CF and living location

[Brideofdnb]

My 17 year old sister has CF and my mom is always changing her story so I wanted to know if anyone knew how much where you live affected how your CF symptoms worsened. They lived in the mountains in Colorado and my mother said that they needed to live at a lower altitude and so now they are back in Iowabut she now says that they need to live somewhere less humid. How does the location of where you live really affect your symptoms? I would love any information people have!!! I want to make sure that my mom is actually thinking of my sister and not her self! I worry about my sister all the time and want to see her in a steady environment that she can live in comfortably.

 

[Brideofdnb]

My 17 year old sister has CF and my mom is always changing her story so I wanted to know if anyone knew how much where you live affected how your CF symptoms worsened. They lived in the mountains in Colorado and my mother said that they needed to live at a lower altitude and so now they are back in Iowabut she now says that they need to live somewhere less humid. How does the location of where you live really affect your symptoms? I would love any information people have!!! I want to make sure that my mom is actually thinking of my sister and not her self! I worry about my sister all the time and want to see her in a steady environment that she can live in comfortably.

 

[nmw0615]

I can completely sympathize with your sister in this case. I currently live in the foothills of Colorado and the dry air is perfect for me. I do have an easier time breathing when I am in lower elevation areas, but I have a horrible, horrible time in high humidity. Nearly all of the health problems I had growing up occurred when I would spend several weeks in a high humidity area.

 

[nmw0615]

I can completely sympathize with your sister in this case. I currently live in the foothills of Colorado and the dry air is perfect for me. I do have an easier time breathing when I am in lower elevation areas, but I have a horrible, horrible time in high humidity. Nearly all of the health problems I had growing up occurred when I would spend several weeks in a high humidity area.

 

[CajunPenguin]

Connemara, Ireland. I did physio half as much as usual and felt twice as good as usual. Only problem with living there is that you're miles from a hospital. Usually I'm fine in any climate or altitude for a short time, a few days or so. Also, any regular terrain in Ireland is good, Wexford and Waterford are much better than where I live, Dublin

 

[CajunPenguin]

Connemara, Ireland. I did physio half as much as usual and felt twice as good as usual. Only problem with living there is that you're miles from a hospital. Usually I'm fine in any climate or altitude for a short time, a few days or so. Also, any regular terrain in Ireland is good, Wexford and Waterford are much better than where I live, Dublin

 

[agapegirl36]

Well, near the ocean is supposed to be good because the saltly air helps clear out lungs. I know that I have a hard time breathing at really high altitudes. As for humidity, I'm not really sure. I have lived in Florida my whole life so I don't have anything to compare it to.

 

[imported_Momto2]

Extremes are very hard for me, be it very humid or super dry. Stress, combined with poor air quality, will always set off my asthma every single time. I have noticed altitude being a factor, but given 24 hours, I adjust pretty quickly. However, that certainly may not be true for everyone! The worse thing about constant humidity is that it fosters mold growth, and I REALLY react to that. We are in the foothill of SW VA right now (2000-3000 ft elevation), and that seems to be a pretty good environment for me as long as I avoid the baking hot cities.

 

[JENNYC]

Our doctor made comment at our last Family Synopsis that living in Houston, they tended to see many more cases of MRSA than other clinics because of the climate. So I guess some climates could harbor more germs as well as altitude I would think make it either easier or harder to breathe.

 

[bananagirl]

I am not really sure how climate effects CF. I live in colorado so it is dry and a high altitude. I really like it because I can go most places in the country without having a problem, higher altitudes aren't that much higher so I adjust quickly(24hrs). I do find it easier to breath at a lower altitude but that is due to the fact that I have more red blood cells since I live at a higher altitude. (anyones body would be this way, that is why many athletes train at a higher altitude) When I go places that are hot and humid I find it rather difficult to breath and I do not adjust to the heat very well. I recently spent 3 weeks in Cancun and found that by the end of the 3 weeks I did not notice the humidity and had no problem breathing, though when I got back home I found I was very tired and out of breath. It took about a week for me to feel normal at home again. I would figure it is fine wherever they live, a person's body will adjust to it, though living at a lower altitude would probably make adjusting (on trips) to higher altitudes much harder since there is less oxygen, where as the other way (high to low) there is more. Humidity might cause more germs to grow since they like warm, moist environments, but this would just require better cleaning.

 

[SIcklyhatED]

In my mind the ocean is the absolute best place to live for CF. I always, always do better when we take a trip to the beach (it's like a constant neb!).

I live in Arizona, have never known anything else, but the dry air can be a pain sometimes. It just... dries you out, and not in a good way. Plus the dust and when fire season comes around.... Thank God my parents decided not to move to LA before I was born!!!

I've spent significant time in Ecuador (for family), up to a 6 month stretch at one time, and the extreme humidity was okay (pollution was not). I do best at the beach there, or up in the Andes since it's cool & humid. Keeping your lungs moist really can make a difference as far as being able to actually cough up crap.

 

[eganhouselisa]

I have lived in Iowa the first 22 years of my life and Minnesota the past 13. I have hardly any problems in the summer and actually prefer the humidity - if I am outside in the hot and/or humid, then go inside to air conditioning, I start coughing. Also, I have MANY more lung problems when the weather is cold. I often think of moving somewhere warm.

 

[stephen]

Contact National Jewish Health in Denver CO. I believed that they would answer this type of question.

Stephen
70 y/o with CF and Bronchiectasis

 

[all4Eden]

We live in the desert of AZ around 250 ft above sea level. Yuma; Farming town by the border with Mexico. Coming into town from the east, you can see a brown cloud nearby the town. That's the air pollution from orl Mexico mix with the farming dust. Our 10 year old is handling it fine for now. She is doing her treatments plus lots of physical exercise. Base on our homework, Ocean air is the best. But, who can afford to live on those places? We cant! Right now she is on vacation wiht FA in Northern CA near the ocean for a month. She has not cough at all. We've mention CO, Tucson area (2500') and Puerto Rico as a possibility for us to move. Basically what they have told us is that I'll be ok in the beginning but after a while, the allergies will flare up.

 

[CookieMonsterKayla]

Well thanks for looking out for me sissy.. I have finally started to be ok with the air here in Iowa.. The town still sucks but I can deal. Thank you guys for all of your input!!!!

 

[Lena Bean]

Well, if you look it up the higher altitude you live in the lower your function naturally will be, so of course that will effect you. Also, humidity does play a role. But so does the amount of polution. You have to weigh all the pros and cons, and find that place that is just right.