How Ozone Affects Breathing and What You Can Do to Protect Your Kids
NOTE: Today's print edition of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution includes a front-page story in the Living section about the effects of asthma on Georgia youths. Dr. Ann-Marie Brooks, a colleague of John Popler at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, is quoted in the article, which notes that the metro Atlanta region has experienced four Code Orange days since the beginning of May, meaning air quality was considered unhealthy for sensitive groups, including children.
Many people in the United States – an estimated 159 million – live in places that have unhealthy levels of ground-level ozone or air pollution. Ground-level ozone is created when chemicals from cars, power plants, and factories mix with sunlight. Ozone tends to be higher in sunnier climates and during hot weather. It is a main part of smog, the brownish-yellow haze often seen hanging over cities.
Although ozone levels have declined since 2000, according to the American Lung Association, many people continue to be affected by high ozone levels. Poor air quality represents a continuing health hazard to both children and adults, especially those with chronic respiratory conditions such as asthma.
Children are especially at risk from unhealthy levels of ozone, as exposure to environmental ozone can irritate the lungs. This may make children more likely to suffer from asthma and related symptoms, such as cough, wheezing, and difficulty breathing.
It is always important to keep you and your family healthy. During the warmer months when ozone levels are high and air quality is poor:
• Don't drive. Share a ride, take public transportation, ride a bike, or walk.
• Don't put gas in your car until after 7 P.M.
• Limit use of outboard motors, off-road vehicles, or other gasoline-powered recreational vehicles.
• Avoid mowing the lawn or using other gasoline-powered gardening equipment when the air quality is poor.
Jonathan Popler, M.D. is a pediatric pulmonologist at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
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