Hello all…i am thinking of moving to live in Spain…i have many questions to ask..but the main one for me is health care.as i suffer with C.O.P.D…and at present i live in a very windy area of North Wales…can anyone please help me decide on the best area and on the medical side of it….also i would like to rent in the beginning,to make sure it is the right area for me…doctors have told me i would benefit in a warmer climate…thanx

Hi, I know that Barcelona has a high population of Asthma suffers, so probably best avoided.

At a guess, a costal town, depends on what you want and your job, and what you are allergic too.

I’m in Seville, I have Asthma, I only have problems when I go back to the UK, the year before last got bronchitis. I have worked here for sometime therefore I can use the social security dr.s and hospitals (the service I have had has been excellent) 

hope that helps

The problem with southern Spain especially coastal is that its very dry and dusty.

One area though that may benifit you is Cadiz area, the Atlantic winds tend to keep the air clean and fresh whilst maintaining a good all year temperature.

My mother in law (Spanish) is Asthmatic and has a dust allergy, they tend to holiday in Cadiz area or Benidorm/Salou.

I`ve heard good things about Murcia region as well, although less popular with Expats.

hi there

my mother in law is from north wales and comes over to see us every 6 weeks or so to alicante, she has copd and cant walk to the car in the uk with out her stick and uses her nebulizer every day, out here from the moment she gets off the plane she is a different person she has never used a nebulizer here and manages fine with just her inhaler in the morning the difference is amazing.

Yes we are in the Costa Blanca too not far from Benidorm, and I believe the area is rated by the WHO as one of the world’s most healthy climates - clean dry air, lots of sunshine (except today for some reason!?) and not huge temperature variations through the year (they would seem huge after Wales but not as much as some parts of the world),

Certainly clean air and long term health was one of our motivators for relocating.  None of us have pulmonary problems but I know for a fact my SAD is much improved, if I was facing another UK winter I’d be wanting hibernate around now!

Maya