Today's forecast: hot, with rising levels of smog, asthma and hay fever

Soaring temperatures have prompted a rash of medical alerts, amid fears that smog will choke British cities this summer. As the country recorded its hottest 12 June for more than 80 years, people were warned by both the Met Office and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) - the government department responsible for monitoring air quality - to take "sensible precautions" against smog, such as avoiding outdoor exercise in the afternoon, and cutting unnecessary car journeys. For Britain's thousands of asthma sufferers, the situation is likely to get worse.

Climate change predictions suggest that, with global warming, Britain is in line to experience summer episodes of such extreme heat that they may lead directly to deaths. Global warming has already been blamed for the rising numbers of Britons suffering from hay fever. Last month, a UK pollen specialist said the pollen from trees and grasses that produces allergic reactions in millions of people is steadily increasing with rising temperatures. Professor Jean Emberlin, director of the National Pollen and Aerobiology Research Unit, said pollen seasons are lengthening, and the pollen itself is provoking a more powerful reaction among hay fever sufferers.

The Met Office yesterday said high temperatures will continue for the rest of June, increasing the likelihood of more smog and air pollution incidents that may be widely damaging to health. Professor Martyn Partridge, chief medical adviser to Asthma UK, said atmospheric conditions over the next few days looked set to repeat those of 24 June 1994, when Britain suffered its worst epidemic of asthma attacks, as thunderstorms struck during a heatwave. In London that year, 640 patients were taken to accident and emergency departments in a period of 30 hours, 10 times the usual number, as the thunderstorm crossed the capital.

"We face a similar scenario now. We are at the end of a period of hot weather and there is lots of pollen in the atmosphere," Professor Partridge said. The first episode of global warming's impact has already been experienced in France, where in the first fortnight of August, 2003, soaring temperatures brought about nearly 15,000 unexpected deaths. The French public, at first, treated the situation as a Government failure to cope but when scientists analysed the temperature data, they realised it was the hottest summer on record in Europe. Researchers have attributed it directly to climate change - the first such case.

http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/article878386.ece

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/ConsConditions/Asthmacc.html
Magnesium

Two large studies found that low dietary magnesium intake may be associated with risk of developing asthma in both children and adults. While studies suggest that intravenous magnesium (magnesium administered through a vein) can help treat acute attacks of asthma in children over age 6 and adults, it is not known if eating foods high in magnesium or taking magnesium supplements would make any difference in terms of asthma symptoms. During an acute asthma attack, a doctor will determine if intravenous magnesium is necessary and appropriate in a hospital setting.

N-acetylcysteine

A review of scientific studies suggests that N-acetylcysteine may help dissolve mucus and improve symptoms associated with asthma.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Preliminary research on adults with asthma suggests that an omega-3 fatty acid supplement (from perilla seed oil, which is rich in alpha-linolenic acid , an important omega-3 fatty acid) may reduce inflammation and improve lung function. ALA is also found in flaxseed and flaxseed oil. In addition, although controversial because of mixed reports from scientific studies, at least a few studies have found that fish oil supplements (rich in two other important omega-3 fatty acids, namely eicosopentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid ) may improve symptoms in children and adults with asthma. The studies on fish oil have only included a small number of people, however; therefore, definite conclusions cannot be drawn about whether fish oil supplements will help you or not if you have asthma.

it makes sense, doesn't it?