Do not stand in rocket smoke for asthma

Lung Foundation: Do not stand in rocket smoke for asthma

29/12/2010

In the run-up to New Year's Eve, the Deutsche Lungenstiftung recommends asthma patients not to put themselves in the smoke of New Year's Eve and New Year's Eve rockets. The smoke can lead to acute attacks and discomfort.

Asthmatics should not stand directly in the New Year's Eve, nor in the direction of the smoke of New Year's Eve pop and rockets. Prof. Harald Morr from the German Lung Foundation in Hanover advises those affected to keep a large safety margin or to look at the fireworks from the closed window. Otherwise, the fine dust could cause severe discomfort. There is a risk of difficulty breathing, coughing fits and threatening asthma attacks.

Morr bases his statement on a recently published Spanish study. According to this, most fireworks contain numerous toxic metal compounds whose particles of a few micrometers in size can penetrate deeply into the lungs when inhaled. Especially on New Year's Eve, according to the lung specialist, a high level of pollution is to be expected. For this reason, patients with lung disease should delay a New Year's walk the next day to later hours when the toxic smoke has completely cleared. The Spanish scientists had found out that the pollution level is still clearly measurable a few days after 31 December. (Sb)

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Picture credits: Rike