Humidity percentage in the home

[jillianwadley]

Hi everyone, I have been an asthmatic for nearly 30 years and up until 2015/16 my asthma was fairly controlled. Our adapted bungalow when recording humidity percentage is constantly reading 70% or more. I started with a cold on Tuesday night but by Wednesday evening it had gone onto my chest and now on strong antibiotics and steroids. Our landlord has been measuring the readings for over 2 years as the house is damp and yet there is no mould around the property. Can anyone tell me what is the % of humidity for an asthmatic as the only information I can find is from America, we have had our windows open for the last hour and the humidity has dropped to 55%. We have a positive air pressure machine in the loft and that is at full speed. Help!!!!!!

[bbrownlee]

Following as I’m interested in this topic too. I don’t have a diagnosis of asthma, but suffering symptoms at present and wondering about link to damp in home. To answer the question, I don’t think overall humidity would be the issue, but moulds casued by damp - I think these can form in wall cavities so you might not always see the evidence. However, reasonable humidity should actually relieve symptoms I would think, judging by people recommending humidifiers for symptoms?

[ChrissieMons]

You should not be living in a damp house - nobody should, really, but your lungs are more vulnerable. Measuring the humidity is pointless if nothing is done to eradicate the problem and machines only help a bit. It is true that too dry an atmosphere can be as bad as too damp; you need a balance. Find out what your landlord's obligations are - your local council can probably help you there - and see what you can do to find the source of the problem and get it fixed.

[kate_uk]

High humidity is a trigger for me. I lived in a damp flat for several years, when we finally managed to move my asthma was so much better. To the extent that

[anjyil]

Low Humidity tends to be a trigger for me--I seem to fair better in 60-70% humidity (I often joke that I am part fish). If my husband and I are right about me actually being asthmatic back in the states, then winter wouldn't be so bad for me if there was some actual moisture in the air hehe. Anyway, it depends on the asthmatic, and you have to try different things to see what works for you. I would recommend looking at some weather history and comparing it to your peak flow diary or symptoms and see if there is a connection.