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.
May is Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month and Clean Air Month, and before the month comes to an end, let’s spend the week on Health Watch talking about air quality. When the weather gets warmer, ozone pollution becomes more of a problem.
Dr. David Khan, an allergist at UT Southwestern Medical Center, says you should check the air quality before exercising or playing outside. Ozone smog can cause wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath and asthma attacks. Children, the elderly and people with asthma or other lung diseases are most likely to have problems with high ozone levels. On high ozone days, it’s best to play or exercise indoors. If you do go out, try to avoid high-traffic areas, and do outdoor activities earlier in the morning. Ozone levels increase with sunlight and auto emissions.
Visithttp://www.utsouthwestern.org/allergy to learn more about UT Southwestern’s clinical services in allergies.
###
May 2008
Health Watch is heard Monday through Friday nationwide on ABC Satellite Radio. Call your local radio station and ask if they carry the program.
