Asthma (When Thunderstorms Strike)

Asthma is one of the commonest ailments people suffer around the world. But many people experience attacks of asthma shortly after the onset of thunderstorms when the pollen count is high. This connection between thunderstorms and asthma has been recognized since the late 20th century, and the number of thunderstorm related asthma pandemics is expected to rise as climate change causes increased numbers of thunderstorms and other weather phenomena that impact people suffering from asthma. One curious finding in thunderstorm asthma cases is that many people had never had an asthma attack before their onset of wheezing during thunderstorm asthma epidemics. Because the incidence of thunderstorm asthma attacks is expected to rise in the future, people diagnosed with allergic rhinitis and allergic asthma must be aware of this phenomenon in order to protect themselves.