Asthma....is the Phoenix air good or bad for people with asthma? (allergy, mold)

[BeckyfromIL]

Thanks everyone for all the info! We will definitely go see an allergist as soon as we get out there this summer.

[mike.main]

I have Asthma and I do much better in a dry weather like Phoenix than humid areas I've been to like Houston or Dubai. But I might have a different trigger than yours. Mine is mostly triggered by dust. Good luck.

[sarahrose]

Just shut your windows when the palo verde trees bloom..holy man!! I don't even have allergies, but those trees blooming are just plain miserable.....my son has asthma triggers too, and for the first month we had issues, then as he adjusted, he was fine.

[HollyStreetCat]

I live in the Phoenix Area and I believe that it all depends on the person. Some develop different types of Asthma. Mine hasn't bothered me as much the last year till this summer it has started in again. It is very dry and some parts of the Valley are dustier than others and that may be the reason for some asthma and allergies.

[Sovetsky Medved]

Consider this!
I moved here in 2004. The first year or two is great, no allergies and no asthma.
then your body acclimates to the desert and watch out, you become a wheezing, sneezing, coughing machine.
My doctor had to put me on Asthma medication, because the pollution here actually was giving me asthma.
When I get away from phoenix I clear up after a few weeks.
I love it here and all, BUT the Air Quality is one of our worst faults.

[Sovetsky Medved]

7 U.S. cities with the worst air pollution: Phoenix | MNN - Mother Nature Network

[Sovetsky Medved]

We literally becoming an L.A. in the desert
http://simpleclimate.files.wordpress...87470ea3fe.jpg

[azriverfan.]

Environment has little to do with asthma control. The bigger factors are being prescribed the proper medications, compliance with those medications and controlling any underlying allergies. In my opinion, most of the time, the problem is with poor compliance of medications due to poor understanding, irresponsibility or both. Patients don't understand that certain medications are not to be used as needed. You don't use Advair, Symbicort, Dulera, Qvar, Pulmicort (Budesonide), Alvesco on an as needed basis. Those are scheduled medications that are to be used twice daily regardless of how you feel. You will not receive any benefit from those medications if you don't use them daily. Claiming you only use Advair as needed makes little sense since those medications are not designed to function in that manner. They are not short acting bronchodilators or rescue inhalers like Pro Air, Ventolin and Proventil. In many cases, patients will only be prescribed Pro Air or Ventolin and will require inhaled steroids(Qvar, Pulmicort, Alvesco) or a combination of inhaled steroids/long acting bronchodilator (Symbicort, Advair, Dulera) in addition to Pro Air. So before people blame Phoenix or any other city for poor control of their asthma, I would recommend seeing a specialist like an allergy-asthma-immunologist or a pulmonologist. Lastly, uncontrolled allergies may exacerbate asthma symptoms. Get skin tested and see an allergist because uncontrolled allergies may worsen your asthma.

Finally, air pollution does not directly correlate with asthma suffering. In fact, Phoenix does not rank among the worst cities for asthma.
http://www.asthmacapitals.com/

Out of the top 100 cities for asthma, Phoenix was ranked 40th, in 2013, we were ranked 56th. We are not even close to be ranked in the top 20.

[yukon]

Originally Posted by BeckyfromIL

Thanks everyone for all the info! We will definitely go see an allergist as soon as we get out there this summer.

I'd go to the allergist BEFORE I moved anywhere. That allows you to research pollen before up and moving. Had I thought of that, I wouldn't have moved to ABQ since tree pollen is my trigger and ABQ is loaded with it, almost all year long.

[Sovetsky Medved]

My Doctor even said the current air pollution in PHX has caused more asthma and allergy sufferers and you should not have to be put on medication, just to live somewhere.
they need to find out the cause of all the pollution and work to end it.
In my opinion, I believe it's just to many people trying to live in a hot dry desert valley.
and the more people that move here, the worst it will get.
Ive been up here in San Francisco for a week now, My Lungs feel so clean and Im breathing great, but I know when I come back to phoenix, the hacking and coughing will just start right back up again.
if it wasn't for my job, I would probabl move. Im weighing the pros and cons of staying in such a polluted city.