Asthma Sufferers Urged to Prepare

The Victorian Government is urging people with asthma to make sure they manage their condition properly and prepared for an increase in allergens in the air.

"We're running public information campaigns about hay fever. That if you get hay fever, don't dismiss it if you're getting watery eyes and sniffing a lot," Health Minister Jill Hennessy said. "What we know is that hay fever is one of the great indicators for undiagnosed asthma. "We're saying to anyone who has hay fever go off and talk to a doctor about getting some Ventolin and a care plan in place."

University of Melbourne Associate Professor Ed Newbigin said the grass pollens — which were present in the 2016 thunderstorm asthma incident — are one of the more severe allergens. "Most people in Australia who get seasonal allergies will have an allergy to grass pollen," he said. "This is usually the time of year when most people get their sniffles and their sore eyes and start to sneeze a lot.

"It's also a bad time for asthmatics, grass pollen is one of their triggers."

What ever the triggers, ensure you have your customers asthma management covered by completing the education module on asthma below.

Extract from www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-01/thunderstorm-asthma-forecast-service-launched-for-pollen-season/10324192, viewed 2 Oct 2018