Expert: Kevin Smith - 1/25/2010

Question
For a person who may be short of breath at different times, regardless of the affliction that causes it, how does temperature and elevation impact.  Would they be better off at warmer to hot temperatures, rather than cooler to cold temperatures?  How much better off might they be living at sea level to 2,000 feet as compared with 3,000 to 5,000 feet?
thank you very much.

Answer
Hi Larry,

Let me start off by saying this is one of those questions that there is little true agreement on, therefore, I can only tell you what I've heard the majority say:

Air temperature seems to be a finicky thing for people who suffer from breathing problems. Many find that going to extremes in either direction ( hot or cold ) tends to give them symptoms. If one, howeve, were to have to choose, I would suggest, strongly, a hot, DRY location. For me, personally, I'm strongly affected by temperatures around the 0 celcius mark ( 32 F )- at that temperature, I find the air is still moist, but also cold, which is my bad combination. I've also found that in hot, extremely humid conditions, such as places likes Hawaii, I react quite badly due to the air being so 'thick'.

So how does one figure out what works for them? Unfortuately, it's usually experimenting and paying attention when one is in a particular circumstance. I've found, as silly as it sounds, that breathing in deeply from a freezer tends to show if one is very subseptible to cold, and often, if you react to hot/wet, breathing in deeply from a humidifer can show that ( or from a kettle, but please remember that's REALLY hot and you can burn yourself ).

The level at which you live is, again, subject to the individual. However, the higher you go, basically, the lower the oxygen content is, therefore, excise, for example, is harder, especially for those with breathing issues. The problem then becomes how low do you go? At sea level, in a mild climate, many find that their breathing is quite good, however, again, some react to the increased humidity, even at mild temperatures. The other issues is other enviromental factors that tend to go with elevations and humidity that could be causing issues - such as allergies. Farming tends to happen at certain altitudes and within certain weather conditions, for example, and sometimes it can be hard to distinguish between what is casuing the issues.

So, basically, as mentioned, it comes down to experimenting. If you are thinking of moving or something like that, I can only suggest trying to experiment as much as possible beforehand. Try to make note of the conditions surrounding breathing issues - the temperature, the humidity, the elevation, and other things like possible allergens, exercise-level, etc. Hopefully this will help you form a picture as to what sets the sufferer off.

Good luck!