Colorado Asthma Sufferers Lend Me Your Ears!! (Denver, Fort Collins: homes, living in)

[NorCalMan]

Hello all,

So my asthmatic California born and raised lungs seem to get worse every summer. I have smog sensitive asthma and I'm quickly approaching the end of my tolerance rope. We live in the Sacramento area, yes the area that is routinely on the annual worst air lists, and I am dying (probably literally) to get outta California. My wife and I are both in the medical field so because of our profession we can go anywhere. We both ski, backpack, mtn. bike, and enjoy the outdoors.

My Questions...

What is it like having asthma in Colorado?
How does the cold/heat affect you?
Do you feel that living in a drier, high elevation helps or hinders your asthma?
Is the Denver/Boulder/Golden area bad for smog (like Salt Lake) or does the air there stay clean even through the summer?
Would living outside of Denver (Highlands Ranch or Parker) give me cleaner air or do I have to go to Colo Springs or Fort Collins?
Or would I have to forget the whole Front Range and head westward- Steamboat, Gunnison, Durango?

Thanks all for your honest answers!

[lalahartma]

I have asthma. CO is a great improvement over Cleveland! (big surprise!) I am allergic to mold, so dry air is essetial. That said, I am always careful when it is bitterly cold. I am in CoS and we have great air here.

[seethelight]

Originally Posted by NorCalMan

Hello all,

So my asthmatic California born and raised lungs seem to get worse every summer. I have smog sensitive asthma and I'm quickly approaching the end of my tolerance rope. We live in the Sacramento area, yes the area that is routinely on the annual worst air lists, and I am dying (probably literally) to get outta California. My wife and I are both in the medical field so because of our profession we can go anywhere. We both ski, backpack, mtn. bike, and enjoy the outdoors.

My Questions...

What is it like having asthma in Colorado?
How does the cold/heat affect you?
Do you feel that living in a drier, high elevation helps or hinders your

asthma?
Is the Denver/Boulder/Golden area bad for smog (like Salt Lake) or does the air there stay clean even through the summer?
Would living outside of Denver (Highlands Ranch or Parker) give me cleaner air or do I have to go to Colo Springs or Fort Collins?
Or would I have to forget the whole Front Range and head westward- Steamboat, Gunnison, Durango?

Thanks all for your honest answers!

I had been diagnosed with asthma four and a half years ago right after moving to the Front Range, previously never had a problem with asthma or any breathing problems for that matter. I have been taking Advair since 2005 with no measurable results. Recently I went to National Jewish, the nation's best respiratory hospital for some help with my breathing that no local doctors seem to have resolved.

I was told to get a methacholine challenge test, which is the ONLY way you know for sure that you have asthma. Guess what? I didn't have it. It seems that gastric reflux was my problem which mirrors the symptoms of asthma.

Fast forward one month to the present. I no longer have breathing problems and feel better than I have in years (four and a half to be exact.)

Not saying that everyone doesn't have asthma but it would be good to know for sure.

As for breathing in general, the Front Range is difficult for me because of the VERY low humidity and altitude. I always feel much better at sea level with a lot of humidity.

[CMartel2]

Originally Posted by NorCalMan

Hello all,

So my asthmatic California born and raised lungs seem to get worse every summer. I have smog sensitive asthma and I'm quickly approaching the end of my tolerance rope. We live in the Sacramento area, yes the area that is routinely on the annual worst air lists, and I am dying (probably literally) to get outta California. My wife and I are both in the medical field so because of our profession we can go anywhere. We both ski, backpack, mtn. bike, and enjoy the outdoors.

Is the Denver/Boulder/Golden area bad for smog (like Salt Lake) or does the air there stay clean even through the summer?
Would living outside of Denver (Highlands Ranch or Parker) give me cleaner air or do I have to go to Colo Springs or Fort Collins?
Or would I have to forget the whole Front Range and head westward- Steamboat, Gunnison, Durango?

Thanks all for your honest answers!

Actually, while Denver is better than Sacremento, it's not better than more coastal counties in California in terms of weather. The air, for instance, is cleaner in San Francisco, Marin, and Monterey Counties (near you) than it is in Denver.

See the following data from the Air Quality Index Report:

Sac has 214 good days, 69 moderate days, 18 bad days. Ozone is 293.
Denver has 267 good days, 67 moderate days, and 1 bad day. O3 is 217.

San Francisco? 228 good days, 47 moderate, 0 bad days. O3 is 159.
Marin 272 good days, 3 moderate, 0 bad days. O3 is 267

Routt County 248 good, 19 moderate, 0 bad days.

Los Angeles? 71 good, 108 moderate, 43 bad. .....

[NorCalMan]

Originally Posted by CMartel2

Actually, while Denver is better than Sacremento, it's not better than more coastal counties in California in terms of weather. The air, for instance, is cleaner in San Francisco, Marin, and Monterey Counties (near you) than it is in Denver.

See the following data from the Air Quality Index Report:

Sac has 214 good days, 69 moderate days, 18 bad days. Ozone is 293.
Denver has 267 good days, 67 moderate days, and 1 bad day. O3 is 217.

San Francisco? 228 good days, 47 moderate, 0 bad days. O3 is 159.
Marin 272 good days, 3 moderate, 0 bad days. O3 is 267

Routt County 248 good, 19 moderate, 0 bad days.

Los Angeles? 71 good, 108 moderate, 43 bad. .....

There's no doubt that the west coast has better air than just about anywhere in the U.S., the westerly breezes make sure of that. But to live on the coast is very expensive: homes are still $500K for even a smallish home, the mountains are puny, skiing is four hours away, and the extreme liberal vibe of SF doesn't jive with my more moderate approach.

That one day of bad air that Denver sees is nothing compared to Sacto. While there may be only 18 days of really bad air, there is another 30-40 summer days that are deemed "unhealthy for sensitive groups", this is between moderate and bad. Unfortunately I'm one of those sensitive groups.

I think the thing that would be the deciding factor in us moving to Colo. is the pay, and right now experienced nurses in Colo make much less than new nurses in Sacto. I love everything about Colo except the pay and unless home prices go down more or pay goes up, it will probably keep us away. But we'll see.

[rebagirl]

Originally Posted by NorCalMan

There's no doubt that the west coast has better air than just about anywhere in the U.S., the westerly breezes make sure of that. But to live on the coast is very expensive: homes are still $500K for even a smallish home, the mountains are puny, skiing is four hours away, and the extreme liberal vibe of SF doesn't jive with my more moderate approach.

That one day of bad air that Denver sees is nothing compared to Sacto. While there may be only 18 days of really bad air, there is another 30-40 summer days that are deemed "unhealthy for sensitive groups", this is between moderate and bad. Unfortunately I'm one of those sensitive groups.

I think the thing that would be the deciding factor in us moving to Colo. is the pay, and right now experienced nurses in Colo make much less than new nurses in Sacto. I love everything about Colo except the pay and unless home prices go down more or pay goes up, it will probably keep us away. But we'll see.

The west coast does not have better air than "just about anywhere in the U.S. as evidenced my numerous reports, a few of which are below:

American Lung Association:*Air Pollution Facts & Air Quality Info - Best & Worst Cities - ALA State of the Air 2007

To check the air quality where you live or anywhere else that interests you, plug in the desired zip code into the green box at the left.

[lalahartma]

Co Springs did well!
American Lung Association:*Air Pollution Facts & Air Quality Info - No Monitor Message - ALA State of the Air 2007

[NorCalMan]

Originally Posted by rebagirl

The west coast does not have better air than "just about anywhere in the U.S. as evidenced my numerous reports, a few of which are below:

American Lung Association:*Air Pollution Facts & Air Quality Info - Best & Worst Cities - ALA State of the Air 2007

To check the air quality where you live or anywhere else that interests you, plug in the desired zip code into the green box at the left.

I assume you are pointing to the fact that SF along with San Jose (an inland hell on earth) and Oakland was rated as the 15th worst on the short-term AQI list?
The only reason SF is listed there is because the American Lung Assoc. has decided to lump these three area's together geographically. Take a look at #12.

Sacramento--Arden-Arcade--Truckee, CA-NV.
This is a geographical area encompassing hundreds (maybe thousands) of square miles and it really does a disservice to Truckee (90 miles from Sacto, over the spine of the Sierra, and 6100' higher in elevation) because Truckee simply doesn't get the type of smog nor the duration of smog that Sacto routinely gets.


Let's put it this way, the U.S. Census Bureau identifies 363 metropolitan area's in the U.S. By the Am. Lung Assoc.'s findings, SF shows up once, half way down the list, on a chart that indicates no real long term affect on one's health. SF air may not be as clean as Wyoming air, but it is still cleaner than just about anywhere else in the U.S.

[justmyopinion]

Hi -
My family, originally from Michigan, moved to California because my sister was asthmatic. After I was born, I had the same condition. BUT.... we found my sister did better in dry climate, where I did better in humid climate, and at times cold climate. The drs told us she had "bacterial asthma", where humidity would really trigger it, where in my case, the humidity calmed it!

That being said, I moved to Colorado 2 years ago, and breath better here than I ever have. The summers have a slight humidity; the winters are dry and cold. The elevation has not hurt me at all. I also saw an incredible improvement when I stopped all the inhalers, and steroids. It took a couple of months, but.... I am breathing so well. The better I feel, the more I can exercise, and the better my diet has become. I believe that everything is connected, and it has all improved my health.

And sadly, I have to add, the doctors kept my sister on steroids for so long, that they finally did much much damage. She passed away, not from asthma, but from the medications. The body is not made to process "chemicals" and medications consistently for years. My advice is to try a more natural route if at all possible.

[angelaluzia]

Wow that is so sad about your sister and I am so sorry. I know first hand about what damage medications can do.