Jennifer L. Warwick
Rainy days and Mondays. Can't say much for the Mondays, but it might not be your imagination that your child's asthma seems to be worse on rainy days, specifically days with thunderstorms. In fact, a recent study published in a journal by the American College of Chest Physicians confirms that the daily number of children's emergency department visits for asthma was 15% higher on days with thunderstorms.
In an effort to ascertain if this "thunderstorm-asthma" phenomenon was a myth or a reality, researchers designed a six year study that left no stone unturned. Data was collected to assess the correlation between thunderstorms, air pollutants, aeroallergens, and asthma-related E.R. admissions.
Specifically, they examined various potential allergens that could trigger an asthma attack, namely fungal spores, ozone, and grass and tree pollen. Their results showed that only fungal spores had a significantly higher concentration on days with thunderstorms versus days without thunderstorms (the total air concentrations of the fungal spores cladosporium and ascomycetes nearly doubled from 1,512 to 2,749/m3.)
The reason behind this two-fold increase in spore count is not what you might expect. Hint: it's not the rain. Since the investigators also took into consideration other factors such as humidity, rainfall, and the seasons, it was determined that the strong winds produced during these storms are the culprit, because they cause an increase in the release of spores and also stir up other spores that have already settled.
Although there was a slight increase in the air-pollutants, ozone and nitrogen dioxide, during thunderstorm days, it was not statistically significant. In addition, it was also determined that seasonal differences did not account for this particular disparity between asthma-related admissions, in that although spores were fewer in the spring than in the summer, they were still greater during thunderstorm days, regardless of the season.
Thus, despite the changes in air quality and climate during days with thunderstorms, only the fungal spores could account for the increase in emergency department visits by asthmatic children. No matter which way you look at it, though, thunderstorms brew up trouble for asthma sufferers.
Jen Warwick is a freelance writer based out of San Antonio, Texas. She Frequently writes on medical topics. You can reach Ms. Warlock by email at jwarwick1@satx.rr.com.
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