High Air Pollution Is Hell For Asthmatics: ‘It Feels Like My Lungs Are On Fire’

As temperatures reach 15°C across much of the UK towards the end of this week, the campaign group Clean Air in London has issued an “orange” air pollution warning for Friday and a “red/high” alert for Saturday, advising “endurance athletes and vulnerable people” – including asthmatics – to check updates and health advice. 

Defra’s nationwide pollution forecast also currently shows moderate to high levels are on the way, and could last for as long as two weeks.

Dr Matthew Loxham, an expert in respiratory biology and air pollution toxicology at the University of Southampton, explains that during sunny weather, ultraviolet light from the sun can “catalyse reactions between pollutants”, producing an ozone and particle-rich smog.

“Normally pollution is carried upwards into the atmosphere because air is usually warmer near the earth’s surface, and this warm air rises, taking the pollution with it,” he explains. “But during a thermal inversion, surface air is cooler, meaning that pollution may accumulate and so exposure may increase.”

The latest pollution warnings come after research earlier this week by Nuffield Trust and the Association for Young People’s Health (AYPH) found young people aged 10-24 in the UK are significantly more likely to die from asthma than in other European countries.