Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

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."

1 of 19 comments (clear)

  1. 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.