Look After Your Respiratory Health This Summer

With the summer holidays almost upon us, the Asthma and
Respiratory Foundation is reminding Kiwis to take some
simple actions to look after their respiratory health over
the next months.

“For those 700,000 New Zealanders
with respiratory conditions, the most important reminder is
to keep using your medications as prescribed. It can be easy
to get out of a routine while on holiday but to keep on top
of your symptoms, you must continue to use your medication
as directed,” says Foundation Chief Executive Letitia
Harding.

Ms Harding is also reminding people to take
their medication and action plans with them on holiday.
“Remember to pack these important items and keep your
reliever inhaler with you at all times,” she
advises.

Action plans are essential self-management
documents outlining how to recognise and respond to
worsening symptoms of respiratory conditions like asthma and
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). These are
completed by health practitioners in conjunction with
patients. “The Foundation makes these available as
downloadable or interactive digital documents, so they can
be saved to a phone or other device and used wherever you
are,” explains Letitia.

For those travelling away from
home, the Foundation also suggests identifying the closest
medical facilities (pharmacies, hospitals, After Hour
practices) to your accommodation, and the locations of these
facilities along your travel route.

With COVID-19
cases on the rise again in the community, the Foundation is
also recommending that those concerned about their
respiratory health take extra care over the festive period.
“There will be more get-togethers and more movement around
the country, as people go on holiday, so the risk of
exposure will increase. We advise continuing with sensible
precautions, like mask-wearing, and hand washing,” Ms
Harding says. She recommends following the latest Ministry
of Health advice on the Safe As Summer website: https://covid19.govt.nz/prepare-and-stay-safe/have-a-safe-as-summer/

Pollen
and heat can be major triggers for those with respiratory
conditions, so the Foundation advises checking forecasts on
the MetService website or app and making plans accordingly.
“If it’s expected to be very hot, or windy with a lot of
pollen, you may want to plan for an indoor day or go out
either first thing in the morning or in the evening, when
it’s cooler and the pollen levels are lower,” says Ms
Harding.

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