Objective To systematically review the impact of precipitation and extreme precipitation events on respiratory diseases in the population.

Methods Using keywords such as precipitation, rainstorm, and respiratory diseases, this study systematically searched databases including PubMed, Web of Science, and CNKI to collect published literature on the impact of precipitation on respiratory diseases.The search period spanned from January 2015 to March 2025, and the languages were restricted to Chinese and English.

Results After screening, a total of 15 articles were included, all of which were original research articles.Among them, 9 articles involved studies exploring the association between precipitation and respiratory disease risk, and 6 articles involved studies investigating the association between extreme precipitation events and respiratory disease risk.The review results indicated that ecological research designs such as time series were typically used in existing studies.With an increase in precipitation, the risk of both respiratory diseases and mortality rose.Short-term exposure to extreme precipitation events was potentially associated with increased risks of acute asthma attacks, exacerbation of respiratory symptoms (such as wheezing and difficulty breathing), emergency visits, or hospitalization.Long-term exposure to extreme precipitation events (such as seasonal high precipitation, especially in winter) may increase the risk of worsening chronic respiratory diseases and be associated with increased respiratory infections and mortality rates.

Conclusion There is a potential association between precipitation exposure and increased risk of respiratory diseases, but the evidence is inconsistent.Some studies have shown a negative correlation between precipitation and asthma.Future research should further clarify the association between different types of precipitation exposure and the risk of respiratory diseases and their subtypes based on multi-center data, identify sensitive diseases, and provide a scientific basis for public health interventions.