This Dangerous Weather Condition Could Send You To Hospital

When a thunderstorm hits on a hot and windy summer day, most people‘s biggest concern is staying dry. But there is another danger you won’t see coming: thunderstorm asthma.

Thunderstorm asthma occurs during pollen season (early Oct – late Dec) when pollen grains absorb the moisture from a storm and burst into tiny particles. Strong winds blow these particles where they can easily be inhaled, becoming lodged in people’s lungs and leading to breathing problems.

These conditions are not just a concern for asthma sufferers; people with seasonal hay fever and undiagnosed asthma are also at risk. Symptoms include wheezing, breathlessness, tightness in the chest, a persistent cough, sneezing, runny nose, itchy nose and watery eyes.

Last November a thunderstorm in Victoria saw thousands of people experiencing breathing difficulties in a matter of hours, placing emergency services under increased pressure.

This National Asthma Week (1-7 Sept), the National Asthma Council Australia is urging people to prepare for thunderstorms by creating a treatment plan, familiarising themselves with the signs of worsening asthma and how to treat it, and always carrying an in-date puffer.

For more information on how you can prepare, visit nationalasthma.org.au