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Summer Heat, Air Quality, and Your Asthma
About one in every 12 people in the United States lives with asthma — a chronic and inflammatory lung disease that interferes with breathing. If you’re among them, you know how challenging the symptoms can be — especially during the summer.
Thankfully, there’s a lot you can do to manage and minimize asthma-related issues. Awareness of how summer heat and air quality affect asthma can play an important role.
At her office in Valencia, California, Dr. Maricar Cutillar-Garcia provides expert allergy care for every season.
Read on to learn about the links between summer heat, air quality, and asthma, plus how to find lasting relief.
Why asthma gets worse in the summer
If your asthma worsens during summertime, it could be for several reasons, such as:
- Constricted or narrowed airways due to heat and humidity
- Poor air quality (AQ) because of extreme heat or nearby wildfires
- Increased particulate matter (pollution) from cars and such trapped by warm air
- Fireworks and bonfires, which release particulates
- Summer thunderstorms that add more plant spores and pollen to the air
- Physical activities, like bike riding and hiking
- Chlorine in swimming pools, which may irritate your lungs
- Vacationing in new environments with novel asthma triggers
- Dirty air conditioner (AC) filters which may distribute mold into the air
- High humidity, which thickens the air
Seasonal allergies can also worsen asthma symptoms. Common allergens in the summer include tree pollen (through June), grass pollen (through early July), and weed pollen like ragweed, which pollinates during early August.
What to do about summertime asthma symptoms
If you’re struggling to get your asthma under control, Dr. Cutillar-Garcia can perform a comprehensive exam. Your treatment specifics will depend on your asthma symptoms, their severity, and your overall health. Regardless, asthma treatment minimizes the impact of allergens on your immune system to reduce the risk of attacks.
Your treatment plan may involve an inhaled medication for sudden symptoms, an oral medication to prevent throat inflammation, or both. She may also perform an allergy test to make sure all of your allergens are addressed.
You’ll also learn about helpful lifestyle changes, such as ways to safely exercise. While physical activity triggers asthma attacks in about 90% of people with the condition, appropriate exercise habits, such as using your inhaler beforehand, may reduce asthma symptoms by improving your lung strength.
Other helpful practices include:
- Using an air purifier at home.
- Checking humidity and AQ levels on an app before deciding whether to spend time outdoors.
- Changing your AC filter every three months
To learn more about asthma in the summer or get the support or treatment you need, call our office or book an appointment through our website today.