What may be the cause of thunderstorm asthma in Hohhot?

On September 3, the Health and Health Commission of Hohhot responded that the increase of emergency patients in the hospital was related to the "thunderstorm asthma" caused by excessive pollen concentration after the rain. Thunderstorm asthma "leads to clustering diseases."

The reporter visited the affiliated hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University on the spot, and there were more patients in the respiratory department than usual. In the pediatric emergency department, patients and their families waiting for treatment such as cough, wheezing, chest tightness and shortness of breath are also waiting in line for medical treatment.

When the reporter interviewed, a 9-year-old child was waiting for medical treatment with his family. His mother said that last night, the child had difficulty breathing and coughing, and had no symptoms of rhinitis before. She quickly took the child to the hospital for examination and was still waiting for the screening results of allergens.

"After the thunderstorm, the pollen concentration rose sharply, leading to aggregation, so many patients gathered in the emergency department yesterday." Wei Song, deputy director of the emergency department of the Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, said: "This kind of clustering asthma has a characteristic. Most patients have a history of allergic rhinitis, and there are more patients with the first onset. "

On August 3 1 day, the Meteorological Bureau of Saihan District of Hohhot released a message that the pollen concentration in Hohhot continued to rise, higher than the same period last year, hitting a new high this year. According to the comprehensive analysis of the current growth of herbaceous plants and meteorological conditions, the pollen concentration in urban areas remained extremely high until mid-September. Mainly Artemisia pollen, followed by Chenopodiaceae pollen. Some studies believe that the cold air flow before a thunderstorm can bring pollen or mold particles into the cloud. Water in clouds and lightning breaks pollen grains and releases smaller particles.

Pollen particles returning to the ground are easier to enter the respiratory tract because they are small. Moreover, the strong electric field generated by thunderstorm may enhance the sensitization of allergens released by pollen, which is even more harmful.