Prolonged exposure to a damp environment may worsen respiratory symptoms, pulmonologist Maria Savina told RIA Novosti. She said the main concern is exposure to mold and dust mites rather than moisture itself.
In comments to RIA Novosti on Oct. 7, Savina, a pulmonologist at a clinic in Ryazan, said mold and house dust mites can thrive in damp conditions. Their particles may enter the airways and trigger allergic inflammation in susceptible people.
She said children, people with allergic rhinitis or atopic dermatitis, those with a family history of asthma, and people already allergic to mold or house dust may be more vulnerable.
Savina listed recurring wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath and coughing that worsens at night, early in the morning, during exercise, in cold air or in a damp room. She said such symptoms should not repeatedly be dismissed as a cold. The UK’s NHS also lists mold and dust among possible asthma triggers.