How to cope with asthma in the summer

Asthma in the summer

For many of the 7.2 million people in the UK affected by asthma, summer can be a particularly trying time.

Two in three of those with the long-term breathing condition find air pollution triggers their symptoms, and allergies to pollen, such as grass pollen, can also cause an asthma attack. Around 2 out of every 3 people with asthma also have hay fever.

Over the summer months, people with asthma are exposed to increased levels of pollen, air pollution, and smoke from barbecues and cigarettes.

What causes asthma in the summer?

Hay fever

If you have asthma your airways are more sensitive to allergens such as pollen. This is a top trigger for asthma attacks in summer, affecting an estimated 3.3 million people in the UK.

When you breathe in something you are allergic to - such as pollen from birch, oak and pine trees, as well as grasses and weeds - your airways become narrow and inflamed, leading to asthma symptoms.

High humidity and thunderstorms in summer trap these particles in the air for longer and break them into much smaller pieces, meaning they are inhaled much more deeply into your lungs.

If you have both asthma and a pollen allergy, you will not only experience classic hay fever symptoms, such as itchy eyes and a running nose, but are also at an increased risk of a life-threatening asthma attack.

Asthma + Lung UK found that people with asthma find hay fever disruptive to their work.

Summer air pollution

It's not just hay fever-prone people with asthma who experience summer asthma flare ups. Non-allergic asthma in the summer can be made worse by the health effects of air pollution during warmer months.

Some types of air pollution are worse in summer, while others are worse in winter. Summertime heat-waves mean extreme heat and stagnant air, which helps tiny particles - such as dust, dirt, and smoke - enter your lungs more easily.

So, in hot weather inhaling irritants such as pollution from vehicles and factories can cause more irritation and inflammation in your airways. Common summer pastimes, like being around barbecue smoke and outdoor cigarette smoking, can make this worse if you have asthma.

The risk of wildfires in the UK grows as we have more extreme heat and droughts during summer. Among the other safety risks, this creates another summer asthma trigger, as fires pollute the air with carbon monoxide.

Why are inhalers so important?

An asthma attack happens when something triggers the muscles in your airways - the tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs - to tighten, causing sticky mucus to build up. This narrows the airways and makes it hard for you to breathe, leading to chest tightness, wheezing, coughing or waking at night with a cough.

Some people with asthma actually feel better during the summer months as there are not as many cold and flu viruses going around. However, this may mean you are less likely to take your preventer inhaler, which could make you more likely to react to your asthma triggers.

Morrison says: "Make sure you have sufficient reliever inhalers, usually salbutamol, but don't simply rely on increasing the usage of these. If symptoms start to deteriorate, it's important to step up the use of preventer inhalers, containing steroids, to avoid problems escalating further.

If in doubt, see your doctor or asthma nurse for a check-up and advice."

How can I control asthma in the summer?

A common-sense asthma action plan can help asthma in the summer by limiting your exposure to triggers like pollen and pollution.

For more information on managing your asthma triggers, visit Lung + Asthma UK.

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