does high altitude effect asthma sufferers?
98363
The short answer is yes, it could.  I live at 6000 feet and people who visit my city often have to take time to get used to the height.  Anyone with a chronic resp or heart disease can very easily have a difficult time, some need oxygen support.
139400
the air gets thinner as you rise in elevation.  the thin mountain air doesn't trap the heat as well as the thick air near sea level does.
591603
Absolutely.     A peak Flow Meter is benificial for all types of asthma.
742171
You will often basically feel air pressure when descending a mountain quickly or descending from altitude in a plane ride.  The planes are pressurized, but only to the equivalent of about 5000-7000 feet. That's only about 80% of sea level pressure.   As the pressure around you rises rapidly, you will likely feel pressure, possibly even pain, in your sinuses as the pressure slowly equalizes, especially if you are "stuffed up" from allergies or a cold.
291810
I don't think it asthma, I think it is a build up of co2 (carbon dioxide) the reason is, you blood is pumping faster while you exert energy, if your breathing rate is not in tune with your heart rate, then your capularies(in your lungs) will absorb the CO2 that is residual in your lungs from your last exhale, there fore building up CO2 levels in your blood. Breath deeper and slower, and decrease your heart rate to fix this. You will be in no immediate danger unless you continue to run for an extended period of time. Its a similar effect from scuba diving.
861599
hmmm..\nyou can see how albuterol sulfate (asthma medicine) changes someone's breathing or heart rate lol
37068
The air gets less dense, not lighter as elevation increases because there is less air on top to push down on the air beneath it you as you go up.  It would be like diving to the bottom of a swimming pool.  Whenever you go so deep, your ears start to hurt because the pressure of the water on you.  It's like that, but we're used to the pressure of the air.  \n\nTall people don't breathe easier, there isn't that much of a difference in pressure.  But actually, the higher you go, the harder it is to breathe.  There is less oxygen as you go up (that's why mountain climbers have to wear oxygen masks when climbing tall mountains like Everest!)
1040041
yes  usually  in  one  of 2  ways\n# a very severe attack  leading  to asphyxiation and death.\n  (this  is becoming less common as drug control of asthma is \n   becoming more easily attainable by new drugs and health\n    education)\n\n#on  the  long  run the  effect  of  poor  care  could result  in  overloading the heart (its called cor pulmonale) with an enlarged right ventricle and heart failure and then death from a heart attack.
717925
Asthma is a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. There are many different kinds of asthma. Extrinsic asthma(asthma that can be clearly associated with exposure to a specific antigen like pollen, grass, dust, etc.),Intrinsic asthma(which cannot be directly linked to a specific antigen), Exercise induced asthma(typically occurs 10-15 minutes after vigorous exercise).During an asthma attack the smooth muscles surrounding the small airways constrict(bronchospasm)causing difficulty in moving air in and out of the lungs.
358594
Well, let me tell you what I know about asthma.\n\nWhat causes it?  Allergies can trigger it...Many triggers include, dust, dander from animals, pollen, leaf mold, dust mites and I read that roach pooh can trigger it. (UGH)\n\nMy youngest daughter had asthma and outgrew by age 5.\n\nMy oldest daughter began experiencing symptoms when she was eleven. (shortness of breath and wheezing, especially upon exertion) She is 31 years old now and has lots of problems with it. She has been hospitalized several times in the last few years with it. She uses a puffer. Her Dr prescribed her meds for a nebulizer. For her birthday --I bought her a nebulizer.\n\nSeveral of my grandchildren had problems with wheezing when they were infants.\n\nI didn't experience problems with shortness of breath and wheezing until I quit smoking about 6 years ago. I smoked for over thirty years. I have COPD but I also have asthma. \nWith the asthma I experience shortness of breath. Even getting ready to go to work can leave me breathless, at times. When I have overexerted myself, I wheeze. I experience thses symptoms every day.\n\nPeople who bath in perfume or aftershave really tear my lungs up. I get wheezy after a few minutes of inhaling the mess.\n\nWhen the wind blows, dust and allergens send my lungs into a tail spin. Sometimes extremes in temperature affect me too.\n\nI am on  Zyrtec (for allergies), Spiriva (a steroid dry powder inhaler), Advair (another dry powder steroid inhaler), Prednisone (a steroid) and I also have a nebulizer to use when I am having a really rough time.\n\nSometimes emotions and stress can affect Asthma.\n\nThey use to say that asthma wasn't that serious but now they know different. A person can die with a serious attack. \n\nIf you suspect that you, or any person in your family has asthma, Go to a Dr. Only your GP or a pulmonologist can gauge the seriousness of your condition and prescribe medications to alleviate your symptoms and make life a bit easier for you.\n\nTake Care,\n~Linda~
958382
Hi,\n\nWell for one thing, humans can go way higher than that WITHOUT supplimentary oxygen.  Quite a few people have climbed Mount Everest with no extra oxygen and it's altitude it over 29,000 feet!\n\nThis 13,000 foot limit is probably for pilots.  With time, the human body adapts to altitude (over days it makes more and more red blood cells), that's why climbers can go that high without extra oxygen.  But pilots, go up to that altitude very rapidly so they must have oxygen and even then there is a limit (13,000 feet.)\n\nAbove that altitude, as the person above said, you must pressurize the cabin so that the air is under a similar pressure to that on the ground.  This is needed because the pressure helps the lungs absorb oxygen.  At the low pressure at 13,000 feet, the rate of absorption is too slow for the rate your body uses it up, and you would begin to suffocate.\n\nGood question by the way!
78480
Why high altitude?  Tundra applies to lowlands as well,.
19016
Can you be more specific?  The earth's atmosphere has many gases in it, one being oxygen.  Dry air and humid air will have little difference in oxygen levels.  Altitude, however, does affect oxygen.  The higher you are, the less air, and less oxygen.  I hope this helped.
975406
the best thing for him would be dry weather. many people that suffer from asthma move to Arizona due to the nice dry weather.
331726
During an Asthma attack, a chemical is released in the body which causes the linining of the airway and in some cases the bronchus and lungs to swell. This means that there is a reduced area for air to travel though. This can often be demonstrated by breathing through the middle of a toilet roll (the cardboard bit) - this is your open airway; and then breathing through a reglar McDonalds straw - your reduced airway.\n\nVentilation is then reduced. The side effects of this are increased acidity in the bloodsteam (Carbon Dioxide Levels Rise) and in severe cases the person will faint and possibly go into shock.\n\nAsthma is easy to treat with an inhaler such as Ventolin. These contain drugs which have anti-inflamatory properties which counter the effect of the chemicals causing the swelling.\n\nTom Walvin\nBiologist
636659
Mountains are higher in altitude than the plains.\n\nThe higher you go, the less atmospheric gases there are. This is due to the fact that gravity holds these gases close to the surface.\n\nAir holds heat. If you have less air then there will be less heat.\n\n:)
519539
I have never heard of this happening...I think that the worst case scenario would be that your brain wouldn't get enough oxygen and you could die...though I guess it may be possible if a person were rescusitated that they could have suffered some brain damage that leaves them paralized.  I have heard of people having tingling in their arms and legs when they are having an asthma attack though.