For those of us who dislike breathing in cold or chilly air, summertime is a wonderland of sharp smells and encompassing warmth. For the most part, summer is a great time for your lung health, but these warm months are also crawling with little pesky asthma triggers that can irritate your breathing, as well as any allergies you may have.
Being aware of your asthma triggers is an important part of assuring yourself a great summer. These could be general asthma triggers, personal asthma triggers, or the asthma triggers that live in your surroundings and bother your symptoms in a small-scale but daily way.
Here are 4 of the main summertime asthma triggers that could affect you or your family.
Seasonal Asthma: Summertime Triggers
1. Heat & Humidity
If you live in Florida, you know these two very well. In fact, they’re an accepted part of life, but heat and humidity can also make it difficult to breathe and are a big part of what causes asthma attacks. Depending on your symptoms, try limiting your time outside when it is really hot and muggy.
2. Pollution
Polluted air is a big issue during the summer when the air already feels hot and sticky. Air pollution may be even worse in dry, hot cities.
3. Smoke From Cookouts
Cookouts are a classic summer event, but getting caught up in a waft of smoke from the nearest grill can be a pretty effective asthma trigger. Simply be aware of this next time you attend or host a cookout, and steer clear from the smoke (or make sure to set the grill far from trafficked areas).
4. Chemicals / Swimming Pool Chlorine
Chemicals can also be a strong asthma trigger, and though typically we associate these with household cleaners like Clorox, we should also look at our pools! Pools sometimes have a pretty high chlorine content which makes them an asthma trigger. Be sure to measure your pools for safe levels of chlorine and be aware of how long you are staying in the water.
5. High Pollen
Pollen isn’t just reserved for Springtime. Summertime can also bring a whole lot of pollen into your outdoor environment. You may be able to reduce the amount of pollen in your immediate outdoor surroundings by taking a look at what kind of grass and plants you have and switching them out for hypoallergenic kinds.
6. Mold Content
Summer brings a lot of lovely things, but also some not-so-lovely things. For example, tons and tons of rain! If you live in Florida, or in another state where the summers are nice and hot and wet, then you know what happens when something is exposed to too much rain: mold.
Mold can grow anywhere, from your plants to your own concrete patio and so many other places. This mold is very bad for people with asthma and should be safely removed asap.
More Information
Summer can still be a very pleasant time even if you have asthma. Simply be sure to know and stay away from your asthma triggers! If your asthma symptoms are not improving, then it may be time to see a pulmonary specialist. At Pulmonary Associates Of Brandon, our pulmonary specialists are highly trained in treating asthma patients. Book an appointment today to meet with one in person.