Best place to live in the UK for COPD sufferers

[queenalvara]

Best place to live in the UK for COPD sufferers. I a thinking of moving to the Highlands of Scotland where I believe the quality of air is better and less polluted. Would appreciate comments

[newlands]

Well I lived in Aberdeen ( I know it’s not the highlands) I suffered terrible with my asthma when in my 20s my doctor said the air was too pure for me .i suppose it depends on the person

[stone-UK]

Hi

The map shows the least polluted areas.

Highland of Scotland

Parts of Wales

Cornwall.

Unfortunately either colder, or more rugged and hilly.

A save bet seems to be around the national parks,

Peak District, Derbyshire Dales, Yorkshire Dales The Lakes.

Biggest problem could be isolation.

telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/...

I now live in what was built as Warrington New Town.

So much greenery air pollution is normal Low 2

[Whitechinchilla in reply to stone-UK]

I liked your comments stone-UK especially the one about isolation.

[hypercat54]

Getting up and down all those hills can't be easy even if the air quality is better! Don't forget it also gets colder in Scotland than England too. I live in Devon by the seaside and credit this with one major reason why my copd is still mild after all these years. The air quality is good where I live too. I think it's probably best to avoid living in a city or big town but on the outskirts would surely be ok? x

[Debjean in reply to hypercat54]

Hi - Can I ask where in Devon you live? I am thinking of moving that way. Looking at North Devon/Somerset and need to consider good schools. But worried about the M5 pollution.

[hypercat54 in reply to Debjean]

I live in South Devon but high up which is a mixed blessing as it is hilly and windy. It is by the sea though which I think helps x

[Candyred]

Hmmm 🤔.. I live in Scotland .. just outside Stirling .. beautiful .. calming .. but bloody freezing! .. the air becomes so cold that it hurts my chest .. when I breath in the cold air enters my lungs as if it were piercing them.. I have to wear a scarf around my face..

A good few years ago I went to Thailand for 3 weeks.. I was gob smacked at how well my breathing was.. I walked about, hardly using a blue inhaler I may add .. I felt wonderful .. took a head cold over there diddnt go near my chest either .. Landed at Edinburgh airport within 2 days I was on Doxy and steroids in bed ill.. x

[mas7656 in reply to Candyred]

Hi, I too live just outside Stirling and agree.......it's cold brrrr!!

[santisuk in reply to mas7656]

And I live in Thailand and can vouch for how much better a warm / sometime wet climate makes me feel. Sunshine and smiling people - can't be beat😊

[Candyred in reply to santisuk]

Aww I do miss it .. fantastic holiday and very lovely people .. x

[Ergendl]

The parts of Scotland and Cumbria I used to live in have a lot of rain and are often damp, which challenges my breathing.

[Hacienda]

Worst Place & Proven is Nottingham....The "lay" of the land is in a "Dip", so all Atmospheric Disturbances Linger at Ground Level. It is on Google. My Doctor told me this when I registered, he was off to Retire to Devon, and said I was wrong to choose Nottingham to live. I didn't know any of this at the Time. He Was right. I did tell my Physio at Rehab at the time, He looked it up and uses it in his Speech at every Rehab Session. We could have a Huge Exodis from Nottingham Ha Ha. xxxx

[O2Trees in reply to Hacienda]

Same in Bath - hills all around. I lived there in my 20s when I first had asthma and had some awful attacks then. Sorry Nottingham is so bad - but moving takes so much energy and expense. xx

[Colourin-book in reply to O2Trees]

Thinking of moving into sheltered housing in Bath from East Midlands, Please advise if this wouldn’t be a good move, I originate from Bath.

[O2Trees in reply to Colourin-book]

Respiratory illness is said to be high in Bath as the hills trap pollution, pollen etc. I can only speak to my own experience though - it might end up being a great move for you. You might be able to find a resident chat forum online so that you could ask people who live there but maybe you still know people.

Good luck whatever you decide.

[Liefteyvrefe7 in reply to O2Trees]

I love the seaside, currently in Wimbledon. Before moving lock and barrel, how do others find living by the sea and if good which part for less pollution and to improve breathing

[JasperDylan]

I moved from Leicester to the East Coast to live near Sutton.on sea

We have a Static Caravan on Chapel Saint Leonards and we used to travel down each week because the sea air and the area having no hills to climb it worked out better for me the Hospital said it seems to be doing you good to keep going to the coast

So we had a conversation about me moving there and still staying with the same Hospital in Leicester for my treatment

We have been doing this ever since we moved in November 2013

The Air quality his excellent.

[kernowdame]

I live in Cornwall. Air as clean as Scotland and very much warmer. Hills are challenging though.

[oulpete2 in reply to kernowdame]

Always! Location is irrelevant!

[corriena]

I think maybe a few holidays to experience the different areas may be a good plan

But most people agree that see air is good, extreem cold is bad and isolation of wear you live should be considered also it may be a good idear to investigate the areas hospital and health care, as reading the many posts on hear area dose make a differance.good luck with your move.

[peege]

If I had no family to consider I'd move to perhaps south west coast or Cornwall, along side the Gulf Stream . I'm moved out of South West London to escape pollution in 2015 to the Cotswolds. The air is cleaner for sure, I live in a valley! Bit silly but cleaner than London. It's a terrible wrench to move from somewhere you love especially if single.

Use the defra air pollution map. It's usually low here in my valley.

A nearby hospital check is important.

[mikeadams51]

Don’t forget the Malvern hills in Worcestershire

[CoffCoffWalkWalk]

Last summer I moved from North Yorkshire to Carmarthen, West Wales.

I went from cold dry country air to warm damp town air and the effect on my lungs was quite noticeable. Shallow, quicker and much noisier breaths.

I found my energy was zapped as soon as I stepped outside the house.

Beautiful coastal walks but an increase in my subutamol inhaler led to a telling off by my new doctor and a bad trial of a different (powder) inhaler that just made things worse.

I've now moved to Herefordshire and am back on the outskirts of town. Colder air, less damp (?) but the difference is incredible. I'm back to having moments when I forget about my laboured breathing, which is lovely.

If you're thinking of moving for a change in air quality I would suggest a couple of holidays to see what the differences are but I for one would say it makes a difference.

Best Wishes

[Iris99]

The Isle of Wight is worth thinking about, especially near to the sea...

[micox]

I did some research into Llandudno (n Wales) as it's my birth town. It looks like it's particularly pollution free but every time I've been there (long before COPD diagnosis) I've spend the first three days struggling to breath with a very tight chest - OK after that! Strange.

[CDPO16 in reply to micox]

That's interesting. Last September I had a holiday on Anglesey. One afternoon was spent in Llandudno where I was looking forward to a walk on the prom as it is very hilly where I live. I found that I couldn't walk more rhan 50 yards at a time without having to stop due to struggling to breathe. The weather was mild with little breeze. Curious and frustrating.

[Bkin]

My lungs don't like very cold, very hot or very humid conditions.

Like Candyred my lungs hurt when weather conditions are very cold and i find things more difficult when weather conditions are not perfect, ie good air quality, perfect temperature, perfect humidity, slight breeze.

[Bronchi1]

It's freezing cold though!

[Mht123]

Doesn't matter I've moved from England in Dec to Scotland my partner has copd he still suffers just the same as it colder..

[Teign]

Best place to live in the uk wothcasmtha