The 2017 Atlantic hurricane season has been an active one, already producing three storms that have caused considerable damage. Hurricane Harvey submerged much of the greater Houston area. Hurricane Irma pummeled the Florida Keys and brought flooding and destruction to the entire length of Florida. Hurricane Maria laid waste to the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, and the season doesn’t end until November 30, so there’s still time for more hurricanes to build. While waterborne pathogens such as E. coli and cryptosporidium are often top of the list of health risks after a storm, people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease may have additional health concerns.

Electricity

COPD is a progressive, incurable lung disease that’s often caused by many years of cigarette smoking. As the disease progresses, it gets more difficult to breathe, and some patients with severe COPD will be prescribed oxygen therapy to help them breathe.

The oxygen machines these patients use require electricity to work, and if power is knocked out by a storm, that could create a dangerous situation. To avoid a crisis if the power goes out, the COPD Foundation recommends that before the emergency even arises, “contact your power company and tell them you use supplemental oxygen.” As a supplemental oxygen user, restoring power to your home should be a priority for the power company, but it’s important to ask how quickly you can expect power to be restored and whether they can provide a generator in the event the power will be off for an extended period of time.

The COPD Foundation also recommends contacting your oxygen provider to ask “how much oxygen needs to be placed in your home so that oxygen flow is uninterrupted during a power outage. Your oxygen provider has an obligation to maintain your supply during emergencies.” And the foundation advises that COPD patients create an emergency action plan and have an emergency preparedness kit that contains a battery-powered radio and extra batteries, a cell phone or telephone that doesn’t need to be plugged into an electrical outlet to work, flashlights and all medications and prescriptions.

[See: 8 Unexpected Signs You’re Stressed.]

Stress

As the storm rolls in and you either hunker down or flee to higher ground, you’ll probably feel stressed about what’s happening. The Lung Institute reports that the term “acute stress” refers to the body’s reaction to a sudden, immediate event. It triggers the body’s fight-or-flight response and can cause rapid heartbeat, headache, muscle tension or trembling and shakiness, sweating, nausea and diarrhea.

These are all unpleasant symptoms, but the stress response symptom that’s most dangerous to COPD patients is fast and shallow breathing. Hyperventilating can lead to panic and a lack of oxygen reaching the tissues of the body. “When an individual suffers from a chronic lung disease like COPD or pulmonary fibrosis, their ability to navigate stressful situations is compromised due to difficulty breathing and the inability to take in large amounts of oxygen. This can lead to an increased likelihood for flare-ups,” the Lung Institute reports.

No matter what’s going on, it’s important to try to remain as calm as possible and control your breathing if you’re feeling stressed. Practice some simple yoga moves or belly breathing exercises to push all the spent air out of your lungs. Hyperinflation of the lungs can be a problem for COPD patients, and breathing quickly and shallowly tends to make that problem worse. Slow down your breathing and you’ll get more oxygen into your body.

[See: 7 Things You Didn’t Know About Lung Cancer.]

Mold

After the storm has passed and the flood waters have drained away, mold can begin to grow. This lasting reminder of the hurricane can be dangerous for anyone, but especially so for people with compromised lung function or immunodeficiency.

A report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after Hurricane Katrina submerged New Orleans and other areas of the Gulf Coast in 2005 noted that “many structures remained flooded for weeks after the hurricane and became saturated with water. An assessment of homes in New Orleans (Orleans Parish) and the surrounding parishes of St. Bernard, East Jefferson, and West Jefferson (excluding the 9th Ward) identified an estimated 46 percent (more than 100,000 homes) with some mold contamination; approximately 17 percent (40,000 homes) had heavy mold contamination.”

The same report explained that “molds, mushrooms, mildews, and yeasts are all classified as fungi, a kingdom of organisms distinct from plants and animals.” Although the number of fungi species in existence is estimated at about 100,000, “fewer than 500 fungal species have been described as human pathogens that can cause infections…. Some molds are capable of producing toxins (sometimes called mycotoxins) under specific environmental conditions, such as competition from other organisms or changes in the moisture or available nutrient supply.”

This widespread problem occurred because mold thrives in warm, damp places and adheres to drywall and other building materials after a flood. The CDC reports that people “can be exposed to mold through skin contact, inhalation or ingestion.” When inhaled, these toxins may cause hay fever symptoms and asthma exacerbations in people who are sensitive to the toxins or have an underlying disease. In other cases, patients may develop fungal infections of the lungs.

A study conducted at the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans between 2007 and 2010 found that workers who had done restoration work after Hurricane Katrina experienced “moderate adverse effects on respiratory health, including sinusitis and toxic pneumonitis and the prevalence of new onset asthma among restoration workers was noticeably elevated.” Nearly half of study participants (48 percent) reported sinus symptoms and 29 percent experienced episodes of fever and cough that came and went. Pneumonia occurred in 3.7 percent of participants and 4.5 percent developed new onset asthma. “Overall, lung function was slightly depressed but was not significantly different between those with and without restoration work exposure,” the study reports. Although the study did not look at COPD exacerbations specifically, pneumonia is among the most common reasons COPD patients are hospitalized.

[See: 16 Ways Your Body Adjusts to a New Climate.]

The best way to avoid getting sick from mold contamination after a storm is to prevent the mold from getting into your lungs. If you can stay away from flood-damaged buildings, that’s ideal. If you need to be inside a building with mold, consider wearing a respirator to reduce your exposure to airborne spores and toxins. Be careful if you’re doing any restoration work, or consider hiring a contractor to take care of that for you.

It’s also smart to speak with your physician before an emergency to understand how you can best prevent a worsening of your COPD if a hurricane makes landfall near your home. And if you begin experiencing symptoms such as a cough, runny nose, sore throat, increased fatigue or increased breathlessness after a storm, see your doctor right away for evaluation and treatment.

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How Can I Avoid COPD Exacerbations During Hurricane Season? originally appeared on usnews.com