Health Watch is a public service of the Office of News and Publications and is intended to provide general information only and should not replace the advice of a medical professional. You should contact your physician if you have questions about any of these topics.

This week on Health Watch, we've been talking about the end of summer, as heralded by Labor Day weekend. The ideal holiday weekend day may be warm and sunny, but that, when combined with traffic from vacationers heading out of town, can create ideal conditions for ozone.

Dr. Carlos Girod, a lung disease specialist at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, says high ozone can affect your breathing. People with asthma, allergies or other lung problems are most affected, but even healthy people may have problems on high ozone days. That's when you should stay indoors with the windows closed. Limit outdoor activities to the morning and late evening hours, when ozone levels are lower.
 
You can do your part to keep ozone levels lower by taking public transportation or by limiting the use of gasoline-burning engines on hot, sunny days.

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August 2006

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