Hawaii with Asthma?

I recently heard from a collegue of mine that it is not a good idea to visit the BI if suffering from any kind of respiratory issues d/t the lava and ash? Does anyone have any insight into this? Thanks

Hawaii with Asthma?

First, talk to your doctor.

Vog travels around the island depending on wind and such but I have not found it a problem in Kohala. When I go to VNP I am sure to take my albuterol with me; I notice the sulfur but have not had a reaL problem. I would not suggest going on that ';walk to see the lava'; that people are so wild about. If you get there and the wind shifts you will get a a lot of fumes.

If you have allergies you are more likely to be bothered by grasses and other pollen. I have grass allergy and notice when they constantly are mowing the golf courses!

Hawaii with Asthma?

First, I assume you have asthma? So do I, and I live here.

I find the vog makes me cough and need to use albuterol when I visit a voggy area.

Second, I assume you are on a regular medication that manages your asthma? If so, I would not worry too much. Now if you are dealing with unmanaged asthma you might want to worry about provoking an attack.

Third, the vog level varies around the island and according to wind direction. In general, Volcano, Kau, South Kona, and Kailua-Kona have the worst vog, while South Kohala has some. Waimea and Waikoloa Village can get it coming over the saddle between Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea.

When the wind blows from the south (not that often), Puna and Hilo get it. The vog is less of a problem at sea level than up the mountain, as it seems to push up the slopes. Hamakua coast and North Kohala windward side are the best.

You can tell your colleague that parts of Oahu and Maui get vog too, when the wind carries it up the chain.

In sum, if your asthma is under control I would go ahead and visit, making sure you have an inhaler. Stay in South Kohala and/or Hilo or the north coast, rather than Kailua-Kona, and don%26#39;t over-expose yourself with a lot of time in VNP. However, you should be able to visit VNP, just monitor your response to the air ...

Living with vog on a full time basis is more of a big deal to an asthmatic than a short visit. But obviously I am not a doctor and not giving medical advice, only relaying my experience. Many asthmatics live here.

I also have no idea how severe your asthma might be. If you are already prone to serious asthma attacks then I would not recommend you come as it%26#39;s not worth taking a chance. My own asthma is the kind that%26#39;s well controlled with daily medication like Advair.

Thank you both so much for the info. It is in fact my husband that deals with mild emphysema. He takes several meds on a daily basis.

Kamaainak- thanks for the details advice. It definately makes planning a trip much easier. I frequently see your posts and enjoy them very much! I will definately be checking with his doctor, but wanted to check with this forum as well. It sounds like visiting won%26#39;t be a problem we will just have to modify things to ensure his health. I just don%26#39;t want to ruin a family trip.

What exactly is vog?

Mahalo

Blessings on the person who ';discovered'; Advair! Changed my life.

I wasn%26#39;t troubled by vog when we rented a condo on the ocean in Keauhou, but the month we stayed in a house above Keauhou DH and I could see the vog accumulate in the air as we looked down toward the ocean.

My worst asthma attack in years came two years ago when we were refurbishing our bathrooms and changing out a through-the-wall A/C unit at Maui Kamaole in South Kihei. Our condo is ground floor. It had been a rainy spring; we had cockroaches like never before (or since). Between them and the drywall dust I had to see an MD and had to take steroids for the first time in years.

I completely agree with the two previous replys. It really depends on how sensitive/serious your asthma is. Being on an inhaled steroid (Flovent, Asmanex, Advair, Pulmocort, etc), plus having your albuterol always available, should give you good protection. If you have required Prednisone for bad attacks in the past, it would be a good idea to have some along. But checking with your own doctor would be best, since he/she knows you best.

One more question I had regarding VNP. In our case would it be better to go and see things on foot or would we be better off doing it by helicopter? I would probably prefer by foot but if it would put my husband at risk definately not worth it.

BTW yes one of the meds my husband takes is advair as well:)

I certainly am not an expert on asthma but I know of only a handful of people who actually were bothered by the VOG here. Generally speaking, the lower the elevation you are at is the better. The North side of the island gets much less VOG than the South side. You hardly ever get VOG on the East side unless there is a Kona wind.