07 Apr 09 ALLERGY: SMOG BY ANY OTHER NAME IS STILL HARD TO BREATHE
Sooner or later, we all have to venture outdoors – and deal with outdoor pollution. Certain areas are particularly bad. In Denver, they call it ‘the brown cloud’. Everybody else calls it smog.
Depending on the chemicals that form it, smog comes in two general types: London smog or Los Angeles smog. Los Angeles smog is typical of warm, sunny climates with heavy traffic. Its main ingredients are ozone, a toxic cousin of oxygen, plus nitrogen dioxide and the petroleum-produced chemicals known as hydrocarbons. London smog develops in industrialized cities and supplies its own brand of irritants. Either way, you can suffer anything from eye irritation, breathing problems and blurry vision to coughing, choking and fatigue – even if you’re not allergic. Needless to say, smog is downright dangerous for asthmatics. Your doctor may be busiest – and hardest to reach – during an episode of heavy air pollution. It’s important to be able to weather an attack on your own.
What to do during an air pollution episode
1. Try to stay indoors in a clean environment. Air conditioning (if available), air filters and face masks can be helpful.
2. Avoid smoking and smoke-filled rooms.
4. Avoid unnecessary physical activity.
5. Avoid exposure to people with colds and respiratory infections, if at all possible.
6. If air pollution doesn’t seem to let up – or if it begins to worsen – you may have to leave the polluted area temporarily until the air clears up.
7. If you are under a doctor’s care for asthma or other allergies, ask him for specific instructions. Know what medication, if any, you should use. Know what symptoms should prompt you to call your doctor. Know when and where to go to a hospital.
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Tags: Allergies
