In this episode of Beyond the Wheeze, I sit down with Eric Closs, Founder and CEO of Daily Breath, to explore the powerful (and often overlooked) relationship between outdoor air quality, environmental exposure, and respiratory health — especially asthma.

Eric explains how environmental conditions like air pollution, pollen, wildfire smoke, temperature shifts, and weather patterns can quietly increase risk, even before symptoms show up. Through Daily Breath, his mission is to help people anticipate and prevent attacks using personalized, real-time environmental data, rather than relying on generalized forecasts or reacting when it’s already too late.

He also shares the “light bulb” moment that sparked the creation of Daily Breath after witnessing his sister’s rheumatoid arthritis flare up due to weather changes. That experience revealed a major gap in modern healthcare: environmental triggers are real, measurable, and highly personal — yet they’re still often ignored in asthma care.

Our conversation goes beyond asthma alone, connecting environmental exposure to broader health outcomes like cardiovascular strain, the impact of cumulative exposure over time, and the need for localized, actionable information that helps people make smarter daily choices.

🔗 Learn more: https://www.dailybreathforecast.com/
🎧 More episodes: https://beyondthewheeze.ca/podcast

00:31 Introduction to Eric Closs and Daily Breath
01:42 The Light Bulb Moment: Inspiration Behind Daily Breath
03:25 Focusing on Asthma: Identifying the Gaps in Care
04:54 The Heartbreaking Story of Diamond Conway
06:39 Understanding Environmental Triggers and Their Impact
12:41 The Role of Weather in Asthma and Respiratory Health
14:47 Cumulative Exposure: Why It Matters
23:57 Personalized Environmental Health Risk Index
29:34 Recognizing Early Symptoms and Environmental Risks
30:34 The Importance of Bedroom Air Quality
30:52 Nasal Rinses and Environmental Oversights
32:40 Health System Failures and Environmental Triggers
34:49 Integrating Environmental Data into Healthcare
38:36 Communicating Air Quality to Asthma Patients
41:50 Practical Outdoor Tips for Asthma Management
45:45 Reframing Asthma Care Around Environmental Risks
49:20 Future of Environmental Awareness in Respiratory Health
53:26 Final Thoughts and Resources

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