ALLERGIES AND STRONG GUSTS OF WIND CAN TRIGGER THUNDERSTORM ASTHMA
by Priya Jadhav Contributed by Dr Hirenappa Udnur, Consultant - Pulmonology , Columbia Asia Hospital Hebbal Breathing is the most basic essentiality that we need to be alive but at times due to outside sources or internal reasons even that can become a struggle. One such situation arises in the case of thunderstorm asthma which is a weather-based condition that can turn wind and pollen into a dangerous combination. A person is told to have asthma when the person's airways become inflamed, narrow, swollen and produce extra mucus, leading to a struggle while breathing. Asthma is known to affect a person’s bronchial tubes, where the air goes in and out of the lungs. When a person gets an asthma attack, bronchial tubes narrow and that creates difficulty in breathing. A mild asthma attack can last just a few minutes, but stronger ones can go on for hours or even days and require serious medical intervention. HOW DOES IT HAPPEN? While thunderstorm asthma occurs when heavy