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Is There A Recommended Room Temperature For Asthma?
The best room temperature for people with asthma is between 68°F and 71°F with a lower humidity between 30% and 50%. This mild air temperature and humidity won't irritate the airways.
The ideal room temperature for people with asthma is a mild temperature with lower humidity.
Extreme temperatures and humidity levels can trigger an asthma attack. However, you can lower your risk indoors by adjusting the room temperature and avoiding possible irritants that could affect your asthma symptoms.
Very hot temperatures with high humidity and very cold temperatures can worsen asthma. That's why experts recommend more mild temperatures.
However, there is not much specific research examining the exact room temperature that may be best for someone with asthma.
In a small study from 2012, researchers found that a room temperature of 68°F to 71°F (20°C to 21.6°C) is ideal for people with asthma.
Aside from that older research, there's not much to show the best temperature.
The American Lung Association recommends the same indoor temperature and air quality conditions in its guidelines on safe school environments, and it advises people with asthma to avoid cold and extreme temperatures.
Most health experts recommend that people with asthma avoid extreme hot or cold temperatures and limit exposure to humidity.
Along with limiting exposure to poor air quality and issues like dust inside, these are good preventive measures to take for people who live with asthma.
Tips to help your indoor air qualityThere are several devices you can use to create the ideal temperature and humidity levels indoors:
Be sure to clean these appliances regularly, too. Doing so minimizes harmful bacteria and dust, which can reduce your home's air quality.
The best device for you depends on your asthma triggers, the current weather, and the air quality in your home.
Because asthma involves the airways, inhaling the air directly affects asthma symptoms. Different aspects of the air, including temperature and humidity, determine these symptoms.
Sudden changes in air temperature can trigger asthma. For example, a sudden change can occur if it's hot outside and you enter a cool building.
Specifically, extreme air temperature and high humidity (both indoors and outdoors) can worsen asthma.
Heat
Breathing in a hot and humid environment can be difficult because inhaling this air can tighten your airways. You may also breathe faster in hot weather, becoming dehydrated and triggering asthma symptoms.
Hot temperatures may also increase pollen counts and air pollution levels. Pollen and pollution can trigger asthma symptoms.
Cold
A cold environment can also worsen asthma symptoms. Cold air, which is often dry, causes the mucus that naturally coats your airways to quickly evaporate, irritating and narrowing your airways.
Salt Room Spa Owners Claim They Help People With Asthma, Allergies, Stress, Even Snoring
STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. – Salt rooms and spas have been a growing trend around the world and now in the United States.
Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, even Sterling Heights, Mich. Has a salt room spa.
Salt room owners claim they can help a wide range of ailments from asthma and allergies to stress and snoring.
Salt room treatment is also known as halotherapy. It is especially popular in eastern Europe. It has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration or approved to treat any medical condition.
A Rochester Hills mother tried out a salt room because her son Ben had asthma. He was diagnosed with asthma when he was nine months old. Michelle Ruprecht said it's not a good feeling watching her son deal with asthma.
VIDEO: The salt room experience
"Horrible, stressful, I don't get much sleep because I'm constantly checking to make sure that we're doing the breathing treatments as much as we should," said Michelle Ruprecht.
No description foundRuprecht said she was willing to try anything to keep her son's asthma under control. So when she spotted an ad for a salt room in Metro Parent, she thought she would give it a try.
"It seemed wild, you know, when you saw the pictures and what not," said Ruprecht. "I'd try it, for sure in a second, you know, if we thought it was something that was going to help him, even a little bit."
Ben liked the salt room experience.
"It was a nice environment, you know, it was dark and quiet and, you know, lots of stuff for the kids to do, he loved it," said Ruprecht.As for whether it worked, she said: "I'm up in the air."
Henry Ford Hospital Dr. Christian Nageotte treats Ben for his asthma. He said there are reasons to think salt rooms can have an effect.
"The theoretic reason is that salt attracts moisture and in the lungs of asthmatics and certain chronic lung conditions mucous plugs can form it may be difficult to cough up," said Nageotte.
Basically, the salt in the air acts like many of the remedies already prescribed like salt gargles for a sore throat or salt rinses for sinus problems, it just does it in the lungs. The treatment is simple, just enter the room, relax and breathe.
The rooms have salt everywhere, including on the walls and the floor, but that is done largely to replicate the old salt mine feel. The air also tastes salty, and that's because of a machine that generates fine salt particles and blows them into the air. Its those particles that make it into the lungs that are claimed to have the effect.
Carrie Campbell was skeptical at first, but used the salt room after suffering breathing problems following an episode of pneumonia.
"After the 12th visit, because I was coming in about three times a week, after the 12th week, I started to realize I was doing things that I couldn't do before," said Campbell.
While there are many believers, does the science back up the claims?
"I haven't seen any well done clinical studies in the United States investigating this therapy for asthma," said Nageotte. "And these have to be done before we can really expand on this and make it a recommendation or a form of therapy to our patients."
Dr. Nageotte offers this advice to people interested in trying salt room treatments.
"I think if it's not causing any harm, if the patient is perceiving some benefit, and it's not too costly it might be considered as something complementary to traditional medication," said Nageotte.
The cost for salt room treatment is $45 for a single 45 minute session. Package deals can bring that price down as low as $20 a session.
To more information about Salinair, a salt room in metro Detroit, click here.
No description foundCopyright 2012 by ClickOnDetroit.Com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Taking Ibuprofen When You Have Asthma
There's a chance people with asthma may have a bad reaction to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen. You can talk with your doctor about other options, including Tylenol.
Some people with asthma may not always be able to take ibuprofen, like Advil and Motrin. They may experience hypersensitivity to this type of medication, which can lead to more severe asthma symptoms and reactions.
Ibuprofen is a common over-the-counter (OTC) medication that is classified as a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). It's typically used to relieve pain and reduce fever or inflammation.
According to ibuprofen's package insert, you shouldn't take it if you have experienced asthma, urticaria (hives), or an allergic reaction after taking an NSAID.
As many as 10% to 20% of people with asthma may experience hypersensitivity to ibuprofen, but that estimate is based on older research. Other research notes that an NSAID-exacerbated respiratory disease is even less common, but still can cause severe reactions for people with asthma.
Some people with asthma may be more sensitive to ibuprofen because of how this and related medications work. They inhibit a protein called cyclooxygenase, but it's unclear why some people with asthma are overly sensitive to these inhibitors.
It may be related to the overproduction of chemicals called leukotrienes. In people with asthma, allergy cells in the bronchial tubes release leukotrienes into the airways. This causes bronchial muscles to spasm and bronchial tubes to swell.
Medications to be careful withIbuprofen is sold under a variety of brand names, including:
Certain combination drugs also contain ibuprofen. These include medicines for cold and flu, sinus problems, and stomach upset. Other OTC NSAIDs include:
Your doctor may also prescribe other types of NSAID combo medications.
Make sure to take ibuprofen as directed, especially if you live with asthma and may be more at risk for developing an aspirin allergy or sensitivity.
If you do have aspirin-sensitive asthma, ibuprofen can trigger symptoms of asthma or allergy. Symptoms of severe allergic reaction usually develop within a few hours after taking the drug.
This 2024 research analyzing studies on children with asthma found that symptoms usually develop within 30 to 180 minutes but can take up to 24 hours. While ibuprofen sometimes causes exacerbation of asthma symptoms in children, it's not linked to hospitalizations.
If you're ibuprofen-sensitive, it's important to scrutinize medication labels carefully. Avoid products that contain ibuprofen, aspirin, or any other NSAID.
You can discuss with a healthcare professional whether taking acetaminophen (Tylenol) instead of ibuprofen to treat fever or pain may be an option.
For frequent or chronic pain, your doctor may be able to provide alternate solutions based on the cause.
Most people with asthma aren't ibuprofen-sensitive. But there's no medical test that can determine if you are. If you've never taken an NSAID, ask your doctor if you can take a test dose under medical supervision.
Of course, taking any medication may cause an allergic reaction. Tell your doctor if asthma symptoms get worse after taking a new medication. If possible, use a peak flow meter to measure any changes to airflow, and report changes that occur after taking medication.
Remember, if you've had a bad reaction to one NSAID, it's important that you avoid them all.
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