Trouble with Weather Changes - An Overlooked Asthma Issue

Asthma is one of the most serious health conditions in the world, and it's unfortunately one of the most prevalent as well. More than three hundred and fifty million people suffer from it, and tens of thousands die each month due to complications caused by it. Regardless of the severity of your asthma, there are many different symptoms that will likely play a role in your life once you're diagnosed with it. Many of them are well known and obvious, but some are a bit more surprising but no less important. Having health issues triggered by weather or temperature changes is one asthma symptom most aren't aware of but one that is nevertheless very important to keep in mind.

Many people are surprised to learn that as a result of their asthma their health deteriorates when temperature and weather changes occur, but when you consider the physiology behind asthma itself it makes perfect sense. Asthma causes inflammations within your airways which cause them to narrow or close up. It basically feels as though you're breathing through a thin drinking straw in severe cases. It can trigger trouble breathing, severe coughs, and cause you to feel extremely fatigued. In short, your entire health and well-being will suffer. Most of the time it can be managed with medication, but often when temperature or weather changes occur it will actually trigger the inflammations and cause them to become worse.

The reason that weather and temperature changes have such a big impact on your asthma is simple. When you breathe in, you're pulling a number of things into your lungs and airways along with air. Moisture is one example, and another will be the actual temperatures of the air. These factors can actually cause various changes to occur within your airways such as expansion, retraction, or even irritation. Among healthy people it's hardly a concern but when you suffer from asthma it becomes a much bigger issue since it can trigger the inflammation that cause asthma issues to occur.

Weather related issues aren't what most people think of when they think of asthma, but they're a very real concern among most long term asthma sufferers who know what they can bring. Cold is one of the biggest factors, but generalized weather changes are also more than enough to cause health related issues to occur. Asthma is manageable, and knowing the things that can trigger its severity is an important aspect of managing it and your overall health and well-being.