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Eleven departments in eastern France were placed on orange alert because of the risk of thunderstorms on Thursday June 30. Information that could be of interest to people with asthma and allergies to pollen. Explanations.
In November 2021, The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology published a study on the effects of thunderstorms on people with asthma. According to the researchers, thunderstorms could trigger or even worsen asthma and allergy attacks. This is called “thunderstorm asthma”.
What is thunderstorm asthma?
Thunderstorm asthma can occur in anyone with asthma, but most commonly affects people with seasonal allergic rhinitis (or hay fever).
Rain tends to lower pollen counts by clearing the air, and many people find that wet weather tends to reduce allergy-triggered asthma symptoms. But according to the study, the combination of precipitation, winds and lightning cause cold downdrafts, in which air particles, such as pollen and mold, concentrate. Also, the electrical activity of thunderstorms helps to break up pollen further, and gusts of wind can spread the pollen granules before the thunderstorm.
In clouds, wind, humidity and lightning greatly reduce air particles, allowing them to easily enter the nose, sinuses and lungs.
First spotted in the 1980s in Australia and the UK, cases of thunderstorm asthma have only been on the rise ever since.
What increases the risk of suffering from thunderstorm asthma?
According to the researchers, 144 of the 228 participants with seasonal allergies said they had suffered from thunderstorm asthma, or 65%. Almost half of people who have had a seizure seek emergency hospital treatment.
According a statement from Harvard Universitythe risk factors for thunderstorm asthma are:
- Poorly controlled asthma symptoms (assessed by a questionnaire);
- A low score on the rapid exhalation test (a common breath test for asthma);
- Higher levels of a certain antibody (IgE specific to ryegrass pollen);
- A higher number of certain blood cells (eosinophils, which tend to increase in case of allergy);
- Higher levels of exhaled nitric oxide (a measure of lung inflammation in people with asthma).
Please note that not all patients with these risk factors will develop thunderstorm asthma. And among those who suffer from it, asthma attacks will not necessarily occur with every thunderstorm. But it can be useful to know if you are among those at risk, especially if you live in an area where thunderstorms are common.
Towards a better prevention of thunderstorm asthma?
“When thunderstorm asthma affects a large part of the population, emergency rooms can be overwhelmed, as in 2016 in Melbourne (Australia). A better understanding of when these events are expected could lead to advanced warning systems, better emergency room preparedness, and even preventative treatment.”conclude the scientists.