Thunderstorm asthma is an asthma attack associated with thunderstorms. During thunderstorms, the pressure in the atmosphere decreases, temperatures change, and winds increase, factors that can cause increased concentrations of pollen, fungal spores, and other airborne allergens. In people with asthma or hay fever, these changes can trigger severe asthma attacks.
I have Allergic rhinitis myself, so if I encountered the above conditions, I would probably feel some discomfort as well. However, after attending this class, I learned more about thunderstorm asthma, which reminded me of a previous experience. At that time, my family and I were traveling to Melbourne, Australia. There was a thunderstorm one night, so our family stayed at a local B&B to rest. I remember we didn't close all the windows. After an hour of rain, my brother and I felt itchy noses and sneezed unconsciously, as if the air suddenly felt very turbid. But we didn't pay much attention at the moment, thinking that the turbid air was blowing in from outside, so we closed the windows and turned on the air conditioner. After a while, we returned to normal and thought it was the eve of a cold.
My brother and I did not suffer from allergic rhinitis at that time because I only suffered from allergic rhinitis in 2020. Still, my brother has not had any allergic symptoms until now. Among the family, I am the only one with allergy symptoms, so I am the chosen one😇.
Hong Kong is a humid and hot area, and the frequency of thunderstorms is also widespread. Therefore, people in Hong Kong may also be affected by thunderstorm asthma. But in Hong Kong, a place with a small land and a large population, most citizens live in a "concrete forest", and the number of pollen grains in the air is not as much as that in foreign countries. Therefore, the situation in Hong Kong is less severe than that in foreign countries. But if there is a thunderstorm in Hong Kong, I will also close the doors and windows of my home and take protective measures.
