Fans, Breezes, And Cool Air

When I was a kid having an asthma attack, I’d often open the window. Sometimes I poke my nose to the screen and take a breath of fresh outdoor air. In a strange way, this seemed to allay the breathing some. It seemed to make breathing easier.

Sometimes, on those long nights, I’d sit on my bed and just enjoy the cool, refreshing breeze. And as I got older, I learned a fan could do the same thing. This was nice for those winter asthma attacks when my mom didn’t want the window open.

Cool air and COPD

I thought nothing of this until I became a respiratory therapist. Now I know many people with asthma and COPD and other lung diseases do the same thing. They almost always seem to want the air conditioner on. They often ask for fans that they put on their bedside tables and aim the flow of air right on their faces.

It has now gotten to the point that I know what patients have lung diseases just by opening the door. If it’s freezing in the room, a diagnosis can be made right there. Not really, but that’s what it seems. You rarely enter a COPD room that is so hot you can’t stand it. They are usually so cold you can’t stand it. Or, in my case, I actually enjoy it.

So, what’s the deal with breezes, fans, and cool air anyway?

Well, there seems to be some evidence showing that a breeze may open airways. There was a study I saw long ago, and one of which I have lost. It said that there are pores on your face. When a breeze brushes over them it sends a signal to your bronchial tubes to open up. This has a mild bronchodilator effect.

I had a friend post a guest post on my RT Cave blog a few years back. It was called, “Do Handheld Fans Relieve Breathlessness?” He cited studies proving that it did. Now, these are not conclusive studies. But, they were used as proof where I work to prove that fans do benefit people experiencing breathlessness. This was how we were able to get fans that we can distribute to these patients as needed.

It’s a nice gesture for these patients.

We used to have lots of fans at our hospital. But, they were kept in storage. They collected dust. And, as they were used for varying patients, there was a fear that they might spread germs. So, one day, a wise decision was made to take them away. So, one day, all the fans were gone.

So, now we had a dilemma. We had COPD and asthma and cystic fibrosis patients who wanted fans. And we had none to offer. Some went without. And this was sad to see considering I personally know that some would duly benefit. Although some sneak in their own fans, and we RTs would rarely say anything. We’d just let it go. We knew it was making a patient happy.

But then one of my coworkers did some research. I gave her the articles listed in the post linked to above. And she was able to write a policy for fans. And, I am happy to say that now we have fans that cost $7 in our department. They are nice little fans that can clip to the end tables in rooms. We offer them at no cost to patients who need them.

They go home with the patients. This is a good way to prevent cross-contamination. And, most important, I think this is a nice gesture for our respiratory patients and any other patients who desire a fan.