Where to live in the UK?

[MMBJI]

Where to live in the UK?

I have severe allergic asthma, have lived in between Nottingham and Derby for 20 years. It’s only in the last year that my asthma became severe. I can’t breathe easily at all. I have been under hospital care since March, Xolair has been mentioned but it’s looking like a very long road to get that.

I can mostly manage the basic daily living essentials but quality of life is pretty rubbish - no laughing, singing, dancing, no playing with my children, can’t read a story to them, no exercise, I have to minimise speaking, have given up work. etc etc.

So, our latest thought in the hope of improving things is to move location. I know I am better at the coast. I grew up in a fairly rural area, have had asthma all my life.

We are thinking somewhere with less traffic and pollution of that sort. But, I know that various pollens are a problem too. If I swap city life for rural, am I reducing one set of triggers only to increase a different set?

Thoughts anyone?

[Troilus]

Difficult one MMMBJI.

I live on the coast. I have been fine for years even though there is a lot of farm land round us. In 2018 the local council stopped cutting a vast piece of land near my house and since then I have had problems, variable mind you. My condition worsens to the point of needing prednisone in August, October and February.

Likewise, my dad who lives nearby is fine unless the farmer plants rapeseed oil in the fields near his house, which thankfully he doesn’t do every year.

All I can suggest is that if you do decide to move, make sure you have a good look at the outlying areas to check what triggers you maybe exposed to.

The other thing that comes to mind is your Xolair treatment. Will you be moving to somewhere in the same nhs trust? If not, this will prolong your wait. Would it be best to start exploring areas but delay the move until you have started treatment? Just a thought.

[twinkly29]

Unfortunately as you've realised it's not an easy decision - you may be swapping one set of problems for another or it might be great, different pollens and air qualities as you've mentioned might be an issue, and it could be a big trial and error thing as you might not know until you're there (through different seasons) what it's like. Having said that at least you've got a start with knowing coastal is better for you!

Personally I'm better in open areas where the air moves - "enclosed" areas like towns and cities (particularly in the south in summer) are awful for me - stuffy and no moving air (is how it feels). So coastal or open countryside is much better. Of course then pollen issues but I do get those everywhere. One thing to bear in mind with coastal is the wind. I struggle when it's very cold and windy but otherwise appreciate the moving air - but others would find that a problem.

Sorry that's probably no help as I've only really said what you know!

[lakelover]

It seems to me that you would be best in a small seaside town. That way it wouldn't be too rural but equally not too busy like say, Blackpool or Brighton would be. Perhaps you could have a short holiday in one of these places to see if things improve even slightly? At least winters would be better as a lot of these places are dead then!

[Hidden]

One word of warning with seaside towns: they are much more prone to damp conditions. That said some asthmatics don’t seem to be affected by that. The best I’ve been was about 7 miles inland from the coast (the south east coast at that). If you are triggered by moist conditions I would recommend you avoid the western side of the U.K. Great in summer, but cold and damp in winter.

[MMBJI]

Thankyou very much everyone who has replied - lots of food for thought. It’s so hard to know what to !

[Pipsqueak77 in reply to MMBJI]

Hi

I live right by the sea in a small town in the south west... lived here all of my life. My asthma has only really improved by taking Benralizumab... a biological in the past year.

Sorry to cast doubt on the sea air theory - i absolutely love it here and wish the sea air was a magic pill but it has been of no benefit to my asthma at all.

I know everyone is different but just make sure you are doing the right thing before you move your whole life for your asthma.

I hope you find a solution to suit you..

Take care

😊👍x

[spanishsunshine]

I lived in the same area as you for twenty years. It took quite a while for me to realise that the worsening of my asthma was linked to the locality, being low lying and close to power stations.

I moved to Derbyshire in 2004 and live in a village which is at quite a high altitude.

Even though it’s only 20 miles away, my breathing is greatly improved.

I still have the same allergic triggers and viral infections tend to turn to chest infections, (although only about once a year) I feel generally much healthier and my asthma is much more under control.

Good luck with any future move.

[nancyminder in reply to spanishsunshine]

This is really interesting to read. I have lived in a low-lying rural village in the Vale of York for over 40 years and my asthma is really bad in the summer particularly when harvesting takes place. From July through to October life is a misery andI think fungal spores are to blame. We are thinking about a move to Harrogate which is considerably higher up or Scarborough as my breathing is better by the sea x

[MMBJI in reply to nancyminder]

Yes, I am thinking higher might be better- we have so much to balance- aging parents, a disabled daughter - services are harder to find for her the more rural we get. Plus needing asthma care for me. Plus work opportunities.

We love Whitby/Scarborough/ Yorkshire coast.

Plus, it’s all a gamble- I might go through the upheaval to have no change or even be worse.

It’s going to be tricky to keep taking holidays to lung test areas!

[MMBJI in reply to spanishsunshine]

Thank you, yes, we will look into moving up a bit too. It’s soooo tricky!

[Ladypig8]

Have a look at pollen levels - East Riding and parts of East Anglia look very low compared to rest of UK for grass pollen. I have often wondered if you need to be literally living on the beach to have an effect for getting away from pollen and would depend if wind was blowing the right way? Also you could look at having heat pumps with a filtration system for heating/air purifying etc? I live in a remote coastal area but I’m a few miles inland and pollen count can by high so hasn’t made much difference. If I could afford it I would like to try the heat pump/air purification route. What are your triggers? I’m very sorry your asthma has become so bad x

[MMBJI]

Hi, thank you for replying.

My triggers, that I know of, are; grass pollen, cat, dog, feathers, smoke, perfumes, sprays, dust, cleaning products, traffic fumes Etc etc. It feels like almost any airborne particles!

Plus I am wondering if there is a trigger that we are missing, which is keeping me so uncontrolled.

We are taking into account the prevailing wind, and, yes, maybe I do need a hut actually on the beach!

(We have just been checking out a house which looked perfect - new build so no previous pet owners, 10 mins from the beach, relatively rural- less traffic etc. BUT on google maps we found that the other side of the trees that it backs onto is a farmers field, planted with oil seed rape. That would not work well! )

It’s so hard - feel as though fresh air and countryside will be better than urban/city dwelling, but the grass!

[nancyminder in reply to MMBJI]

I always thought mine was a grass pollen allergy but this year I have monitored pollen levels via the University of Worcester website and my symptoms are worse with increasing fungal spore levels, particularly Alternaria which is released in high quantities at harvest time when grass pollen levels are going down. Apparently Alternaria is released when rape is harvested too x