An article published on Medscape in August 2017 discusses how thunderstorms can lead to asthma epidemics and affect “patients who have never exhibited asthma symptoms before.” Usually, pollen grains are too large and don’t move down to the bronchial tree. The weather effects in thunderstorms can break down pollen to a small size “resulting in asthma symptoms in patients with allergic rhinitis who perhaps have never been exhibited asthma before.”
Such phenomena have been observed around the world, notably in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States and Italy. This can put all those who are “sensitized to the relevant allergens” and patients who already have poorly controlled asthma at risk. Researchers suggest “patients who allergic to pollen should be informed about a ‘possible risk for asthma attacks or relapse and possible relapse at the beginning of a thunderstorm during pollen season.’” They also propose “a thunderstorm alert system in which text messages and emails are sent out to high risk patients.”
For more information, view the article here.
