Your airways narrow during an asthma attack. At the same time, your body makes extra mucus. These things make it feel like someone is squeezing your chest, making it hard for you to breathe. Everyone has different triggers, but certain types of weather and seasonal changes can lead to attacks for some people.
Spring
High pollen levels negatively impact your asthma and allergies. All kinds of trees and plants emit a fine yellow powder that poses serious problems and frequently sets off an asthma attack in humans.
People with asthma may be particularly at risk during severe storms. Pollen is broken into smaller-than-normal bits by rain and lightning. These particles, which are dispersed by the wind, enter your lungs and cause your symptoms.
Showers, as opposed to thunderstorms, can affect asthma in a variety of ways. Pollen can be removed by a light shower, which might help with your problems. However, heavy rain will expand and disperse it.
Although you have little control over the weather, you can manage the air inside your home by regularly changing the air conditioner’s filters and ensuring that steamy spaces like the kitchen and bathroom have adequate ventilation to prevent the formation of mildew.
Summer
In the heat of the sun, hot air might irritate already-narrowed airways when you breathe it in. When heat and sunshine combine with the chemicals in the air to form smog, pollution can also get worse. Observe weather and air quality forecasts. If they appear awful, try to spend less time outside. You stay cool with air conditioning, which also removes allergens.
Spending more time outside exposes you to greater airway stressors. Smoke from cookouts and overpowering chlorine odors from swimming pools can both be seasonal triggers. The use of a dryer will prevent irritants from getting on materials even while the weather is suitable for drying laundry outside on a line. After being outside, take a shower to get pollen out of your hair and clothes.
Winter
Your asthma may be exacerbated by factors other than the cold weather. Colds and the flu are more common during these months, which might lead to attacks. Getting the flu shot can reduce your risk of getting sick. The wood smoke from a fireplace can sometimes be bothersome during the chilly months of the year. The finest heating for your house is electric or gas.
Your asthma symptoms could worsen when the temperature drops. Your airways’ tissues can become more sensitive and prone to closing when exposed to cooler air. You can warm the air before you breathe it in by lightly wrapping a scarf around your lower face. The same goes for breathing through your nose as opposed to your mouth.
Fall
Just like the other seasons, there are a variety of things that can trigger asthma attacks. While the cold air is a relief after the summer heat, that rush of cooler air constricts your airways and can make an already difficult situation even harder to breathe.
You also have to watch out for ragweed, campfires, and mold. Since fall is also the start of flu season, it can make things even harder on those suffering from asthma.