Tips For Managing Asthma During The Monsoon Season
If you are diagnosed with asthma and have been living with this condition for a while, you might be aware of how your environment affects your health. You might have noticed some external factors that affect your asthma symptoms, including the weather. Depending on what season it is, you might have to be extra careful about different seasonal asthma triggers and take extra precautions so that your symptoms don’t get worse.
For monsoons, the high humidity, temperature changes, and other environmental factors can have a negative effect on your asthma. You might have noticed that you face shortness of breath more often during the rainy season. Studies have also shown that there is a link between storms and asthma, something that is referred to as thunderstorm asthma. But there are some precautions you can take during the monsoons that can help you prevent your asthma symptoms from getting worse and reduce the chances of an attack. Here are some tips to manage your asthma in rainy season:
Keep your home clean and mould-free
When humidity rises during the monsoons, two common asthma triggers become an increased concern indoors - dust mites and mould spores. While dust mites are usually not a concern when humidity is below 45% at temperatures around 20-22°C but during monsoons, the humidity is much greater than that, usually over 70%. At greater levels of humidity, the number of house dust mites can quickly increase to about several thousand mites per gram of house dust. Mould also thrives in this high humidity environment and can grow in areas that are typically wet like bathrooms and kitchens. So, keep your home clean and well-ventilated especially during the monsoon season.
Keep your windows closed during thunderstorms
Thunderstorms have been linked with an increased risk of asthma attacks. With a thunderstorm, allergens like pollen in the air can increase, which can act as an asthma trigger, worsening your symptoms and increasing the chances of an asthma attack. So, try to take shelter indoors during thunderstorms and close the windows to avoid contact with potential asthma triggers.
Avoid exposure to allergens and germs
Dust, pollutants, and pollen in the air can act as asthma triggers and even during the rains, they can pose a problem. Bacteria and viruses are also more common during the rains which increases the chances of a respiratory infection, which can make your asthma symptoms worse. You can wear a mask when you’re outside and make sure that you wash your hands frequently to avoid getting sick.
Keep pets away from the bedroom
During the monsoons, pets stay indoors more frequently which can increase your exposure to pet dander, which is another asthma trigger. While it may not be possible to keep them outdoors, try to keep some distance from them and keep them away from the bedroom to reduce your exposure. If you have rugs, consider keeping them away during the rains as pet dander and dust can linger there for long periods of time.
These are just a few of the tips that you can follow to keep your symptoms in check and manage asthma in rainy season. Along with following these precautions to avoid seasonal asthma triggers and taking your medications regularly, you should also have an asthma action plan ready. An asthma action plan will include the steps that you need to take when your asthma symptoms get worse so you know when you should get in touch with your doctor or head to an emergency room. If you have received an asthma diagnosis and don’t have an action plan yet, get in touch with your doctor so you can have one prepared.
References:
https://academic.oup.com/qjmed/article/106/3/207/1565254?login=true#22785137
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11882-004-0092-3
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/tmi.13501
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/016041208690022X
https://journals.lww.com/pidj/Fulltext/2004/01001/Viral_respiratory_infection_and_the_link_to_asthma.12.aspx
https://www.britannica.com/science/Indian-monsoon
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