Air Quality Alerts Carry Warnings For Young, Elderly, AsthmaticsPOSTED: 5:52 pm EDT July 29,
2008 PITTSBURGH -- The health hazards of poor air quality on a hot day can be dangerous for those living with asthma. Video:  Watch Sheldon Ingram's Report From The North ShoreAn Air Quality Action Day was declared in southwestern Pennsylvania because of ozone levels Tuesday, forcing the Stadler family to get their 5-year-old son into the asthma clinic at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh."He suffers from his asthma and has trouble breathing, and I try to avoid that and keep him indoors," mother Jacqueline Stadler said.The health alert advises children, elderly people and asthma patients to cease outdoor activities during the hottest hours of the day."Basically, your lungs are a set of tubes, and exercise, hot weather, causes the tubes to contract, so that makes it like breathing through a straw, really working to breathe," said Dr. Andy MacGinnitie, of Children's Hospital.Sarah Kagri, a jogger, looks to be in good shape -- but internally, she's an asthmatic who's breathing through a straw, as doctors say."Normally, I do (take inhalers) before I exercise," said Kagri.But she said she didn't do that today -- and that's the mistake doctors want asthma patients to avoid.They say children with asthma are particularly vulnerable."They go to the swimming pool, then to the playground. It's hot, they're running around, they go into an asthma attack," said MacGinnitie.So the advice for asthma patients is to keep medication close, but also to wait until the sun starts to set before engaging in strenuous outdoor activities. Related Links:
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