1 in 13 people in the USA has asthma. This disease affects millions of people worldwide too, and its development is triggered by many factors, such as family health history and environment. Being a chronic condition, it requires constant medical attention, and it might also be related to unhealthy behaviors.
Among the causes that generate asthma is the quality of the air you’re breathing, whether it’s inside your house or outdoors. You can measure this through an Air Quality Index, which is categorized by colors, going from green being the best air quality with little pollution, to maroon which means it is a sign of a hazardous location.
Asthma and air quality are related, and the state of the condition can be heavily influenced by the air concentration, as you’ll read in the following paragraphs.
What is asthma?
Asthma is a condition that affects your airways and lungs, making it difficult to breathe. Though it can’t be cured, you can control it by constantly checking with your doctor and taking care of the air quality inside your house. Asthma can be triggered in certain situations, like weather conditions, workplace irritants, or induced by allergies. Symptoms vary, but the most common are:
- Coughing attacks (that can get worse when you catch a cold)
- Wheezing exhale (more common in children, can affect sleeping patterns)
- Chest pain or tightness
Depending on the severity, asthma can be classified into different categories. For example, if you’re having mild symptoms up to two days a week, it might be mild intermittent, but if your symptoms are almost daily, the classification is severely persistent. If you’re checking in with your doctor early, you can prevent this condition from getting serious. Even if you are living with it for the rest of your life, it can be manageable.
Causes
It’s difficult to pinpoint the direct cause of asthma developing in adults and kids, but some general causes apply to most people, for example:
- It’s more likely to have asthma if one of your relatives had it too
- If you have allergic conditions, you are more susceptible of developing asthma
- Exposure to tobacco and air pollution is known to cause this condition from an early age
- Overweight people are more prone to developing asthma
The air quality in your house
People spend a lot of time inside without realizing the air can be more polluted than outside. There are many causes for this, from oil and coal products to cooling and heating systems. Here are a few tips on how you can improve the air quality inside your house:
- Identify the problem. Start by analyzing your house and see if you find moisture condensation on windows or walls, if the air is stuffy and if any areas in your home become moldy. If you do, they might be signs of ventilation issues. To solve this problem, you can rely on Air Duct Cleaning to vacuum all the dirt and apply antimicrobial fog to kill all contaminants in the air ducts.
- Measure pollutant levels. You can find affordable devices to measure the radon level in your house. This natural gas is dangerous as it can cause many other health problems, and it has no odor or smell.
- Weatherize your home. This concept refers to reducing the amount of energy used for heating and cooling your house. Proper insulation, air sealing and ventilation improvement can help you.
Weather triggers
The weather can trigger asthma. Airways can get irritated by any of these atmospheric conditions:
- Cold and dry air (your airways are narrowing and lungs become tighter, therefore making it difficult to breathe)
- Heat and humidity (aggravate allergic asthma through allergens like dust and mold; also, there are more pollutants and pollens in the summer)
- Sudden changes in weather (unpredictable temperature rise and decrease might lead to coughing and breathing problems)
- Thunderstorms (because they’re breaking up pollen grain while the wind carries the allergens)
Besides climate factors, asthma can also be triggered by strong emotions, like anxiety or stress, certain medications, and food preservatives. Laughing can be a cause of asthma attacks because your breathing rate will increase, and your muscles will tighten.
Pollution
Air pollution consists of gasses, fire smoke, ashes, and dust particles. Ozone, for example, is a pollutant gas that’s common in cities with high traffic. It irritates the lungs and airways and is related to asthma attacks. Airborne particles can also cause asthma problems resulting from pollutants emitted by automobiles, industries, and power plants.
High levels of air pollution can also cause asthma. Therefore, if you think you might be a risk caused by the air quality, look for websites that track the weather who can send you alerts about the air quality and pollen counts.
Tips for a better asthma control
If you can’t control the weather, you can prevent asthma attacks and other health problems by sticking to a good routine and always having both your preventer and reliever inhalers with you. Other tips you can try:
- Breathe in through your nose instead of your mouth when it’s cold outside
- Keep your inhalers out of direct sunlight, in a cool place
- Avoid exposure to tobacco smoke (and quit smoking if you haven’t)
- Keep an eye on the weather and pollen forecast before heading outside
- Have a written asthma action plan in case you panic, to ensure that you take the right action
- Take care of your general health and immune system because common viral infections can worsen your symptoms
- Record your lungs’ performance by doing peak flow and spirometry tests
Final thoughts
Asthma is a long-term disease that affects the lungs and causes respiratory complications if not addressed at the right time. Being linked to breathing problems, the air that goes inside your lungs can affect the condition due to pollution and weather changes. You can control asthma if you take care of your health and the environment you live in by cleaning your air ducts and keeping a clean house.