Florida’s high humidity can trigger asthma attacks

Did you know that, in addition to keeping our mold inspection experts busy, humidity can trigger an asthma attack? Thunderstorms can, too. Of course, here in Florida, it’s hard to avoid either of those. Now that the rainy season has arrived (it officially started on May 15), it’s going to be even harder for asthma sufferers to manage their condition.

No one knows exactly what causes asthma, so there’s no way to cure the disease. There are a lot of things that can be done to help manage it, though.

Three things you can do to guard against humidity if you or a loved one has asthma:

1. Check your air conditioning. In addition to controlling the temperature, your air conditioning system should be able to control the level of humidity inside your home or workplace. The thermostat regulates the temperature and the hygrometer controls the relative humidity in your space. It might sound tempting, but you really don’t want to have 0% humidity. For one thing, super dry air – especially cold, dry air – can also trigger an asthma attack. What’s best? According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), you’ll want to keep the relative humidity in your home below 60%. Between 30 and 50% is ideal.
2. Monitor the local air quality index. The air quality index looks at things like the amount of pollen in the air as well as the humidity level. If the air quality in your area is poor, try to limit your outdoor activities.
3. Move. Just kidding! We hope you stick around to enjoy all the wonderful things the Sunshine State has to offer from the beautiful beaches, sunny skies and delightful winters to the museums and attractions.

For more than 10 years, AirMD, has been providing an array of affordable, comprehensive environmental consulting services. We started in South Florida, performing mold tests and mold removal from Miami to Orlando – as well as VOC and formaldehyde testing and asbestos inspections. Now, we offer our science-based services and special brand of super customer service across the country.

We’re here, if there’s anything we can do to help you, your family or your business manage humidity – and a host of other asthma triggers, including:

• Pollen
• Dust particles
• Dust mites
• Pet dander
• Cockroach and rodent allergens

If you’d like more information about how to maintain healthy indoor air quality, give us a call at 1-888-462-4763 or 1-888-GO-AIRMD or submit your question online and an AirMD consultant will get back to you.