Thunderstorm warning ⛈️

[Claire_ALUK]

Does your asthma get worse during a thunderstorm? If you notice your symptoms often flare-up, it’s probably because of one of two reasons.

The air before a storm can feel very humid. Some of you tell us that this causes a tight chest and a cough, and that it can be harder to breathe.

Thunderstorms smash pollen into tiny bits that go deeper into your lungs. This can then trigger your asthma symptoms and even potentially fatal asthma attacks.

As there's a risk of thunderstorms across the UK over the next few days, it’s vital you keep your reliever with you at all times and take your regular hay fever medicines if you need them. Get more tips asthma.org.uk/weather

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador]

Thanks Claire for flagging!

I think I've got a human barometer in there - I can tell when the pressure's dropping and the storm is building. (Because who needs external weather forecasts when your lungs can make a nuisance of themselves instead?)

They're definitely not one to mess with though - I personally find weather triggers can be my most potent and hard to deal with, so a personal view to go along with the expert one is be careful and don't ignore symptoms!

[Js706 in reply to Lysistrata]

Karen lungs unite! (Mean Girls for anyone who doesn’t know the reference!)

I also find weather triggers to be a right pain to deal with, I guess maybe because it’s often such a sudden and dramatic change in the environment. Either way it definitely makes my airway twitch and then some 😂

[MrsCMK in reply to Js706]

Another Karen here too 🙋🏽‍♀️

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador in reply to Lysistrata]

Snap! My lungs can always tell when the weather is changing (to the point if I can’t work out the trigger it’s blamed on the weather 😂). I am also a Karen!

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador in reply to EmmaF91]

I always blame the weather! Usually it is responsible too (or that plus other things).

Karen would like to see the manager in charge of the asthma medications lol. (Different Karen I know, and sorry to anyone reading who is named Karen but isn't a 'Karen' like our lungs!)

[Oaken_50 in reply to Lysistrata]

I'm a Karen but totally agree 😀 I can tell when the weather is changing just by the changes in my breathing.

[K8ty25]

I find humidity difficult. It definitely makes my lungs twitchy. As I am writing this I can here thunder rumbling in the distance. As much as storms aren't good in terms of pollen they do take the humidity down so catch 22 I suppose

[Js706 in reply to K8ty25]

I know it’s so frustrating! My least favourite situation is when you get a pathetic little storm - because I still have to deal with the storm as a trigger but it doesn’t do anything to reduce the humidity either 😂 as long as it brings the humidity down to a more manageable level I don’t mind too much!

[K8ty25 in reply to Js706]

Yes. I'm hoping that this will be a good one and at least bring the humidity down a little bit.

[lucia_m]

Yep - just had to get the ventolin out after being surprisingly OK all day considering the heat. Was wondering why now, then checked the forecast to see there's a storm on the way.

[AirIsUnderrated]

I'm feeling it too. Just after I had my first telephone asthma review this morning and told the nurse I was feeling great on the increased dose 🙄.

Note to self: add thunderstorms to trigger list.

[Blue-Breeze]

I've just become a Karen. Adding high heat followed by thunderstorms to the trigger list 😥😧