Sunday, April 24, 2011

Asthma UK advice on smog


The Government has issued a smog alert for England and Wales for the coming weekend, which means high pollution, a trigger for people with asthma, is likely.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has warned that there will be high levels of particulate and ozone in the air from now until at least Sunday.

If pollution triggers your asthma, you should keep well informed about air quality in your area.

Cher Piddock, Asthma UK Adviceline nurse, says: ‘With the forecast for the next couple of weeks being warm, we know that asthma symptoms can worsen during hotter weather due to higher levels of pollution, such as ozone. High levels of pollution have been linked to an increased risk of asthma attacks and low peak flow readings, particularly on hot days.

'Around two thirds of people with asthma say pollution triggers their condition, so Asthma UK recommends that people who have pollution as a trigger avoid going out if air quality is poor. We also recommend that people always carry their inhaler, avoid exercising outdoors on hot days, especially in the afternoon, and keep windows shut whenever possible. It may also be helpful to keep a regular check on air quality levels in the local area, so that it is possible to make changes to plans for the following day if pollution levels will be high.’

No comments:

Post a Comment