Seasonal asthma is a long-term condition worsened by environmental factors, particularly allergens like pollen, mould and indoor triggers, leading to symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness.
What causes seasonal asthma?
- Allergens like pollen in spring and summer are common triggers.
- Cold weather in winter can dry out or irritate airways.
- Mould may worsen in summer or winter depending on location.
- Hot weather and indoor allergens like dust and pets can also trigger symptoms.
Understanding the distinction between hay fever and asthma is important – although the two can present in a very similar manner with regards to chest symptoms, nasal congestion and eye itching is often also involved in hay fever symptoms while asthma, caused by inflammation of the airways, presents with cough (especially at night), wheezing and shortness of breath on activity.
How to treat seasonal asthma
Seasonal asthma is managed in an identical manner to year-round asthma, with the mainstay of treatment being inhaler use (brown steroid inhalers to reduce lung inflammation and blue salbutamol inhalers to provide rapid relief by widening airways). In addition avoidance of triggers and management of possible allergies by using anti-histamines could be helpful. If you suspect that this could apply to you then please book an appointment with one of our experienced GPs for a full assessment.