Asthma

My son’s asthma always seems to be worse in the winter and spring. Could he be allergic to the central heating?

Asthma is a very individual disease – what triggers an attack in one person will not cause any problems for the next, but it is common to find asthmatics have more problems in winter. This is usually put down to cold damp air and the increased number of coughs and colds that affect us all. That said, dry centrally heated air can make catarrh worse and this may aggravate his asthma. It’s worth keeping a symptom diary and you will soon see if his attacks are related to the number of hours he spends inside or just a seasonal variation.