Is humidity bad for asthma simply because it's good for dust mites, or is it also bad for the asthmatic lungs
Question:
Answers:
I have Cystic Fibrosis that was compounded by asthma, although I had a bi-lateral lung transplant two years ago and no longer have the impact of either to my respiratory system.
Yes, humidity makes astha worse. Basically from a breathing aspect air that has a high water content (humidity) is thicker, which makes it harder to breath. Warm air, even without the humidity, can have the same affect. Generally cool air that is stirring (not blowing) is the easiest to breathe - think of being in a room with a ceiling fan on low to medium all the time. If the air is too cold then it can cause problems too so it's a balancing act to find the right "consistency". Another response that you already received mentions the grease in the air from fried foods making it more difficult to breathe and that response is completely correct. Anything that affects air quality makes it hard to breath, including anything that is scented - cleaners, soap/shampoo, cosmetics, perfume/cologne, air fresheners, laundry detergent/fabric softener, candles, hand creams/lotions, etc. Your family should try to avoid any scented products as much as possible, or introduce them very slowing to determine the impact on your son's asthma. Also remember that allergies, and thus asthma, tend to change as people age so things that currently affect his asthma may not in the future but, likewise, he may become affected by things that are currently not a problem. If there are foods that are causing his asthma to worsen he'll simply have to avoid them - even if he really likes them.
You want to be careful about your son's coughing attacks, especially when they escalate until he's throwing up. If that's a frequent occurance he will very likely end up with esophageal damage because of the acids coming up from his stomach. At the best he'll be diagnosed with acid reflux disease and, if the damage is severe enough, he may ultimately require surgery. The more he throws up too, the more the "flap" between the esophagus track and his stomach will weaken, which in turn makes throwing up that much easier/frequent. (This is very common in CF'ers as the disease progresses.) You might try having your son use two pillows when sleeping, to help reduce the pressure on his lungs which can help reduce both discomfort and the coughing tendency.
You didn't didn't indicate if your son is being treated by a family doctor or an allergist/pulmonologist. It sounds as if your current doctor may not be taking both the asthma and croup conditions into consideration and that neither is very well managed. I urge you to seek a second opinion and confirmation of your son's diagnosis. Also, your son is certainly old enough to take an active part in his healthcare and monitoring how he feels, as well as what affects his overall well-being. He doesn't necessarily need the full medical course but he should know how to take care of himself to avoid asthma and croup attacks or what to do when they occur. I was learning about CF as young as age 3 and had very few issues understanding what I needed to do to take care of myself.
Best wishes and good breathing.
Your six year old is too young to know if he is really fine. When you hear him coughing you need to give him his asthma medication. You are the parent and you are responsible for his health. Do not take any arguments from him on this... his life could depend on it. When it gets so bad he is throwing up, he is already into a serious asthma attack. You are lucky he survived the night. Don't ask him. Just give him the medication. When he is older he will understand the seriousness of his illness and can decide for himself. Now is not that time.
Yes humidity can bring on an asthma attack. So can oil droplets that cling to steam when you fry food. Be sure to use your stove hood vent when cooking so you don't add to his problem. Breathing cold air can also cause an asthma attack.
croup is a temporary condition unlike asthma which is a chronic condition.
asthma get worse with humidity, because its the HUMIDITY that make te bronchial walls hypersensitive causing them to get spasm (bronchospasm) causing shortness of breath (or asthma)
More Questions and Answers
- Is syphilis curable and/or contagious years later?
- can you get hiv from giving someone oral sex for only a couple seconds?
- Has there ever been a child diagnosed with parkinson's disease?
- What are the different types of viral diseases which affect childeren under 5 years old?
- What 2 do with my OCD?
- whether metformin hydrochloride and glimepride should be administered simultaneously ,what is the dosage ?
- Skin Cancer?
- What is the best solution to back pain caused by severe scoliosis?