Sun, rain, wind, snow, … climate and weather conditions are known to influence our physical health and our mental well-being. In this context, can the storm trigger an asthma attack? In the 1980s, several cases ofthunderstorm asthma have been listed. A phenomenon on which a doctor from Harvard University recently looked.
thunderstorm asthma
There are several triggers of seizuresasthmanotably :
- The atmospheric pollution ;
- Poor indoor air renewal;
- Passive or active smoking;
- Exposure to chemicals;
- The occurrence of a respiratory infection.
But, weather conditions might also influence the course of theasthmaand in particular the thunderstorms. In the 1980s, British and Australian researchers and physicians described thethunderstorm asthma. They define it as a severe form of asthma attack that can occur within hours of a heavy thunderstorm. Since then, many cases have been described.
Thunderstorm can cause severe asthma attacks
In 2016, a major storm in Australia caused more than 9,000 cases of severe asthma attacks in patients who required urgent medical attention. At least 8 deaths have been recorded in patients as a result of thethunderstorm asthma. Storm asthma is the onset of an asthma attack or the worsening of asthma following a storm episode. It can affect people:
- asthmatics;
- Suffering from allergic rhinitis;
- Suffering from hay fever or other allergies.
How to explain that a storm can cause an asthma attack? especially since, in general, episodes of rain make it possible to improve allergic symptoms by reducing the concentration of pollen in the air. According to the researchers, thunderstorms have climatic and physical characteristics that tend to:
- Concentrate pollen particles in the air;
- Reduce the size of pollen particles, facilitating their entry into the upper and lower airways.
Protect yourself in the event of a stormy episode
In a recent study, 144 of 228 participants with seasonal allergies experienced an episode ofthunderstorm asthma, or 65%. This result testifies to the high frequency of thunderstorm asthma in the population with an allergic background. In addition, asthma attacks associated with thunderstorms are far from benign. Indeed, the study reveals that nearly half of the affected subjects had to be hospitalized for medical care.
In addition, this work indicates several risk factors for an allergic subject to present with thunderstorm asthma:
- Poorly controlled asthma (no disease-modifying therapy, or disease-modifying therapy poorly followed, or disease-modifying therapy ineffective);
- A low score on the breath test (one of the most widely used tests to assess asthma);
- A high blood level of eosinophils (cells involved in the allergic reaction);
- Significant levels of exhaled nitric oxide (reflecting lung inflammation in asthmatics).
For asthmatic subjects and in particular those who present one or more risk factors, the approach of a stormy episode might be a harbinger of thunderstorm asthma. A good reason to stay at home, away from air conducive to asthma attacks!
Estelle B., Doctor of Pharmacy
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