Weather and Health
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Weather and Asthma
Weather plays an important part in the life of an asthmatic. Winds collect and spread many types of allergens over large areas. The seasons determine the type of pollen and spores in the air. Cold weather keeps you inside where you are subjected to household and pet allergy symptoms. Inversions trap pollutants that worsen asthma symptoms. Low humidity makes the airways wheeze even more.
A morning with blue sky and cool air heralds the beginning of a perfect autumn day – and is another example of a ‘fine’ day that is not fine for everybody. Administrators can tell you that hospital admission rates of people with asthma attacks may double during those days. Cold air causes the bronchus to constrict, making breathing more difficult.
When a cold air mass comes from the inland, it is also very likely dry. The airways of children playing outside, or of people working and exercising outdoors, also dry out very quickly and become irritated. The combination of cooling and drying of the bronchus is a major trigger for a severe asthma attack.
Pollution is a factor during spring and summer. Stagnant warm air contains a variety of chemical and organic pollutants. Sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, diesel fumes, particulate matter and ozone are all associated with asthma outbreaks. Ozone, in particular, adversely affects asthmatics, sometimes at levels below a nominated ‘safe’ standard.
Lightning significantly increases the presence of pollen allergens in the air. Researchers
all over the world have found clear links between thunderstorm activities and asthma
hospital admissions. In 1994, emergency department admissions in 12 London hospitals
recorded a 10-
In the early stages of the life cycle of thunderstorms, strong vertical air movements gather dust and pollen from the areas they move across. In the later stages, downward air movement dumps the pollen just before the rain showers arrive.
There is a two-
How the weather can worsen asthma symptoms
