What should you know about air pollution and asthma?

Traffic fumes, smoke, dust and fine airborne particles may provoke cough, wheeze, chest tightness or breathlessness. The response differs between people and can also vary with the pollutant level, exertion and other triggers such as pollen or respiratory infection.

Asthma causes airways to become inflamed and prone to narrowing. Pollutants can add irritation, increase airway sensitivity and stimulate mucus, so a person with asthma may notice wheezing, cough or tightness during or after exposure.

A symptom diary can reveal patterns around commuting, outdoor exercise, dust events, smoke or workplace exposure. Symptoms alone cannot identify a particular pollutant, and poor control may have several contributors, including missed controller medicine, allergens or illness.

Check local air-quality advice before strenuous outdoor activity and move exercise indoors when pollution is high or symptoms appear. Choose routes away from dense traffic when practical, keep windows closed during obvious dust or smoke episodes, and avoid tobacco smoke and indoor burning.

Continue controller medicine as prescribed and keep your reliever accessible. Follow your written asthma action plan rather than changing doses on your own. Good inhaler technique matters; a clinician or pharmacist can watch you use the device and correct specific errors.

Use your action plan and seek emergency help if breathing is very difficult, you cannot speak comfortably, your lips look blue or grey, you become confused or drowsy, or your prescribed reliever is not helping. These signs require action regardless of the suspected trigger.

Arrange a timely asthma review if pollution repeatedly limits activity, symptoms wake you, reliever use is increasing or cough and wheeze remain troublesome. The review can address technique, adherence, exposures and whether treatment needs adjustment.

Bring your inhalers and notes about when symptoms occur. Ask how to adapt outdoor activity on poor-air days, how to recognise declining control, what your action-plan steps mean and whether allergy or workplace exposure also needs assessment.