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Doctors Might Have Been Focusing on the Wrong Asthma Triggers

theatlantic.com

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Re: Doctors Might Have Been Focusing on the Wrong Asthma Triggers

#2
I have had asthma my entire life, and it definitely flares up with airborne irritants.

There has been awesome citizen science work going on helping people understand the direct link between anything that emits smoke and asthma attacks: https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2017.1315

They even found that parents waiting to pick up kids at schools with their ICE engines running increased PM2.5 inside the entire building by orders of magnitude.

This data helped the kids teach their parents to stop their engines when waiting outside the school in order to help their asthmatic classmates.

The transition to EV is going to have a positive impact on people’s health and make city life better.

Re: Doctors Might Have Been Focusing on the Wrong Asthma Triggers

#3
I certainly noticed this - over the last year I've gone from using reliever inhalers several times a week to not needing them for months.

I did also start a new medication, Montelukast, around the time of the first lockdown, so it could conceivably be due to that in my case - but not having a chest infection at all for the last 18 months whereas I used to get one a year or so has been lovely.

Re: Doctors Might Have Been Focusing on the Wrong Asthma Triggers

#4
post #3

I certainly noticed this - over the last year I've gone from using reliever inhalers several times a week to not needing them for months. I did also start a new medication, Montelukast, around the time of the first lockdown, so it could conceivably be due to that in my case - but not having a chest infection at all for the last 18 months whereas I used to get one a year or so has been lovely.

Do you think this was largely due to wearing a mask? Whether a mask would block a virus particle is debatable but even cheap masks are effective against larger particulates such as pollen, dust, dander, etc.

When I was a kid my neighbor always wore a mask while he was cutting his lawn. He had asthma that was pretty easily triggered and he said it made a big difference.

Re: Doctors Might Have Been Focusing on the Wrong Asthma Triggers

#7
post #3

I certainly noticed this - over the last year I've gone from using reliever inhalers several times a week to not needing them for months. I did also start a new medication, Montelukast, around the time of the first lockdown, so it could conceivably be due to that in my case - but not having a chest infection at all for the last 18 months whereas I used to get one a year or so has been lovely.

Do you think this was largely due to wearing a mask? Whether a mask would block a virus particle is debatable but even cheap masks are effective against larger particulates such as pollen, dust, dander, etc. When I was a kid my neighbor always wore a mask while he was cutting his lawn. He had asthma that was pretty easily triggered and he said it made a big difference.

That's a good question - I didn't actually start wearing a mask until a little later, when the mask mandate came into force in the UK. Our first lockdown was definitely pretty severe and there were much fewer cars on the road here, but that has gone away, so you could indeed be onto something.

Re: Doctors Might Have Been Focusing on the Wrong Asthma Triggers

#8
post #5

I wonder how much impact the reduced pollution due to reduced traffic during the lockdowns and increased remote work later had on the study subjects, even if they were indoors.

I came to post just this. Rubber is a pretty common allergen. Wearing masks (especially N95) when out/about also probably helps a lot.

Re: Doctors Might Have Been Focusing on the Wrong Asthma Triggers

#9

I have had asthma my entire life, and it definitely flares up with airborne irritants. There has been awesome citizen science work going on helping people understand the direct link between anything that emits smoke and asthma attacks: https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2017.1315 They even found that parents waiting to pick up kids at schools with their ICE engines running increased PM2.5 inside the en…

Isn't most PM 2.5 pollution produced by brake pad and tire wear, which is made worse by EVs due to their weight?

Re: Doctors Might Have Been Focusing on the Wrong Asthma Triggers

#10
post #9

I have had asthma my entire life, and it definitely flares up with airborne irritants. There has been awesome citizen science work going on helping people understand the direct link between anything that emits smoke and asthma attacks: https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2017.1315 They even found that parents waiting to pick up kids at schools with their ICE engines running increased PM2.5 inside the en…

Isn't most PM 2.5 pollution produced by brake pad and tire wear, which is made worse by EVs due to their weight?

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