Hi Lew,

You have a couple things going on. First, you had asthma as a child and while you may not be bothered so much as an adult, you still have the possibility of an episode. Secondly, you are a mature person, and as such more affected by the air quality and heat. Thirdly, when it's hot, the air quality isn't good for any living thing and it's best to stay inside. All of these factors could be contributing to your halted breathing.

There is a great overview on adult asthma located here. While you probably know most of this already, it never hurts to look it over for a refresher. Nancy Sanker, a resident expert here, also wrote a good article about seniors with asthma. You can read that here.

The most important thing is to watch the news and weather and when the air quality is code orange or red STAY INSIDE! That is for all people young and old. If you need to do stuff in your garden do it in the very early morning, or late evening when things have cooled somewhat. If you can, do not go out in the middle of the day when the heat and humidity are their worst.

Take care and stay in touch! Let us know how you (and your garden) are doing!

Vicki M