Better regions for asthma?

June 9, 2006 2:23 PM

Comparing regions for asthma sufferers?

Hi green gang, my 3yo daughter has recently been diagnosed with asthma. We suspect and have been told by the doc that due to our geography in middle tennessee, it's a giant bowl of humidity and allergens, at least in the summer.

We are considering moving to the south atlantic coast for that and other reasons. Is there a resource I could use to examine regional and historic data to confirm this anecdotal evidence?

posted by toastchee to health (9 comments total)

I live in Middle Tennessee and I feel your daughter's pain.

Do you have an allergist you can talk to? They may have this kind of data.
posted by joannemerriam at 2:37 PM on June 9, 2006

I know that New Mexico and Arizona can be good bets at times for asthma sufferers.

My mom suffered from asthma pretty bad and she would always eat a teaspoon of raw unfiltered unpastuerized honey on the theory that your body would begin to tolerate the local flora's affects.

Here is a link to alternative remedies for asthma
posted by cdcello at 2:40 PM on June 9, 2006

Having been diagnosed with asthma since age five or so (I'm now 30) I'm skeptical of the idea of moving somewhere just too reduce asthma symptoms. When my asthma is well controlled, the local environment makes little difference. I've lived in some pretty humid areas and have not had a problem with it. In fact, I find cold, dry air much worse than humid air.

My asthma is moderately bad - I'm on an inhaled steroid and a long-acting beta-agonist - but I've never noticed it getting worse when I move or when I'm on vacation. In fact, most of the time I don't notice it at all.

This could certainly vary from person to person, but from my experience region doesn't seem to matter much.
posted by pombe at 3:49 PM on June 9, 2006

I had asthma as a child but grew out of it when I reached puberty. I do have allergies and have been in good shape by taking allergy shots and other typical remedies.

I would say that humidity, air pollution, and pollen can all be asthma triggers (plus stress). I would agree with pombe. Moving without seriously investigating what you can do where you are is not a great approach. The Southeast is just as humid and full of pollen as Tennessee.

I would also suggest you consult a good allergist who specializes in asthma. There is a LOT you can do before moving is even considered. Asthma can be controlled with drugs (a lot better than when I was a child) and changes in your immediate environment (such as in your house and in your daughter's bedroom). The changes you make are specific to your child's condition and triggers. So getting a good doctor's advice is definitely a step in the right direction.

If your daughter is reactive to dust mites, for example, you might want to get rid of carpeting and drapery in her bedroom. Also covering her mattress with a hypo-allergenic cover that separates her from those nasty mites that naturally inhabit her mattress may also help. Controlling humidity within the house might also help. Do you have central air conditioning?

To sum it up, there are lots of things to do before moving should even be considered. And what you do depends on your daughter's specific situation. The right doctor will be able to steer you in the right direction.

Even Arizona isn't "safe" any more. So many people have planted grass seed to have those nice lawns and planted trees from their old homes that pollen is now just as bad there as any place.
posted by Taken Outtacontext at 4:54 PM on June 9, 2006

I've heard a lot of anecdotal reports about asthma prevalence being associated with particular regions, and I've yet to find any evidence for any of them.

Here's something worth looking at:
Self-reported asthma prevalence in adults, a report put out in 2001. Key points include:

- no real regional patterns: prevalence of asthma is pretty much the same everywhere
- it ain't the best study: doesn't include kids, and only samples a subset of the population which presumably doesn't include the very rural/poor.


That said, I've encountered plenty of people who claim that changing geography resulted in allergic rhinitis or asthma. I can't think of any pattern in the patients I've seen.

I agree wholeheartedly with Taken Outtacontext's advice about finding someone who really knows their stuff when it comes to asthma. It's terrible to deal with, but there are options when it comes to treatment. In fact, there's a stepwise pathway when it comes to diagnosing and treating asthma, based on the frequency of symptoms and pulmonary function testing.

And while I'm open to alternative therapies, I don't think that you should pursue them without seeing an MD: as I'm sure you know, asthma can kill. There are very effective, proven, medical therapies for it.

Find a good pediatrician or allergist. You may want to call the nearest children's hospital and ask for recommendations. Best of luck!
posted by herrdoktor at 5:46 PM on June 9, 2006

No studies to quote but I was born and raised in Southern Ontario, very humid. When 22 I moved to Alberta and noticed a significant change in the short term but did still have some problems long term.

I have more info and opinions on what we have done with our 3 children (6 and under) but that wouldn't be answering your question. :-)
posted by vidarling at 7:09 PM on June 9, 2006

Just more anecdotal evidence here, but I have had asthma and allergies since childhood. I grew up in the UK - cold and damp weather - very bad for asthma. Anytime I travelled to the mediterranean (relatively warm and dry in comparison) it would improve. I now live in southern california where its hot and dry, but unfortunately there's also lots of pollution and pollen. I would say that my asthma is miles better even with the pollution, but instead I have sinus issues to deal with. There's no perfect weather for people with allergies and asthma, but I would argue that hot and dry is best. Cold and damp is worst IMO.

Takenouttacontext has excellent advice about modifying your house to help.
posted by Joh at 9:11 PM on June 9, 2006

If your daughter's triggers include pollens, consider adding local honey to her diet. This suppresses the allergic affect and may blunt her asthma as well.
posted by EatTheWeak at 12:49 AM on June 10, 2006

If allergens are the primary cause of the asthma, it's a crapshoot.
Case in point: I grew up in Bakersfield, CA. Worst air quality in the US. I had intermittent extremely mild asthma as a child. In fact it seemed to be more related to exercise than anything else.
Went to college in Atlanta. Bad qir quality here, too, but nothing ever bothered me until I'd lived here for 3 years and suddenly developed horrible allergies, which in turn jacked my asthma up really bad. The humidity doesn't help. But I am allergic to things here that bloom three seasons long. The only non-organic thing I am allergic to is smoke, and if there's enough of that in the atmosphere from winter fires, I am pretty much screwed.
It's sort of irresponsible in my opinion for a medical doctor to tell you to move or to think that moving is going to take away the asthma/allergies. (I just re-read your post and while you didn't say the doc told you this, I wanted to make this point.) You can control allergies and asthma with medications. It may take a while to find the best combinations, but there are so many treatment options out there. There is no clinical guideline indicating a change in climate will affect asthma. On the other hand, don't ignore it. People die from asthma because they don't take their meds, or they get the flu and/or pneumonia and their body can't handle the infection. It is serious and needs attention. Good luck.
posted by FergieBelle at 9:22 AM on June 10, 2006