©EPA
  ASTHMA  AND  OUTDOOR  AIR  POLLUTION
    Air pollution can make asthma
    symptoms worse and trigger attacks.
    If you or your child has asthma, have you
    ever noticed symptoms get worse when
    the air is polluted? Air pollution can make
    it harder to breathe. It can also cause other
    symptoms, like coughing, wheezing, chest
    discomfort, and a burning feeling in the
    lungs.

    Two key air pollutants can affect asthma.
    One is ozone (found in smog). The other is
    particle pollution (found in haze, smoke, and
    dust). When ozone and particle pollution
    are in the air, adults and children with
    asthma are more likely to have symptoms.
O You can take steps to help protect
    your health from air pollution.
    > Get to know how sensitive you are to air
      pollution.
      • Notice your asthma symptoms when you
       are physically active. Do they happen
       more often when the air is more polluted?
       If so, you may be sensitive to air pollution.
• Also notice any asthma symptoms that
 begin up to a day after you have been
 outdoors in polluted air. Air pollution
 can make you more sensitive to asthma
 triggers, like mold and dust mites. If
 you are more sensitive than usual to
 indoor asthma triggers, it could be
 due to air pollution outdoors.

 Know when and where air pollution may
 he had.
• Ozone is often worst on hot summer
 days, especially in the afternoons and
 early evenings.
• Particle pollution can be bad any
 time of year, even in winter. It can be
 especially bad when the weather is calm,
 allowing air pollution to build up.
 Particle levels can also be high:
  — Near busy roads, during rush hour,
    and around factories.
  — When there is smoke in the air from
    wood stoves, fireplaces, or burning
    vegetation.

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Plan activities when and where pollution
levels are lower. Regular exercise is
important for staying healthy, especially
for people with asthma. By adjusting when
and where you exercise, you can lead a
healthy lifestyle and help reduce your
asthma symptoms when the air is polluted.
In summer, plan your most vigorous
activities for the morning. Try to exercise
away from busy roads or industrial areas.
On hot, smoggy days when ozone levels
are high, think about exercising indoors.

Change your activity level. When the air
is polluted, try to take it easier if you are
active outdoors. This will reduce how
much pollution you breathe. Even if you
can't change your  schedule, you might be
able to change your activity so it is less
intense. For example, go for a walk
instead of a jog. Or, spend less time
on the activity.  For example, jog for
20 minutes instead of 30.

Listen to your body. If you get asthma
symptoms when the air is polluted, stop your
activity. Find another, less intense activity.

Keep your quick-relief medicine on hand
when you're active outdoors. That way
if you do have symptoms, you'll be
prepared. This is especially important
if you're starting a new activity that is
more intense than you are used to.

Consult your health care provider. If you
have asthma symptoms when the air is
polluted, talk with your health  care
provider.
•  If you will be exercising more than
  usual, discuss this with your health care
  provider. Ask whether you should use
  medicine before you start outdoor
  activities.
  If you have symptoms during a certain
  type of activity, ask your health care
  provider if you should follow an asthma
  action plan.

Get up-to-date information about
your local air quality:
Sometimes you can tell that the air is
polluted—for example, on a smoggy or
hazy day. But often you can't. In many
areas, you can find air quality forecasts
and reports on local TV or radio. These
reports use the Air Quality Index, or AQI,
a simple color scale, to tell you how
clean or polluted the air is. You can also
find these reports on the Internet at:
www.epa.gov/airnow. You can use the AQI
to plan your activities each day to help
reduce your asthma symptoms.

For more  information:
Air quality and health:
• EPA's AIRNow website at
  www.epa.gov/airnow
• Call 1-800-490-9198 to request free EPA
  brochures on: Ozone and Your Health,
  Particle Pollution and Your Health, and Air
  Quality Index: A Guide to Air Quality and
  Your Health.
Asthma:
• Centers for Disease Control and
  Prevention (CDC) Web site at
  www.cdc.gov/asthma
Indoor air and asthma:
• EPA's asthma website at
  www.epa.gov/asthma
                                                              United
                                                              Environmental Protection Agency
                                                              EPA-452-F-04-002

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