Rising summer temperatures are creating serious challenges for people living with chronic lung conditions like COPD. Heatwaves don’t just make homes uncomfortable—they can trigger dangerous flare-ups that make breathing difficult and increase health risks, especially for older adults.
Many UK homes, built with solid brick or concrete, absorb and trap heat during the day. This warmth radiates back into living spaces at night, preventing rooms from cooling down. In cities, this “urban heat island” effect can raise nighttime temperatures by up to 7°C compared to rural areas. Research from the University of Birmingham found that this trapped heat contributed to roughly half of heat-related deaths during one West Midlands heatwave.
For patients like Mandy Bourne, who has COPD and cares for her elderly mother, even small temperature rises can lead to urgent problems. “Sometimes I can’t breathe,” she explains, often reaching for her inhaler as her top-floor flat overheats. Similar stories are common among residents in social housing, where older adults with limited mobility or existing illnesses face the greatest danger during prolonged hot spells.
Housing providers are responding by creating shared “cool rooms” with mobile air-conditioning units, offering temporary relief when individual flats become unbearable. These adaptations highlight a growing need to balance energy efficiency goals with health protections as summers grow hotter.
Patients and families should monitor indoor temperatures, stay hydrated, and seek cooler spaces during heat alerts. Discussing cooling strategies with healthcare providers can help those with COPD and similar conditions stay safer when heatwaves strike.
