Weather and Wellness: Forecasting Fall’s Effect on Your Health

Break out your sweaters and grab a pumpkin spice latte (YUCK!) because it's fall, y'all! And guess what? I absolutely dread this time of year. Don’t get me wrong, I do love a good fall festival, and I will always be first in line to get a steaming bowl of delicious Louisiana gumbo. However, fall brings more than cozy scents and crisp mornings. The shift in the seasons may bring a shift in your health as well. Listed below are some 'fall features' that may impact your your body and mind.

Cold Fronts

Image retrieved from weatherandradar.com

Cold fronts are a hallmark of autumn. For many, cold fronts bring the first true relief from a scorching summer, but for those with asthma or other respiratory conditions, they can also stir up trouble. In a previous blog post,  I discussed the effects of cold fronts on those with asthma in more detail.

• The sudden temperature drops after a cold front (sometimes 15–20°F in an hour) may result in airway tightening.
• Dewpoints and humidity may fall after a frontal passage, and this dry air may help viruses that cause respiratory illnesses to linger in the air longer.
• Outflow winds from thunderstorms may kick up allergens such as dust, pollen, and mold.
• Note: Cold fronts can exacerbate other chronic conditions as well. The changes in atmospheric pressure after a cold front may trigger migraines in some people.

Ragweed Pollen

Image Source: Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America

If you thought that pollen was only an issue in the spring, think again! Ragweed is most prevalent in the fall, and almost 20 percent of the population in the United States is sensitive to ragweed pollen. Exposure to ragweed pollen may result in asthma symptoms, eye irritation, and rhinitis.

Mold on Leaves

Image retrieved via Bing

If you have ever felt sick after raking leaves (or after jumping in a pile of leaves!), you may have been exposed to leaf mold. When leaves pile up and retain moisture, they can quickly become a breeding ground for mold. While some find leaf mold to be beneficial as a compost, inhaling mold spores can result in allergic rhinitis.

Viral Infections

Image retrieved via Bing

As mentioned earlier, the lower humidity that accompanies fall weather may help viruses like those that cause common cold and influenza, to be more easily transported in the air. Gastrointestinal illnesses caused by viruses such as norovirus, usually increase in the fall as people begin to congregate indoors for activities.

Indoor Air Quality

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As the weather cools, heaters that have been dormant for months are turned on to reduce the chill, fireplaces are lit, and fragrant candles are burned to create a cozy indoor atmosphere. These actions can result in a decrease of indoor air quality and may cause headaches, watery eyes, sneezing, and breathing issues for sensitive individuals.

Seasonal Affective Disorder

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The loss of daylight that occurs during the fall may make some more susceptible to Seasonal Affective Disorder. This is a form of depression that affects approximately 10 million Americans. Researchers continue to study SAD in order to determine exactly how it occurs, but it is believed that the lack of sunlight in fall and winter leads to a disruption of the body's circadian rhythm and deficiencies in serotonin, melatonin, and Vitamin D. Symptoms can include feelings of sadness and hopelessness, weight gain, and fatigue.

A Few Tips for Staying Healthy During the Fall

• Track weather forecasts and air quality updates
• Monitor pollen and mold exposure
• Consider wearing a mask in populated indoor areas or when raking leaves
• Clean up wet leaves promptly
• Consider purchasing an air purifier
• Limit scented candles or sprays if sensitive
• Stay up to date on vaccinations.
• Stay active and spend time in the daylight, if possible.
• Wash your hands frequently

Sources

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11911648/

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/ragweed-allergy

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/thunderstorm-asthma-bad-weather-allergies-and-asthma-attacks-202206222766?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20364651

https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/what-is-mental-health/conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder

Fall Cold Fronts: Friend or Foe to Those Living with Asthma?

 

Note:  I posted this article two years ago on another blog site.  I wanted to share this as it will be relevant to my next "Weather and Wellness Wednesday" entry!  

October 12, 2023

Louisiana was literally on fire this summer as most of the state faced extreme or exceptional drought conditions, and portions of central and southwest Louisiana experienced unprecedented wildfires. 2023 was Baton Rouge’s hottest summer on record with 32 days of temperatures reaching or exceeding 100F. Extremely high daytime temperatures, high overnight temperatures, and poor air quality (due to wildfire smoke and ground level ozone) resulted in health hazards for many Louisiana citizens.

So last week, when the first significant cold front of autumn passed through Louisiana, many welcomed it with open arms because it was forecast to bring cooler weather. In the days following the cold front, temperatures dropped, air quality improved, southeast Louisiana breathed a sigh of relief, and the unmistakable sounds of gumbo pots coming out of hibernation could be heard throughout the state. However, health effects caused by weather can be just as complicated as weather systems themselves! Cold fronts can ease some of the burdens of extreme heat, but they may also cause problems for those who have asthma.

Characteristics of cold fronts that may worsen asthma include:

• Sudden Temperature Changes:   A cold front is a zone between warm air and cold air.  Some cold fronts result in slightly cooler temperatures, but the passage of strong cold fronts can drop temperatures as quickly as 15-20 degrees in an hour!  Extreme temperature changes like these may result in bronchoconstriction- a tightening of the airways- in people living with asthma.
• Decreases in Humidity and Dewpoint:  Relative humidity and dewpoint temperature are measurements used to determine the amount of water vapor in the air.  When cold fronts move through an area, both humidity and dewpoint can fall rapidly, and the air can become very dry.  The dry air ushered in by the cold front that passed through Louisiana on October 6th resulted in a low humidity value of 19% on October 8th in Baton Rouge!  (For comparison, many find that the most comfortable humidity values are between 30% and 50%).  Air this dry can result in inflammation and tightening of the airways, which can lead to asthma attacks.  Additionally, some viruses, fungi, and bacteria may spread more easily in air that is less humid.  Respiratory illnesses caused by microorganisms can be precursors to asthma attacks.
• Strong Winds:  In the fall, grass and weed pollens haunt asthma and allergy sufferers.  When a cold front passes, the winds can become gusty and will typically shift from the southwest to the northeast.  These winds can transport pollen.  Thunderstorms may accompany a strong cold front, and research has shown that dynamics of thunderstorms can cause pollen grains to rupture and become very small. In “thunderstorm asthma”, these pollen grain fragments can be inhaled deep into the lower respiratory tract and result in acute asthma exacerbations.
• Atmospheric Pressure (maybe?):  As a cold front approaches an area, the atmospheric pressure in that area will usually fall (however, it will rise again after the cold front passes).  There has been research to study if atmospheric pressure changes could result in asthma attacks; however more research is needed to determine correlations.  Changes in barometric pressure have been known to affect individuals who suffer with other chronic conditions such as migraines, so relationships between atmospheric pressure and asthma warrant further study.

If you have asthma and are sensitive to the weather changes a cold front may bring, these tips can help you prepare:

1. Follow the forecasts:  Pay attention to weather, air quality, and pollen forecasts from trusted sources such as the National Weather Service, your local broadcast meteorologists, and airnow.gov .
2. Review your asthma action plan:  Your asthma action plan will help you to assess your symptoms and will guide the medical treatments/actions you should take to prevent asthma symptoms from worsening.
3. Carry quick acting medications:  Weather changes can cause asthma symptoms to flare suddenly.  If your doctor has prescribed a quick acting asthma medication, such as an albuterol inhaler, be sure to carry it with you at all times.
4. Dress appropriately:  On the day of a frontal passage, you may need to wear short sleeves in the morning, and wear a thick jacket later that afternoon!  Wearing a mask or scarf may protect you from breathing in cold, dry air.
5. Talk to your healthcare provider:   Be sure to tell your doctor and respiratory care team if the passage of cold fronts causes your asthma symptoms to flare.  Your healthcare providers may adjust your medicine to ensure that you stay healthy when the weather changes.

Are cold fronts hazardous to your health?  Do you take any special precautions when a cold front moves through?  Share your thoughts in the comments!

Weather and Wellness: Preparedness- A Caregiver's Story

 

In December 2023, I participated in my commencement ceremony at Mississippi State University. I had received a Master’s degree in Environmental Geosciences, and it was one of the proudest moments of my life! My 82 year old father insisted on joining me for the trek from Monroe, LA to Starkville, MS despite his growing mobility challenges.

Having him there meant the world to me. Yet, as we made the trip, I noticed that he looked a bit gaunt, moved slower than usual, and seemed quite a bit more fragile than I had noticed before. I told myself it was just the toll of a long car ride. Even though I could tell something was off, my dad is very stubborn, and even offered to drive part of the way himself, though I quickly shut that idea down!

Fast forward to January 2024: my father suffered a seizure after driving to pick up his sister from dialysis. I rushed from Baton Rouge to Monroe, an over 3 hour drive, and was worried about what condition he would be in when I arrived. At the hospital, doctors told me his blood glucose had gone over 600! It turns out that my dad had been neglecting monitoring his glucose levels and wasn’t taking his medication as prescribed.

That medical crisis changed everything. After a long hospital stay and a new diagnosis of congestive heart failure, my dad was discharged to a nursing rehabilitation facility. Overnight, his life shifted from him living independently, cooking meals, and driving himself around to depending on a Rollator for mobility, taking more than 25 pills a day, and needing assistance with basic care.

As a daughter, the transition was heartbreaking. As an emergency preparedness manager, it was eye-opening. I had spent years promoting preparedness to my work colleagues through emails and to the public by attending outreach fairs to remind families to “make a plan, build a kit, and stay informed.” But now the “what-if” mindset that had always served me professionally became a source of constant worry.

• What if a storm knocks out power and my dad can’t refrigerate his insulin?

• What if he falls in the dark during a blackout?

• What if exposure to heat triggers a diabetic emergency?

Preparedness for older adults and medically vulnerable loved ones requires more than a flashlight and bottled water. It calls for extensive planning for medical continuity and support. A few examples include:

• Redundant power sources for phones, medical devices, and glucose monitors

• Medical alert systems that notify caregivers of falls or power outages

• Pre-packed go-bags with medicines, snacks, and emergency contacts

• Insulin travel cases that keep medicine cool without electricity

• Accessible communication tools for one-touch calling

• Extra batteries for blood pressure cuffs and mobility aids

Watching someone who once cared for everyone else become dependent on others can be jarring. My dad has been doing a bit better lately, but still needs a high level of care. My dad and I both adjusting to the new reality of me serving as a caregiver and him having to depend on me for things he once could easily handle on his own. 

With National Preparedness Month coming to a close on September 30th, I acknowledge the caregivers across this country. Caregiver preparedness efforts can be overwhelming and stressful at times, but it is a meaningful way to protect those we love. It means working with healthcare providers, community agencies, and support networks to ensure that our loved ones are safe not just during disasters, but in everyday life. 

If you are a caregiver, here are a few resources to guide your planning:

https://www.ready.gov/caregivers

https://www.ready.gov/older-adults

https://www.cdc.gov/disability-emergency-preparedness/people-with-disabilities/index.html

https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/older-adults.html?srsltid=AfmBOor0y0ld4XLcDCMk5E7H7HWpgflzwk6r3XgAtetmMGKrfXTK-MNm

https://www.chfs.ky.gov/agencies/dph/dpqi/cdpb/Documents/DisasterPrepChronicDisease.pdf