Breathing And The Dry Heat (Phoenix, Tucson: allergy, live, moving)

[WatnNY]

I'm surprised I haven't seen this question or topic on here yet. I have breathing problems and I have always heard that the dry air out there is better for people with breathing problems. Well, I'm nervous about when the temps start to go up above 110 and 120 in the summer. For the people with breathing problems, do you find it difficult to breathe? I hate to move from NY only to find out the first summer that it's difficult to breathe!

Thanks for your input.

Mike

[Bummer]

Originally Posted by WatnNY

I'm surprised I haven't seen this question or topic on here yet. I have breathing problems and I have always heard that the dry air out there is better for people with breathing problems. Well, I'm nervous about when the temps start to go up above 110 and 120 in the summer. For the people with breathing problems, do you find it difficult to breathe? I hate to move from NY only to find out the first summer that it's difficult to breathe!

Thanks for your input.

Mike

Who have you been listening to, Mike?

110 degrees in the Summer is a rarity for Tucson. I relocated here back in 1997 and I've never seen 120 degrees or anything even close. In fact, anything much over 100 degrees is an exception to the rule.

If you're looking for 120 degrees you need to head West to some place along the Colorado River, Palm Springs or Death Valley as that's even a rarity for Phoenix.

[Archaic]

What kind of breathing problems, WatnNY? That might make a difference. I usually don't have any, but one June a couple of years ago I had a bad case of bronchitis just before heading for the Yucatan from Maine. While no doubt the antibiotics are what cured the infection, the hot, moist, tropical air gave me a feeling of relief within hours.

I don't ordinarily care for humid heat, but on that trip I was grateful for it!

I've found no difficulty breathing in Tucson--or in Egypt, when it's been considerably hotter; up to 130--but, as I said, I don't ordinarily have breathing problems. Well, aside from the occasional allergy, but that's upper rather than lower respiratory.

[CheyDee]

The kind of humidity you get in NY, in August, for example, makes the air feel heavy and thick. If you walk outside into it, (from an air conditioned place), it can feel as if you were just kicked in the chest. Dry heat may indeed be hot, but you never get that kicked in the chest feeling.

Because of the dryness , temps over 100 degrees here feel MUCH cooler than similar temps in NY with high humidity.

Rather than being concerned about moving here for nothing, why not visit in the summer and experience it first hand?

[WatnNY]

I have COPD - too many years of smoking (only my fault, I have no one else to blame) - and the humidity in NY has been kicking my butt over the past few months. And of course the snow storms and the frigid cold temps don't help (16 BELOW zero here in NY this morning!).

I guess it's just the fear of such a big move and not knowing if the extreme heat of the summers will kick my butt as bad as the humidity here! I have no desire to stay indoors during the peak hours, as I will still be working to keep me out of the wife's hair! 8-D

Mike

[curly5759]

I suffered from Asthma when I lived in NYC. My family moved to AZ when I was 13 and the difference in my ability to breathe was noticeable immediately. I thrived in the desert heat, my breathing problems disappeared for over 20 years. They reappeared in a much milder form in my 30s.
My father had emphysema ( a form of COPD) and he was also a smoker. His health improved as well, but not as much as mine, probably due to how long he had smoked. (50 years is what he told me).
I have experienced many days of 110+ temps and never had a problem breathing.

curly

[rbohm]

Originally Posted by Bummer

Who have you been listening to, Mike?

110 degrees in the Summer is a rarity for Tucson. I relocated here back in 1997 and I've never seen 120 degrees or anything even close. In fact, anything much over 100 degrees is an exception to the rule.

If you're looking for 120 degrees you need to head West to some place along the Colorado River, Palm Springs or Death Valley as that's even a rarity for Phoenix.

actually 110 is not that rare here, i have lived here since 1961, and 100-110 is a normal summer heat range. its rare to go much above 110 though, but we have had an all time high of 118 once.

as to breathing issues, thats one of the nice things about the desert southwest. low humidity means the air is lighter and easier to breath. the other thing that comes with low humidity is low pollen levels, and that also makes breathing easier.

[RickTucsonHomes]

OP, this might help,
Tucson Average Temperatures National Weather Service

[WatnNY]

Originally Posted by curly5759

I suffered from Asthma when I lived in NYC. My family moved to AZ when I was 13 and the difference in my ability to breathe was noticeable immediately. I thrived in the desert heat, my breathing problems disappeared for over 20 years. They reappeared in a much milder form in my 30s.
My father had emphysema ( a form of COPD) and he was also a smoker. His health improved as well, but not as much as mine, probably due to how long he had smoked. (50 years is what he told me).
I have experienced many days of 110+ temps and never had a problem breathing.

curly

Curly,

Thanks for the positive info!

Mike

[CheyDee]

Originally Posted by rbohm

actually 110 is not that rare here, i have lived here since 1961, and 100-110 is a normal summer heat range. its rare to go much above 110 though, but we have had an all time high of 118 once.

as to breathing issues, thats one of the nice things about the desert southwest. low humidity means the air is lighter and easier to breath. the other thing that comes with low humidity is low pollen levels, and that also makes breathing easier.

As Rick's National Weather Service link shows, 100-110 is not a normal summer heat range. If you question the accuracy of that, here is a link to a graph from Weather Underground which shows the same thing.

The statement about low pollen levels is also inaccurate. This is a link to the current pollen count, as well as the anticipated count for the next few days. (The anticipated humidity level is not high for the end of that period.) The link clearly shows Tucson as having a high pollen count for each of these days. It also states the current pollen types, of which Cedar is just one.

If you can provide links to the contrary, to back up your statements, please share. I'm a bit of a weather nerd and would be very interested in seeing where the discrepancies are.