New research offers insight into how rain and thunderstorms break up and spread respiratory irritants, such as pollen, fungal spores and pollutants
Rainfall is known to clear the air of pollen and make breathing easier for those with asthma. But sometimes heavy precipitation can do the contrary: growing evidence shows that rain and thunderstorms can exacerbate asthma attacks. A thunderstorm in 2016, for instance, sent more than 8,500 individuals to the hospital for asthma-related distress in what is known as the Melbourne epidemic thunderstorm asthma event.
The meteorology of thunderstorms sets the stage for respiratory irritants. When cool air high in the atmosphere floats over warm, wet air near Earth’s surface, the warm air quickly rises and pushes the cool air toward the ground. As the warm air ascends and begins to cool, it condenses into clouds and water droplets. The sinking cold air increases pressure; because air travels from high to low pressure, this difference creates a strong wind along the ground.
Other studies, Adeyeye adds, demonstrate that humidity can increase mold growth, which also impacts respiratory health. Raffi Tachdijian, an immunologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, and Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif., who was not a part of the study, says that mold releases volatile organic compounds that “can exacerbate respiratory symptoms for even non-asthmatics.
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