It is important for parents and students to be Thunderstorm Asthma aware and prepared as we return to school and enter this season.
Thunderstorm Asthma can be very serious for people with asthma and hay fever. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, there is a greater risk of an Epidemic Thunderstorm Asthma event occurring this year due to the wet spring, encouraging grass growth. This is caused by the La’Nina effect, which usually means above-average winter-spring rainfall in Australia.
Most common during spring and summer, Thunderstorm Asthma occurs when pollen bursts open and release tiny particles in the wind just before a thunderstorm. These small pieces of pollen can then be easily breathed deep into the lungs and trigger life-threatening asthma symptoms.
During this high-risk period, please make sure all students with asthma carry Ventolin on them at all times and a spare Ventolin/spacer to be kept in their lockers, as backup.
For more information, visit the Asthma Australia website: https://asthma.org.au/about-asthma/triggers/thunderstorm-asthma
