Intense coughing, wheezing breath, chest tightness, and shortness of breath during a summer storm may indicate an asthma crisis, warn doctors from the Timișoara County Emergency Clinical Hospital.
Experts draw attention to the phenomenon known as „storm asthma,” which can also affect children who have not been previously diagnosed with asthma, and they say that climate change could make such episodes more frequent.
The warning was issued on Tuesday through a statement from the Pediatric Pulmonology Department of the medical unit.
In Romania, there are no statistics regarding the incidence of this phenomenon, as most of the time, the episodes are not recognized as being triggered by storms.
"The child arrives at the emergency room with breathing difficulties, and the case is recorded as an asthma crisis, an episode of bronchospasm, or an allergic reaction. The connection with the storm and the high pollen concentration often goes unnoticed," say the doctors.
How "storm asthma" occurs
According to pulmonologists, storm asthma is not a distinct disease but an acute respiratory reaction caused by the combination of high pollen concentration, increased humidity, and strong air currents before and during storms.
Prof. Dr. Ioana Ciucă, a pediatric pulmonologist and coordinator of the Pediatric Pulmonology Department at Timișoara County Hospital, explains that during summer storms, pollen is brought down to the ground by air currents, and due to humidity, the particles break into microscopic fragments.
These can penetrate deep into the bronchi, causing inflammation and narrowing of the airways, triggering an asthma crisis.
Who is most at risk
The most vulnerable are children with allergic asthma, especially if the disease is not well controlled, or the treatment is not followed correctly.
However, the phenomenon can also affect children who have not been diagnosed with asthma but have pollen allergies and present symptoms such as sneezing, stuffy nose, nasal discharge, itching, or watery eyes.
During a storm, they may develop severe coughing for the first time, wheezing breath, and a feeling of suffocation. Symptoms can appear just before the rain starts, when gusts of wind carry pollen, mold spores, dust, and other irritating particles over long distances.
Doctors say that the risk is higher during periods with high pollen concentrations, especially from grasses, and on very hot days followed by strong storms.
Doctor's recommendations for parents
Experts recommend that when storms are announced, children allergic to pollen or diagnosed with asthma should stay indoors with windows closed.
Also, prescribed treatment should not be interrupted, even if symptoms are under control, and emergency medication should always be readily available.
Doctors emphasize that parents should seek immediate medical help if a child has difficulty breathing, cannot speak normally due to lack of air, breathes very rapidly, becomes agitated or drowsy, or if the lips start to turn blue.
According to Prof. Dr. Ioana Ciucă, climate change promotes the prolongation of the pollen season, an increase in pollen concentration in the air, and the intensification of extreme weather events, which can lead to more frequent episodes of storm asthma.