Humidity

[Homely2]

My asthma went bad yesterday and is unhappy today. I think it is the humidity, how do people handle high humidity.

[fraid]

Stay cool, sit in bathroom if it's tiled run cold shower to breathe in spray or breathe through damp cloth, take antihistamines if they work for you, ice pax on neck/ head, relax don't panic, try 3 short puffs in then out then deep out breaths, eat minty, fan, sit it any breeze and if you can sit deep in a salt mine even better! Good luck and hope it improves and you can enjoy your day.🤗😎

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador in reply to fraid]

I think it's probably good the salt mine is unlikely to be an option - can't speak for Homely2 but that kind of environment can make some people's asthma worse.

[fraid in reply to Lysistrata]

Any better ideas? I believe humidity has less oxygen than we need to breathe if lungs compromised. I can only relate to what works for me. 🤔

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador in reply to fraid]

Nope, but I feel I should warn people when something can be a trigger, even if it isn't for everyone given asthma is variable.

I don't get on well with humidity either and I don't have answers - I wish I did! I just want people to be aware when something could make them worse, even if it's been fine for someone else.

[fraid in reply to Lysistrata]

Which is why I said what works for me. Salt mines are few and far between, just trying to add a little levity, laughter is also good for lungs. You have a good day. 🤗😎

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador in reply to fraid]

I also appreciate a bit of levity, though my lungs are buzzkills when it comes to laughter as it sets them off. Doesn't mean I don't laugh though, else I wouldn't know that!

Unfortunately on here, I have to also be that boring buzzkill person who points out triggers even when I can see it was meant in jest, since someone else might take it seriously. Accessible salt mines are indeed rare, but salt caves and salt lamps for asthma are a thing people advertise.

Hope you also have a great day.

[fraid in reply to Lysistrata]

Aw, such a shame your lungs won't let you laugh, the ultimate betrayal. So mean when your body lets you down. 😕 Doesn't mean you are a buzzkill as you don't stop anyone else having a laugh at themselves and their dire situation, we battle on! 🤗

[Ern007 in reply to Lysistrata]

Humidity is one of the worst triggers for me, I have COPD and Asthma - I used to go abroad a lot, I could stand teh dry heat of Spain, Portugal and Turkey.

I met my match in Corfu, that humidy really was bad - I could not breath, I retreated to shade, was cooler but still humid,

Come sundown - My breathing improved as it went cooler. I have Atrovent and Salmanol and I had never taken as much.

There was no infection, so resue pact AB not really for that. It was COPD or Asthma, being no chest infection, must have been Asthma.

I don;t go abroad anymore, not allowed, but I would not like to face that again.

[Xlizixx in reply to fraid]

Thank you for that advice I'm suffering with my asthma too and was wondering what to do.

[CANINE12]

Hi Homely2 I also have difficulties during humid weather. I try to stay indoors as much as possible. It's a difficult one to deal with.

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador]

Meant to say in my other comment that I wish I had an answer to this! Mine isn't happy either this weekend. I can only suggest looking after yourself and not annoying it any more.

[Ern007 in reply to Lysistrata]

I have Asthma, COPD and Heart Problem. I find high humidty makes me feel drained. I get breathless sooner but it's not a trigger for an Asthma flare up. I sit outside in the shade , or use a room that is shady, not a lot more one can do. I think scent, smoke, air freshioners the worst trigger.

[EJS87]

I have an air cooler to keep me cool. I'm struggling in this weather. I was rushed to hospital on Thursday and narrowly avoided ICU. Looking forward to when it gets cooler and less humid.

[Homely2 Administrator in reply to EJS87]

Best wishes with it EJS87.

[EJS87]

Thank you

[peege]

I wear little and have a wipe with a cool wet cloth then air dry, usually face neck & chest is sufficient to cool the skin at least to feel a littlemore comfortable. . It's times like this a wish I invested in a fan

[Ts777]

We got an air conditioner a few weeks ago. The results are amazing. Cool in the house with all the windows closed. That's also a benefit for me, am struggling with pollen this year, even when doubling up on fexofenadine.

Of course, not available on the NHS 😢. I think they should be. My guess is that they'd save them a fortune!!

The way I used to keep cool was to wrap a coolbox ice block in a tea towel. I have a load of cheap ones in the freezer. This is also good for night time 😀

[Msccruises in reply to Ts777]

Air conditioning is a trigger for me, indoors and as soon as I go in a supermarket. I have started wearing a mask in the supermarket which does help.

[runcyclexcski in reply to Msccruises]

It could be the way the supermarket has set up their AC, maybe their ducts collect the condensate and that causes mould. The only potential issues I can see with a self-contained home-owned AC is the dry air (our air goes down to RH 35%) and whatever plastic is in it, but I think the benefits beat the cons. As long as one cleans the filter and runs the condensate hose outside, should be OK.

[Msccruises in reply to runcyclexcski]

Thanks

[runcyclexcski in reply to Ts777]

>>>The way I used to keep cool was to wrap a coolbox ice block in a tea towel. I have a load of cheap ones in the freezer. This is also good for night time 😀

Does that increase the humidity? In my biochemistry office, I used to use dry ice :). But I do not recommend it, unless you have low oxygen alarms (which we did in the lab!).

[Ts777 in reply to runcyclexcski]

The blocks I use are the cheap ones, water held within plastic. I guess condensation might increase humidity?

It works for me, we're all different though

[EJS87 in reply to Ts777]

Which dose of Fexofenadine? I'm on 180mg which is prescription only. I know you can get 120mg in the shops so that might be why they won't prescribe it as it's cheaper for them that way.

[Helloeveryone_]

Hi Homely

I have a dehumidifier in my bedroom and also a fan, I try to take it easy and stay in shade during day. I drink lots of water and also have a very small battery hand fan. I’m a big fan of putting my feet in a large washing up bowl of cold water to cool down too.

[Keem59]

Hi Homely2. I'm in Spain at the mo, so humidity is quite high. We run the air con...but you can buy a dehumidifier, that will take the moisture out of the air. If you go for one...read the reviews before deciding.

[Mandevilla]

Outside, nothing much helps except allowing a LOT of extra time if I need to walk anywhere (a snail could have overtaken me yesterday without much effort!) and trying to stick to places where there is good air flow.

Inside, I love my dehumidifiers. We've gradually built up a collection of four, so I'm not limited to just one room, and they make all the difference. I can go from feeling really ill to feeling fine in just a few minutes. It's worth seeing if you can borrow one to try it out before buying but if you can't, check out the second-hand market, Ebay, Gumtree etc. We paid between £25 and £35 for each of ours, as often people buy them to dry out a house after a burst pipe or flooding, and then just want rid of them once the problem is fixed. We have two little Meaco ones, and two slightly bigger ones which are electriq. I prefer the electriq as it's slightly quieter, although all are quiet enough to go to sleep to. They all also double up as air purifiers (although you have to buy separate filters for the Meaco).

[runcyclexcski]

An AC is the only way, as far as I can tell. Dehumidifiers warm the air and cost not much less than a single-hose AC to buy and to run. Still, a single-hose monoblock AC is a marginal improvement (unless you sit right next to it), since it creates negative pressure and sucks in the outside air through cracks/openings in the windows and can even draw in smell of sewage.

A dual-hose monoblock AC is about GBP400-500.

A mobile split is GBP1000-1500. We already have a mobile split, but just ordered a dual-hose unit as a backup.

Right now is the worst time to look for an AC Like looking for a shovel after a major snow storm.

[janedivney in reply to runcyclexcski]

Do you worry about infection, either bacterial or mould? I am very susceptible to both (severe bronchiectasis) and also have an immune deficiency so I’m frightened to get a unit because of the potential for the reservoir and piping to harbour pathogens

[runcyclexcski in reply to janedivney]

I run HEPA and carbon filters at home 24-7, including through the forced ventilation, and I try to maintain humidity below 50% at all times (easy in the winter). The humidity condensation is removed through a tube directly outside (I never drip into a bucket). As long as you are OK with a dehumidifier or a large freezer (which work by the same principle, except they do not remove hot air outside), I do not see why an AC should cause additional issues. I think the hot humid summer air is a more direct threat to the health (dust mites and mould), if not dealt with. If I did not deal with the humidity during the heat waves, it would have been 70% for 3-4 months at a time >>> perfect for mites and mold.

[Patk1]

I kept the house cool,curtains shut and rested until temps cooled outside,5-6 pm. I used inhalers! Nebuliser more+ controlled pursed lips breathing whn needed. Xx

[Penelope321]

Sounds odd but ricola cough drops help me with a lot of triggers, could be the numbing effect of some ingredient and also hyssop in it. Somewhat off topic but could be helpful to some people who have an overlap of asthma and rhinitis, msm (organic sulfur) is a game changer and general doctors don’t seem to know about this. I dissolve a little less than a quarter teaspoon of msm crystals in a cup of non chlorinated hot water every morning, it is a great anti-histamine, better than typical allergy meds for relieving nasal congestion, which helps breathing. Less is more, if you try to do half a tsp or more it will overwhelm you. Just saying what works for me, I am not a doctor.

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador in reply to Penelope321]

For anyone else reading. please be really, really careful about trying any of this. Penelope321 is ok with it and has said it's what works for her, but it may be a trigger for someone else reading and trying it.

Even over the counter medications can have ingredients that can be triggers, including the natural ones. They may also interact with other medications, for asthma or other conditions, so best to check that with someone qualified.

(And if you do ask them about triggers, be aware not all healthcare professionals know about some of the less common asthma triggers, so them saying it won't trigger your asthma does not mean it can't. I appreciate they can't know everything - I only mind when they get insistent it's not possible.)

[janedivney]

Humidity is my worst trigger, except for very cold air which causes my lungs to completely close up. I have other triggers: woodsmoke, pollen, dust blah blah, but these are the worst