Air quality and climate change’s impact on asthma and allergies


 
The quality of our environment has a direct impact on our health. As temperatures rise, pollen seasons grow longer and pollution worsens due to warmer air, which helps to form ground-level ozone, sometimes called smog.


 


Kenneth Mendez, President & CEO, Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), joins us to discuss air quality and climate change’s impact on asthma and allergies. We discuss all the factors that can impact air quality and how this impacts our health, focusing mainly on asthma and seasonal allergies. Kenneth also shares more information about the Allergy Capital Report put out annually by AAFA.

What we cover in this episode:

Impact of climate change and air pollution for seasonal allergies and asthma.


What are seasonal allergies?


Air quality:

Why people with environmental allergies and asthma should pay attention to it


Air quality index


Indoor air quality should not be ignored.




Climate change:

Warmer temperature’s impact pollen


Earlier pollen season, frost comes later




Covid-19 and asthma:

The outcomes are not worse


How to differentiate if it is Covid-19 or seasonal allergies (Hay Fever does not mean fever is a symptom)




Why talking to your doctor and getting your asthma under control is so important for your health


What mask-wearing can signal about your asthma


Signs of uncontrolled asthma


Allergy Capitals Report and Asthma Capitals Report made by AAFA

What are they measuring and why is this important?


Cities/urban environments are a good place to look at what the impacts of climate change will look like in the future for individuals with asthma and allergies




How to minimize your allergy symptoms


Additional resources:

AAFA Online community: aafa.org/join


AAFA’s 2021 Allergy Capitals™ report: allergycapitals.com


Healthy Home


Indoor Air Quality


Control Indoor Allergens


SYMPTOMS CHART: IS IT COVID-19, THE FLU, A COLD, ALLERGIES OR ASTHMA?



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Twitter: @AAFANational