Dota 2 trade weather effects on copd

7 Ways Weather Affects COPD

Weather can play a significant role in how you feel when you have a lung disease like COPD. Some weather conditions create an ideal environment for breathing, while others can make breathing difficult, even causing flare-ups. Here are seven ways weather can impact COPD and what you can do.

1. Too hot

Temperatures greater than 90°F are ideal for basking in the sun and swimming. They are not so good if you have lung disease. A John Hopkins University study showed that higher outdoor temperatures increased the severity of COPD symptoms. Researchers are not sure why this is. Staying indoors in air conditioning may be the best way to beat the heat.

2. The perfect temperature

Speaking of air conditioning, the same study indicated that cooler temperatures may be ideal for people with COPD. In fact, keeping cool may actually have health benefits other than just breathing easier and feeling more comfortable. An ideal temperature is somewhere around 70°F. Try to keep your indoor environment cool throughout the day and night.

3. Too cold

On the flip side, temperatures less than 32°F are not good either. Cold air holds less water, making it too dry. Inhaling air with less than 10 percent humidity may dry out your mucus membranes. This makes it difficult for the membranes to produce the fluids needed to move viruses and bacteria. Dota 2 trade weather effects on copd Dry mucus membranes also have a tendency to worsen allergy symptoms. This is significant because both lung infections and allergies are COPD triggers. If you have to go outside on cold days, wear a scarf over your mouth and nose to allow your own breath to warm and humidify the air you inhale.

4. Too humid

The ability to hold water vapor increases with temperature. So when warm air comes into contact with a water surface it evaporates water faster than cold air. This means that hot air tends to hold more water than cold air. When the humidity of air becomes greater than 50 percent it can become heavy and hard to inhale, making you feel stuffy and just making breathing more difficult. Humid air also creates nice breeding grounds for fungus and molds, and tends to hold dust mites, all of which may trigger flare-ups. Experts recommend keeping the humidity in your home between 35 and 50 percent. Air conditioners work well for this, although so too do humidifiers and dehumidifiers. Ask your doctor how many hours these devices should run to provide optimal air quality indoors.

5. Wind

Going out in the wind may cause you to work extra hard when walking against the wind. This may cause you to become tired too quickly, making you feel–pun intended–winded. Wind may also pick up dust and pollen, both of which may trigger flare-ups. It’s best to stay indoors during windy conditions, and to keep your windows shut.

6. Thunderstorms

Studies have linked thunderstorms to asthma attacks, meaning they probably also cause COPD flare-ups. A theory is that rain and winds cause pollen grains to rupture, creating minute particles that can be inhaled. It’s best to stay indoors with the windows shut and in a controlled environment.

7. Abrupt changes

Rapid changes in weather have been linked with worsening COPD symptoms, such as feeling short of breath. This may be due to rapid drops in barometric pressure, which may occur just prior to thunderstorms. A drop of barometric pressure decreases the oxygen carrying capacity of the air. The drop may be small, but it may be significant enough when you have COPD to make you feel like you can’t catch your breath.

Bottom line. Since weather is proven to have an impact on COPD, it is best to stay indoors during extreme weather. It’s also best to have the necessary equipment–dehumidifiers, humidifiers, and air conditioners–to create an ideal environment for breathing inside your home. People with COPD should get the daily weather reports, and weekly reports so they can adjust outdoor time schedules as necessary.

How Weather Can Affect Your COPD

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an umbrella term for chronic bronchitis and emphysema, lung conditions that are primarily caused by smoking. For some people, weather and temperature changes can trigger COPD symptoms. Here’s what to do if that happens.

By Krisha McCoy

Medically Reviewed by Cynthia Haines, MD

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Weather changes are one of many factors that can trigger COPD symptoms. Such symptoms, which include shortness of breath, cough, and phlegm production, tend to get worse for some COPD patients both when the air is very cold and when it is hot and humid.

“Weather extremes are not good,” says Barry Make, MD, co-director of the COPD program at National Jewish Health and professor of medicine at the University of Colorado in Denver. Dr. Make says that he has noticed that temperatures below freezing or above 90 degrees Fahrenheit tend to cause COPD symptoms to flare up.

COPD and Weather: When It’s Cold and Windy

Cold air and strong winds are known to be triggers for the worsening of COPD symptoms. “If [COPD patients] go out [when] it is windy and they have to walk against the wind, there is more resistance, and that can be a problem,” says Make. And frigid temperatures can fatigue COPD patients. “COPD patients just feel like they are more tired after they’ve been in the cold,” he says.

If cold and windy climates bother you, try loosely wearing a scarf or face mask over your nose and mouth, and breathe through your nose on wintry days. The scarf, or muffler, and breathing through your nose warms the air before it enters your lungs, which can help prevent the worsening of your symptoms.

Dealing With Hot, Humid Air

While there are a few lucky ones whose COPD symptoms improve in humid weather, symptoms for most COPD patients flare on days of high heat, humidity, or smog. This can especially be an issue when a front moves in, bringing humidity, says Make. “A lot of people with COPD tell you that they know when a front is going to come through,” he says.

So on the hottest and most humid days of the year, stay indoors in an air-conditioned environment to prevent a flare-up of your symptoms. “If it is a high-pollution day, we suggest [that our COPD patients] stay inside and limit their activities,” notes Make. “If it is really hot or really cold, we would say the same.”

Should You Move?

Seasonal exacerbations of COPD symptoms can be so bad that people will move across the country in an effort to deal with the problem. “One of the most common questions we get [from COPD patients] is what part of the country [is best] to live in because of the weather,” says Make.

He says that in the past, physicians commonly recommended moving to the western United States, where the air is less humid. But he says that it is now known that the COPD-weather connection is very individualized, and that what works for one person might not work for the next. “It is variable from person to person,” says Make. “Some people prefer more humidity and some less.”

It is usually not necessary to move when you have COPD, but if you live in a climate with extreme weather changes and moving is an option for you, talk with your doctor. Make strongly recommends a trial run before you relocate.

“If people are going to think about moving somewhere for the weather,” he says, “be there for all of the seasons of the year.” That way you will know if the move will provide year-round improvement of your symptoms.