Tag Archive for: asthma triggers

Summer Asthma Triggers To Avoid

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For those of us who dislike breathing in cold or chilly air, summertime is a wonderland of sharp smells and encompassing warmth. For the most part, summer is a great time for your lung health, but these warm months are also crawling with little pesky asthma triggers that can irritate your breathing, as well as any allergies you may have.

Being aware of your asthma triggers is an important part of assuring yourself a great summer. These could be general asthma triggers, personal asthma triggers, or the asthma triggers that live in your surroundings and bother your symptoms in a small-scale but daily way.

Here are 4 of the main summertime asthma triggers that could affect you or your family.

Seasonal Asthma: Summertime Triggers

1. Heat & Humidity

If you live in Florida, you know these two very well. In fact, they’re an accepted part of life, but heat and humidity can also make it difficult to breathe and are a big part of what causes asthma attacks. Depending on your symptoms, try limiting your time outside when it is really hot and muggy.

2. Pollution

Polluted air is a big issue during the summer when the air already feels hot and sticky. Air pollution may be even worse in dry, hot cities.

3. Smoke From Cookouts

Cookouts are a classic summer event, but getting caught up in a waft of smoke from the nearest grill can be a pretty effective asthma trigger. Simply be aware of this next time you attend or host a cookout, and steer clear from the smoke (or make sure to set the grill far from trafficked areas).

4. Chemicals / Swimming Pool Chlorine

Chemicals can also be a strong asthma trigger, and though typically we associate these with household cleaners like Clorox, we should also look at our pools! Pools sometimes have a pretty high chlorine content which makes them an asthma trigger. Be sure to measure your pools for safe levels of chlorine and be aware of how long you are staying in the water.

5. High Pollen

Pollen isn’t just reserved for Springtime. Summertime can also bring a whole lot of pollen into your outdoor environment. You may be able to reduce the amount of pollen in your immediate outdoor surroundings by taking a look at what kind of grass and plants you have and switching them out for hypoallergenic kinds.

6. Mold Content

Summer brings a lot of lovely things, but also some not-so-lovely things. For example, tons and tons of rain! If you live in Florida, or in another state where the summers are nice and hot and wet, then you know what happens when something is exposed to too much rain: mold.

Mold can grow anywhere, from your plants to your own concrete patio and so many other places. This mold is very bad for people with asthma and should be safely removed asap.

More Information

Summer can still be a very pleasant time even if you have asthma. Simply be sure to know and stay away from your asthma triggers! If your asthma symptoms are not improving, then it may be time to see a pulmonary specialist. At Pulmonary Associates Of Brandon, our pulmonary specialists are highly trained in treating asthma patients. Book an appointment today to meet with one in person.

5 Tips For Eliminating Asthma Triggers When Gardening

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Maintaining a garden is one of the best activities to undertake during the Springtime. Unfortunately for those who suffer from asthma or allergies, springtime gardening can provoke a lot of unwanted symptoms of asthma and may even trigger an asthma attack.

If you suffer from asthma but want to enjoy gardening, there are ways you can take to avoid running into any of your asthma triggers. Don’t let asthma stop you from enjoying the great outdoors — or even just your backyard.

Here are 5 tips for eliminating asthma triggers when gardening.

1. Wear Protective Clothing

Wearing long sleeves during the spring or summer doesn’t sound ideal, but sports sections have great clothing options that will help you stay cool and fresh no matter the coverage. Wearing long sleeves, as well as gloves, sunglasses, and even a surgical face mask if necessary will help protect your arms, hands, and face from asthma and allergy triggers like dirt, mold, and pollen.

2. Garden With Female Trees And Shrubs To Minimize Your Pollen Exposure

While most plants are both male and female, there are some plants called dioecious that grow either male or female. The female plants shed no pollen and if any pollen strays in from neighboring plants, the female plant will absorb and trap the pollen. Some of these trees and shrubs include: Cottonwood, Willow, Ash, Mulberry, Holly, Juniper, and Red Maple.

3. Stick To Potted Plants

If you’re not too sure about the whole “going outdoors” thing yet, you can always do a bit of gardening on your porch or patio by using potted plants. Not only is selecting pretty potts fun, it also gives your deck or house a beautiful touch. You can try planting allergen-ridding houseplants like Devil’s Ivy or English Ivy, Weeping Fig, Snake Plant, or a Peace Lily. Or for outdoors you can try succulents and cacti, begonias, bougainvilleas or lilies.

4. Get Low Pollen Lawn

The lawn you’re working on can have a lot of allergy triggers, so if you’re looking to garden, you may want invest in some fresh sod that produces little to no pollen. These allergy-free grasses include: Bermuda Grass Hybrids, Buffalo Grass, and St. Augustine Grass. If you can’t do this just yet, then keep in mind what the low and high pollen times are before going outside. For example, grass pollen is released from May onward, typically in the morning and then less as the day goes on.

5. Invite Wild Birds & Hummingbirds

When making a garden allergen and asthma trigger free it’s advisable to take all the help you can get, even from the wildlife! All you have to do is invite wild birds into your garden by placing feeders around the yard (just make sure the squirrels can’t get to it)! The birds won’t only eat the seeds in the feeder, they’ll also eat the insects in your garden, who’s damage and feces causes mold spores to spread throughout.

More Information

If you’re serious about getting into your garden this spring but are hesitant to get out there because of your asthma, make sure to try out these tips but always remember that the best way to manage your symptoms of asthma is through treatment and medication. So, before you get out there, make sure to speak to your pulmonary specialist about your asthma triggers. To learn how our pulmonary center can help you, or to book an appointment with one of our pulmonary specialists, contact us today!