‘Tis the season to be jolly and if you’re unlucky, it’s also the season to experience intense breathing difficulties.
loves it
While you’ve probably been thirsting for summer harder than Homie thirsts for a Duff at Moe’s after a long day at the power plant, if you’re prone to troubled breathing caused by changing seasons and hay fever-triggering pollens, the holidays are less ho ho ho and more wheeze wheeze wheeze.
Here are some of the most common breathing difficulties characteristic of the silly season, and how to avoid them at all coughs. It goes without saying that this is a brief guide and if you’re having trouble sucking back oxygen it’s best you consult a medical professional as soon as you can.
HAY FEVER
Hay fever (fancy name Allergic Rhinitis) is the most common allergic disease you can get. (As I write this, I have a tissue to my nose and I am resisting scratching my grossly itchy eyelid.)
It’s seasonal nasal symptoms are due to pollens (plant things) that typically come out in full swing in spring. That said, it can be a year round affliction too, if you live in a joint with indoor allergens like dust mites or mold (ick). Hay fever’s most prevalent in the 24 – 35-year-old age bracket. Interestingly enough, if you were exposed to ciggie smoke as a kid, you’ll be more prone to hay fever.
Hay fever can trigger asthma, but the two aren’t mutually exclusive. Symptoms include:
- Sneezing, sometimes in fits of up to 10 or more sneezes
- Clear runny discharge or dripping from a stuffed up nose
- A feeling of having plugged or stuffed ears that isn’t helped by swallowing
- Watery bloodshot eyes (your eyes may also be puffy and sore to touch)
While there’s no avoiding pollen as it’s in the air, and you can’t forgo air without dying, there are a few ways to minimise the sordid symptoms.
Top of the list would be staying inside on high pollen days; you can check the day’s forecast here. Course, that isn’t always possible for the large majority of us, but some of these methods might ease your pain:
- Wash your sheets weekly to rid ’em of any built up pollen
- Keep windows and car windows closed and use air conditioning rather than opening windows
- Smear petroleum jelly (like Vaseline) inside your nose when you are outdoors. If you can put up with that discomfort, it’ll help trap pollen and stop it reaching the inner lining of your nose
- Wear sunnies and frequently splash your eyes with water as this will help protect your eyes from irritation and flush out any pollen
- Keep clear of parks and gardens while lawns are being mowed
The Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy have this majorly handy Pollen Calendar which outlines common allergic pollen and when they’re at their most irritating.
avoid this
ASTHMA
According to Asthma Australia, asthma is a long-term lung condition. People with asthma have sensitive airways in their lungs which react to triggers, causing a ‘flare-up’. In a flare-up, the muscles around the airway squeeze tight, the airways swell and become narrow and there is more mucus. These things make it harder to breathe, like so:
2.3 million Australians suffer from asthma, and tragically, eight people have died over the past two weeks due to thunderstorm-triggered attacks in Victoria.
The humid weather change caused pollen to burst into smaller fragments which were then inhaled. This caused widespread asthmatic symptoms, even in those who generally don’t experience them. More than 8,500 people attended emergency departments as a result.
AA have released this poster which outlines what you should do if you or someone you’re with experiences an attack:
Further, the National Asthma Council Australia have also urged people to take note of the following advice in order to prevent thunderstorm asthma attacks:
- Always carry your blue reliever puffer with you
- Make sure you take your regular daily preventer, if you have been prescribed one
- Know the signs of worsening asthma and the asthma first aid steps
- If you start developing any signs of asthma, follow your personal asthma action plan, if you have one, or the asthma first aid steps
- If your asthma symptoms are rapidly worsening, call 000 and say you are having an asthma attack.
Photo: The Simpsons.
