This Is Just What I Heard....

ErinsMommy

New member
I'm not sure if it's true or not becauseyou know, online websites lie a lot and you can't trust anything on them...
I heard that it is statistically true that a person with Cystic Fibrosis does better and lives longer in warmer climates... you know, basically outside of new england... down south... places that don't have cruel harsh winters... can anybody tell me is this true??

I live in Maine with Erin and if she would do better living somewhere else... we're packing up and moving. Someone please write back.
Thank you!!
 
I

IG

Guest
Honestly I sniff at reports of that.
It's not just the weather, though that can contribute to health. [i.e. humidity, pollen count in certain regions, etc.]
I think what really counts is the doctors.
If you have great doctors don't move.
If you don't have great doctors, sure look into other places. If you feel it might help.
I know some CFers that have a hard time with humid climates [me when I was sick] and others that feel they cannot function [cough tons more] in dry climates. I personally liked Arizona... dry, but that's just me. I know that statistically [according to my doctor] those that live by the coast are supposed to be healthier. Due to the fact that they are along the coast line [sea air= high content salt] so basically like a hypertonic saline treatment 24/7.
So like I said depends. Especially if you/she has allergies. Some places are better/worse for that.
If you really want to know I'd ask your doctor but that's what I've heard about it.
 
6

65rosessamurai

Guest
It would be nice to know if weather has "true" effects on someone with CF.
I lived in Detroit (Actually, Downriver of Detroit) most all of my life, snow storms, minus zero temperatures in the winter, over 100 F (Farenheit) in the summers (on occasion).
I lived in a small town in Michigan for 6 months, near the Indiana border, of which also had little effect on my health.
Then, I moved to JAPAN. I live in Osaka, which isn't necessarily Florida, nor is it Hawaii (wish it was!) or California. It gets HOT and MUGGY in the summer, for about 3 months, then cools off in the winter to about, say maybe, 35 F (not necessarily below freezing on the average), but due to the housing design, it's cold all winter long.

While living in Detroit, my mom would cut the room temperature below 74 F, nearly 65 F in the winters. The reason is, the germs would not survive as well, the cold temperature was actually considered "good" for the lungs, and the exchange between entering a very hot room, and very cold, was one major cause for catching colds.

Another, very important factor, would have to be how clean the air is, there. I believe if I lived any closer to downtown Detroit, I'd be in worse trouble. I had difficulty when I was working part time at the metropolitan airport, because of the high content of carbon monoxide.
So, like ImmortalGoddezz's suggestion, if you have already decided to move, make it somewhere close to a very good CF Center, to help with your child's health.

(P.S. I don't think they lie, I think it's like the news, sometimes, if you take 10% of what they're saying, that's true. )
 

kybert

New member
australia doesnt have really harsh winters and we arent exactly doing any better than cold areas in the US. that could have something to do with more restricted treatment options or it could mean that where you live means didley squat! the latter would seem more believable as our healthcare is adequate enough despite its problems. though i must admit, i wouldnt do too well in colder areas but that doesnt really have anything to do with cf. more of a personal preference really.
 

anonymous

New member
This is NOT true. I watched one of the CFF web casts and a dr. from Arizona was asked about this. He said that climate has nothing to do with increasing/decreasing CF condition. Plus, I have heard that a Minnesota CF clinic has one of the best survival rates (median age in the 40's rather than mid 30's) and there winters are pretty harsh.
 
I don't know...Austin was really sick a lot when we lived near the Monterey Bay in Pacific Grove, CA. I don't remember ever having to take him to the hospital for pneumonia or ear infections after we moved up here to Redding, CA. Pacific Grove was wet all the time and up here, the summers are very hot and the winters are mild. If we get snow, it won't stick for more than 24 hours. I keep the house cool as possible in the summer and have them bundle up in the winter if they are cold...yes, that heat breeds germs. We have been VERY lucky not to have to have hospitalized Austin for anything but the polyp surgery and the onset of his diabetes. Something tells me he would have been sicker if we had stayed down south.
 

anonymous

New member
I have read that Minnesota has one of the highest life expectancies for cfers in the US. They do have a wonderful cf center that also plays a factor. We live in Texas and I have heard that the south is not the best place to be for cfers.
Sharon, mom of Sophia, 4 and Jack, 2 both with cf
 

ErinsMommy

New member
thank you everyone!!
I havent decided to move yet, and i really didn't WANT to move but you guys helped me a bunch.
I'll talk to Erin's doctor's and see what they have to say.
Thanks again!!
 

JazzysMom

New member
I am sure weather itself has a lot to do with a CFers overall health as well as pollutants & the healthcare they have access to. I personally prefer the cooler air to warmer or humid air. I live in the Northeast so have a little of each throughout the year. I have heard that cold air is no good for anyone when breathing it in (CF or not) which does make sense, but we are talking freezing temperatures. I also know that a lot depends on the person themselves. Their bodies adapt to the environment. Some dont adapt as well & maybe moving would be beneficial, but "I" believe that if a person has a real hard time in one type of environment/weater, chances are they will have a difficult time in another.
 

anonymous

New member
<blockquote>Quote<br><hr><i>Originally posted by: <b>65rosessamurai</b></i><br>It would be nice to know if weather has "true" effects on someone with CF.

I lived in Detroit (Actually, Downriver of Detroit) most all of my life, snow storms, minus zero temperatures in the winter, over 100 F (Farenheit) in the summers (on occasion).

I lived in a small town in Michigan for 6 months, near the Indiana border, of which also had little effect on my health.<hr></blockquote>

******65rosessamurai, did you live in Niles? Just curious.
--Wanderlost
 

anonymous

New member
I live in Ohio, and we have some pretty bad winters...but I don't think that it has negatively affected my CF. I just make sure that I bundle up (like everyone else)! I have never noticed a "worse" feeling in the colder months, but maybe some people do. All I know is that Ohio has a great CF center (University Hospitals in Cleveland) and I wouldnt move anywhere from here...
 

thefrogprincess

New member
Here's something to keep in mind. Humidity breeds mold. Mold can be fatal. Once its in your house you CANNOT get rid of it. My docs here in Seattle started doing mold pannels on me when I told them that my last apartment was horribly moldy.
 
Top