little that a sufferer can do as they may be stuck outdoors or simply in the environment in general with no way of countering the temperature change.

As I say, the best way of dealing with this possibility it to be as prepared as you can be all the time. Have an inhaler, be aware of weather forecast, know what to do in an emergency and know where the nearest hospital is.  Better to be safe than sorry, after all.