Overview
- The NHS posted a public-health warning on Monday after a late-May heatwave gave way to wet, thundery weather and advised people with lung conditions to keep reliever inhalers with them and to seek help if symptoms worsen.
- Health charities quoted in coverage say about 7.2 million people in the UK have some degree of asthma, making the advisory relevant to a large portion of the population.
- Scientists and charities describe a proposed mechanism for 'thunderstorm asthma' in which high winds lift pollen and pollution, rain fragments pollen into much smaller particles, and those particles travel into the lower airways to trigger attacks.
- People most at risk include those with both asthma and hay fever, those with poorly managed or undiagnosed asthma, and evidence suggests younger adults may be disproportionately affected.
- Practical advice repeated across reports urges staying indoors with windows closed before and during storms, wearing a mask outdoors if necessary, taking hay fever meds where appropriate, and contacting a pharmacist, GP or NHS 111 for worsening symptoms.