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Asthma and the Ozone

My name is Ashley W. and I am a seventh grader at Inman Middle School. For my science project I am researching the effect that the ozone has on children with asthma.

Thank you for time and cooperation.

Ashley

My questions are:

1. How does the ozone concentration effect asthma in children from your experience?

Ozone can irritate the lungs of all humans, but asthma patients can feel the bad effects of ozone at much lower levels than "normal" people.

2. On days when the ozone concentration is high, do you see more children who have trouble breathing and wheezing?

YES. Ozone makes it difficult to breath since it cause the bronchial tubes to constrict and partially close up. When this happens, it feels like you are breathing through a straw.

3. What should parents do for children who have asthma on high ozone concentration days?

Avoidance is the best treatment of choice. So, if you have asthma, stay in air conditioned buildings during days of high ozone exposures.

Remember that asthma is just another word for "ticklish lungs". People with ticklish lungs should not inhale dirty air with lots of irritating ozone chemicals in it.

Hello there Ashley W.

Thanks for asking about ozone and asthma/allergies.

Check out my report about air pollution and asthma at: http://www.allernet.com/NEWSLETTER/feature.html

My answers are typed in above.
We live in a world of science and chemistry!

Have fun, Ashley, as you learn more about how to make this world a better place to breath in.

Steve Kagen, M.D.
AllerNet.com