**Unveiling the Hidden Dangers of Storm Asthma: What You Need to Know**
In a world where climate change is becoming increasingly evident, the phenomenon of storm asthma is a looming threat that many may not be aware of. Imagine going about your day, only to be suddenly struck with symptoms of an asthma attack as dark clouds pass overhead. This is the reality for individuals who are susceptible to storm-induced asthma exacerbations.
**The Science Behind Storm Asthma**
Storm asthma occurs when strong storms coincide with high pollen or spore counts, creating a perfect storm for respiratory distress. As the storm approaches, it lifts these allergen particles into the air, where they mix with water and break down into smaller grains. The electrical activity during a storm further exacerbates this process, leading to a culmination of allergens being dispersed across the ground by strong winds. This can spell trouble for individuals in the path of the storm, causing difficulty breathing, coughing, and wheezing.
**Climate Change and the Future of Storm Asthma**
With climate change on the rise, the frequency and severity of storms are predicted to increase, potentially leading to a surge in cases of storm asthma. Dr. Frank S. Virant, an expert in allergies, warns that pollen counts are on the rise in many areas due to climate change, paving the way for more frequent occurrences of storm-induced asthma events. This not only affects individuals in the spring and early summer but could also extend to other seasons as pollen seasons become longer and more intense.
**Mitigating the Risks**
In the face of this environmental threat, it is crucial to take proactive measures to minimize the risk of experiencing a storm-induced asthma attack. Monitoring outdoor pollen levels, especially during peak pollen seasons, and staying informed about weather reports can help individuals prepare for potential storm asthma triggers. Using air filters and staying indoors with closed windows and doors during severe storms are recommended strategies to reduce exposure to allergens.
**Treatment and Preparedness**
For individuals with asthma, continuing with controller therapies and having a rescue inhaler on hand for rapid symptom relief is vital. Seeking shelter indoors during storms and being accompanied by someone who can assist in seeking medical help if necessary is advisable. Even individuals who do not have a history of asthma may be at risk during storm events, especially those with hay fever or allergic rhinitis. Optimal treatment of these conditions with antihistamines and nasal steroids can help alleviate symptoms triggered by environmental fluctuations.
**The Global Impact of Storm Asthma**
Interestingly, storm asthma is not just a localized phenomenon but has been reported in various countries worldwide, including Italy, the United Kingdom, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. Major asthma storms, like the one that hit Melbourne, Australia in 2016, can have devastating effects on communities, overwhelming healthcare resources and leading to a surge in hospital admissions. Climate change is also expected to shift the geographical distribution of storms, potentially exposing new regions to the risks associated with storm-induced asthma exacerbations.
**Unveiling the Hidden Dangers and Implications of Storm Asthma**
While the concept of storm asthma may be unfamiliar to many, its potential impact is significant and far-reaching. With climate change altering weather patterns and increasing the frequency of severe storms, the threat of storm-induced asthma events looms larger than ever. By understanding the science behind storm asthma, taking proactive measures to mitigate risks, and being prepared with appropriate treatments, individuals can better safeguard themselves against this environmental hazard.
**Summary**
In conclusion, storm asthma is a hidden danger that can strike unexpectedly, particularly during strong storms accompanied by high pollen or spore counts. Climate change is expected to exacerbate this issue, leading to more frequent and severe cases of storm-induced asthma exacerbations. By staying informed, taking precautionary measures, and seeking appropriate treatment, individuals can better protect themselves from the risks associated with storm asthma. It is crucial to raise awareness about this phenomenon and be prepared for potential asthma triggers brought on by environmental factors beyond our control.
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March 5, 2024: Storm asthma can appear without warning, leaving people with symptoms of an asthma attack during or after dark clouds pass.
If you are not familiar, the risk of suffering from storm asthma attack It grows when strong storms arrive on a day with a lot of pollen or spores. The storm lifts these particles, adding water, and causing them to explode into smaller grains. Electrical activity during a storm can do the same. Strong winds then blow these particles down and across the ground. People in the path of the storm may experience difficulty breathing, coughing and wheezing.
If storms are predicted to become more frequent and more severe with climate change, will the same apply to storm asthma?
“Yes, if only because pollen counts appear to be increasing in many areas due to climate change,” said Dr. Frank S. Virant, chief of the Division of Allergy at Seattle Children’s Hospital.
Most cases of asthma from thunderstorms occur in the spring and early summer, but that could change, too. Pollen seasons “have become longer and more intense,” he said Shaan M. Waqar, MD, an allergist at ENT and Allergy Associates in Plainview, New York.
“Asthma events caused by storms are rare, but our changing environment and the increase in the number of people with allergies may make such events more common and more serious in the future,” he agreed. Paul J. Beggs, PhD, associate professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia.
How to minimize your risk
If you are sensitive to pollen, continue to monitor outdoor levels, particularly during tree, grass and weed pollen season, Virant recommended. Also pay attention to weather reports. Watch for thunderstorms that could “amplify pollen exposure with winds over 40 miles per hour and often downdrafts of colder air.” Cold is an additional asthma trigger, he noted.
People with asthma should try to stay home with windows and doors closed during severe storms and for several hours afterward. YouUsing air filters can also help reduce the risk, said Deepti V. Manian, MD, an allergist and immunologist at Stormont Vail Health in Topeka, KS.
Continue with controller therapies, such as long-acting inhalers and allergy medications, and use a rescue inhaler or nebulizer for rapid treatment of symptoms, recommended Donald J. Dvorin, MD, of The Allergy and Asthma Doctors in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. Ideally, people seeking shelter indoors during storms should be “accompanied by friends or family who can help them quickly transport themselves to a hospital if necessary.”
Asthma diagnosis not required
Even people who do not consider themselves asthmatic can be severely affected. For example, people with hay fever or allergic rhinitis as it is also known, are also at risk, said Ajay Kevat, MBBS, MPH, of the respiratory department at Queensland Children’s Hospital in Brisbane, Australia.
People with hay fever may also experience stronger symptoms during and after storms. Optimally treating allergic rhinitis during pollen season with non-sedating antihistamines and nasal steroids can help, Virant said, rather than “chasing the symptoms with medications when they are already severe.”
Part of the challenge is connecting harsh weather to worse asthma symptoms. “In my experience, there is a lack of awareness about thunderstorm asthma,” Manian said. For example, people with non-allergic rhinitis, also known as vasomotor rhinitis, may also experience the effects. “Many of my patients are often surprised when I introduce them to the concept of vasomotor rhinitis, which can be triggered by environmental fluctuations.”
Clouds gathering, gathering evidence
Climate change could also change which Americans experience more storms. researchers in a June 2022 Study predicted fewer storms in the Southern Plains and more storms in the Midwest and Southeastern United States in the future.
Dvorin practices in southern New Jersey, and in this area, “we are fortunate to not experience storm-induced asthma exacerbations,” he said.
But climate change means that in the future, asthma could occur in places never seen before, said Kevat, who wrote a thunderstorm asthma review article published online in June 2020 in the Asthma and Allergy Magazine.
And this is not just a concern in the United States. Major asthma storms have been reported in Italy, the United Kingdom, the Middle East, Asia and Australia. In November 2016, for example, a severe series of storms hit Melbourne, Australia. Temperatures dropped 10°C (about 18°F), humidity rose above 70%, and particles like pollen became more concentrated in the air.
This event caused an “epidemic asthma storm of unprecedented magnituderhythm and geographic range and severity,” Beggs and his colleagues wrote in their June 2018 report in The Lancet Planetary Health.
Large-scale events like this can impact entire communities and quickly overwhelm local healthcare resources. Within 30 hours of the Melbourne storms, 3,365 more people than usual presented to local emergency departments with breathing problems and 476 with asthma were admitted to hospital. Ten people died: five in hospital and five who could not be revived or died while waiting for emergency services.
More research is needed “to better prepare for this significant and unpredictable public health threat,” Kevat wrote.
People whose asthma is triggered by pollen or mold spores are at particular risk for storm asthma, Waqar said. If you’re not sure, an allergist can help you diagnose and treat your allergic risks.
More severe storms are just one asthma trigger associated with climate change. Last summer, Canadian wildfires sent smoke across the northern United States and caused widespread asthma exacerbations. Watch the WebMD Slideshow to learn more about how rain, humidity, and seasonal weather changes can also present challenges for asthma.
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