What can increase an asthma patient's risk of experiencing symptoms during exercise?

High humidity and pollution levels can significantly increase an asthma patient's risk of experiencing symptoms during exercise. When humidity is high, the air becomes denser with moisture, which can make it more challenging for individuals with asthma to breathe. This increased moisture can interfere with the ability to expel air from the lungs and may exacerbate symptoms like wheezing or shortness of breath.

Additionally, high levels of air pollution, such as ozone and particulate matter, are known to irritate the airways and can lead to increased inflammation, making it more difficult for asthma patients to engage in physical activity without experiencing adverse effects. Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction is more likely to occur in these environments, further heightening the risk of asthma symptoms during exercise.

On the other hand, stable weather conditions may not pose the same risks, and while cool, dry air can trigger asthma symptoms in some individuals, it does not uniformly increase risk across all patients. Lastly, the presence of pet dander could potentially contribute to allergy-related asthma symptoms, but it is not specifically tied to exercise-induced symptoms in the same way that high humidity and pollution are.