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Thunderstorms Lead to Asthma Attacks

Posted by michael on from the cough-cough-wheeze dept.

Bill Kendrick writes "New York Times (free reg, blah blah) reports on a study that finds thunderstorms can cause asthma attacks. They suspect rain and gusts dislodge fungus spores into the air, and suggest folks with sever asthma "stay indoors" after thunderstorms."

19 comments

  1. Slightly appropriate by JohnLi · · Score: 2, Funny

    Talk about news for nerds :)

    --
    The / in /. would be more accurate if it leaned to the left. http://www.metricnut.com
    1. Re:Slightly appropriate by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Come on man...this is stuff that matters!

    2. Re:Slightly appropriate by JohnLi · · Score: 1

      ...but seriously folks. Take my Cowboy Neal.....please.

      --
      The / in /. would be more accurate if it leaned to the left. http://www.metricnut.com
  2. oh no! by Noodlenose · · Score: 1

    That just means that as a family physician I will arrange my on - call schedule in close consultations with the local metereological institute. Asthma housecalls are a bummer! Dirk

  3. The cause *appeared* to be fungi spores by Muhammar · · Score: 2, Insightful

    ...because fungi spores were the only allergenic stuff found to be increased on stormy days. That is, from the stuff that we know about. This is loose, loose connection: it can be also a sudden air pressure drop, sudden spike in humidity, electric discharge or static electricity causing increased smog particle agglomeration, and so on. During severe storms, there is also increased incidence of heart attacks and strokes - and the fungi spores are hardly to blame for this. The above canadian study seems pretty non-interesting, and it is taken out of context by NYTimes. "Dr. Dales said that hospital visits for asthma were 15 percent more frequent on days with thunderstorms than on other days." 15% increase during stormy days - that means 8 instead of 7 asthma ER patients. Big deal! Things like cocroaches in the kitchen, neighbour smoker or fabric softener may have bigger impact on life of asthmatics than storms. I do not read NYTimes science section, because they are sensational and reliably lame.

    --
    I doubt that we will ever figure out - and I suspect that even if we did figure out we couldn't do much about it
    1. Re:The cause *appeared* to be fungi spores by Lshmael · · Score: 1

      First of all, the article notes that "But the link has neither been well established nor explained." Secondly, if you do have "sever asthma" (asthma so bad, you want to sever your lungs from your body), I would argue that this article is important. Every thing possible that can be done to reduce the risk of an asthma attack - which could be lethal, is important.

      And the article does not come from the New York Times Science section, but from the Health section. If you are going to claim stories about health are sensational, I don't want to hear it.

    2. Re:The cause *appeared* to be fungi spores by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      you are a canadian sympathizer. why can't you just eat the shit biscuit like everyone else and call this sensationalism?

  4. Other causes? by lommer · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The article is a bit light on details, but could there be other causes for the spike in asthma after a thunderstorm? For example, when lightning occurs, ozone (O3) is generated. Is it possible that an increased O3 level has some effect? Or how about just plain humidity? Given that there is no causal link, and that they didn't explore a correlation with high winds (which would presumably also stir up allergens), I think it is premature to jump to that conclusion.

    1. Re:Other causes? by kylus · · Score: 1

      There have been a lot of studies that link O3 to asthma, especially in children. Here's one example article about such a thing. I don't suffer from asthma myself but I have terrible allergies. I konw indivduals who have severe asthma along with allergies and they cannot use those "Ionic Breeze" air filters simply because they are known to produce ozone, which affects asthmatics negatively.

      --
      --Kylus
      Idiot-proof something, and Life will build a better Idiot.
    2. Re:Other causes? by thomasiomichelangelo · · Score: 1

      When I was living in Munich there was a digital meter in town that showed levels of different gases in the air on that day, when the ozone was high, I noticed that my asthma would flare up.

  5. alternate article by ndevice · · Score: 1

    the nyt is slow. I thought I saw this earlier.

    mar. 14

    http://mediresource.sympatico.ca/health_news_det ai l.asp?channel_id=9&news_id=929

  6. Another explanation by jeorgen · · Score: 1, Interesting
    A very elegant explanation of the cause for asthma is that it's due to subtle chronic hyperventilation. Asthma is simply a protection mechanism against the depletion of carbon dioxide in the body. Some people have genetic predisposition for this protection. CO2 is needed to balance the immune system and to relax muscle tissue, among other things. A thunderstorm imposes stress and that is enough to trigger the protection mechanism.

    Many people , bear witness of how they have rid themselves of asthma by recalibrating their CO2 tolerance to sane levels.

    And you can do this on your own, although there are people in many countries(not in mine though) that can help you with it.

    /jeorgen

    1. Re:Another explanation by Sgt+York · · Score: 1
      Interesting, but not terribly new. The idea that the increased breathing rate of asthmatics is the cause and not an effect of their symptoms has been around for a while.

      It has been alternatively proven and disproven at least 3 times that I know of over the past 60 years or so. This theory has the same problem as every other theory/model/whatever describing asthma: asthma is not a homogeneous disease. It isn't even a single disease. Hell, some people don't even like calling it a disease at all. There are several mechanistiaclly distinct syndromes that all present as asthma. This theory possibly addresses one, and can therefore be proven or disproven depending solely on what subpopulation of asthmatics you survey.

      This is not a guy you should use to tout this theory, though. His papers have many errors, are poorly documented, and some of his extrapolations of well known pocesses are actually kind of funny. To his credit, though; he does tell patients not to discontinue their current treatments.

      --

      There is a reason for everything. Sometimes that reason just sucks.

    2. Re:Another explanation by jeorgen · · Score: 1
      Interesting, but not terribly new. The idea that the increased breathing rate of asthmatics is the cause and not an effect of their symptoms has been around for a while.

      If you're interested, I advise you to try. It really does work. I've done it. I did not have asthma per se but bronchitis (seasonal). It lubricates the mucus membranes, relaxes the smooth tissue muscles and moderates the immune system. It so obvious when you do it, as long as you're actually increasing your co2 level, and you're not just overbreathing just due to the stresses of the exercises..

      It has been alternatively proven and disproven at least 3 times that I know of over the past 60 years or so.

      I gather you're talking about the breathing rate? This is specifically about the CO2. You can breathe away as much as you want as long as you keep it small. However if you have sources I know a community that would love to hear about them.

      This theory has the same problem as every other theory/model/whatever describing asthma: asthma is not a homogeneous disease. It isn't even a single disease. Hell, some people don't even like calling it a disease at all. There are several mechanistiaclly distinct syndromes that all present as asthma. This theory possibly addresses one, and can therefore be proven or disproven depending solely on what subpopulation of asthmatics you survey.

      No. This theory cuts to the heart of asthma, i e not getting enough air. The body may block your nose, and wrt the air pipe and lungs, let the mucus membranes swell or put the smooth muscle tissue into a cramp. It is still the same source of the problems. I have found lots of people who bear witness of how this method has helped them, and none who say it hasn't. There must be I think, but, again, I'd like to hear about them.

      /jeorgen

    3. Re:Another explanation by TheMeld · · Score: 1

      There must be I think, but, again, I'd like to hear about them.

      As another poster said, there are many causes for asthma. I myself have suffered from asthma, and I've personally (i.e. not really confirmed by any medical professional) observed at least two different forms of it.

      One, which correlates very well with the Buteyko theory, is brought on by heavy exercise in cold weather. I've known and heard of many people who suffer from so called 'exercise induced asthma'. I seem to suffer from this a little, but it is only ever noticeable in cold (more or less below freezing) weather. Since I'm usually not in very good shape, the whole over-breathing thing makes a lot of sense to me, especially considering that the best way for me to have the exercised-induced asthma go away was to sit down and breathe slowly.

      However, the other form of asthma from which I have suffered is rather different, and is generally triggered by allergic reactions, and exacerbated by having a cold at the time. When I was younger and the asthma & allergies were both worse, this could cause attacks of such severity that the *most* I could breathe still left me light headed! A theory that the asthma is invoked by overbreathing causing a lack of CO2 just doesn't hold water there.

      And, for some more technical refutation: One of the types of inhalers I had was a Chromolyn-Sodium(sp?) one. This was not a theraputic, but rather a prophylactic. It worked by retarding the replication of mast cells, which are related to the immune system and the causes of other alergic reactions. These cells, IIRC, when activated, secrete a chemical that triggers the inflamation of the bronchial passages that is asthma.

      So, in short, I believe that the Buteyko theory/therapy could help people with excercise-induced-type asthma, I have a hard time believing that it can do much for allergic-type asthma. For people with chronic asthma of the exercise type, the therapy could be a great help. For those who only get it when exercising, it isn't much good, since they are breathing so heavily because they need the O2 for the exertion! And for those with allergic-type, I can't see how it could do any good.

      --
      -Cheetah
    4. Re:Another explanation by jeorgen · · Score: 1
      For those who only get it when exercising, it isn't much good, since they are breathing so heavily because they need the O2 for the exertion! And for those with allergic-type, I can't see how it could do any good.

      My problems where not asthma, but inflammatory reaction, ie allergic-type. Still Buteyko helped me. With regards to exercise-induced asthma, the theory is that exertion makes you overbreathe, either directly from the exercise, after the exercise or even because you breathed to less during the exercise and your body is overcompensating afterwards to keep up.

      I've tried jogging and it takes down my Control Pause (CP), and so does doing breathing exercises too hard (breathing so little your pulse goes up).

      Easy does it. I know it's hard to "believe" in new stuff all the time, since most of it is not helpful, but if you have the time I advise you to try the exercises just for a few days. Just check that your pulse does not go up, because then your starving yourself of oxygen beyond increasing your Co2.

      /jeorgen

  7. Article Text by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Article Text bought to you by the letter MERKAC

    Thunderstorms can set off asthma attacks, and fungus may be to blame, a Canadian study has found.

    In several countries over the years, emergency room visits related to asthma have spiked after severe thunderstorms, the study's lead author, Dr. Robert E. Dales of the University of Ottawa Health Research Institute said.

    But the link has neither been well established nor explained, he added.

    For the study, which was published in the journal Chest, the researchers examined four years of records from the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario and compared the pattern of asthma attacks with daily data on weather, airborne allergens and pollution collected at a nearby airport.

    Dr. Dales said that hospital visits for asthma were 15 percent more frequent on days with thunderstorms than on other days. The cause, he said, appeared to be fungal spores, which were found to be more common in air samples on those days, while other allergens, like pollen, were not.

    Dr. Dales said he suspected that a storm's winds and downpours worked together to raise the level of fungal spores in the air: rain dislodges the spores and suspends them in droplets that are then spread by strong gusts and updrafts.

    People who have more severe asthma problems after thunderstorms should "should stay indoors and use asthma medication if needed," Dr. Dales said. But they should also be tested to see if they are allergic to fungi, he said.

  8. Funny that by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 1

    I always considered the air freshest and clean after a nice thunderstorm and downpour.

    Why do people always tell asthmatics to stay inside? Isn't the air inside most homes proven to be far more toxic that most outdoor air? I say climb a mountain.

    --
    My God, it's Full of Source!
    OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
  9. Huh? by Darkspawn · · Score: 1

    Thunderstorms that rain fungus spores? That sounds interesting but I have a question. How do the spores get up in the clounds. Or should I say how do the spores get in the rain.