Asthma advice for festival goers

People with asthma who are attending Oxegen next weekend have been advised by the Asthma Society of Ireland to be aware of the large number of triggers at outdoor music events that may affect their asthma and allergies.

A list of essential health information has been issued on the Asthma Society website for all festival goers who have asthma, hay fever and other allergies. Possible asthma triggers include weather changes, dust, pollen, moulds, air pollutants such as cigarette smoke, aerosols and dry ice, exercise, alcohol and food, all of which are present at festivals.

If pollen is a trigger for your asthma or allergies, festival goers are advised to check pollen counts of the region of any outdoor events they are attending and also to ask someone else to pitch their tent as pollen levels may be disturbed by this action.

Festival goers are urged to remember the following essential health advice:

• Don’t forget to take your inhalers and other medication with you
• Carry your reliever medication at all times
• Know how to deal with an emergency.  If you are unsure contact your GP or the Asthma Society of Ireland
• Carry an Asthma Attack card at all times.  Contact the Asthma Society of Ireland to request an asthma attack card
• Know where the medical tents are
• Inform friends if you have asthma or allergies
• Get someone else to put up your tent
• If you drink alcohol, make sure it is in moderation as excessive alcohol consumption can trigger an attack
• Don’t smoke! Tobacco smoke, even second hand, can trigger asthma symptoms
• Do not take recreational drugs; they can cause serious asthma exacerbations.

In the case of an emergency, firstly alert a friend, go to a medical tent and keep calm.  Ensure your friends are aware of the following steps:

• Ensure that the blue reliever inhaler is taken immediately.  This inhaler will help to open up narrowed air passages
• Sit down and loosen tight clothing
• Breathe slowly and calmly
• If there is no immediate improvement, continue to take the reliever inhaler every minute for five minutes or until symptoms improve
• If symptoms do not improve in five minutes, call medical staff or a Doctor urgently.  Continue to take reliever inhaler until help arrives or symptoms improve
• If you have no inhaler, alert a friend to accompany you to a medical tent.  If symptoms are severe, seek medical assistance urgently.

There will be an Asthma Society of Ireland nurse at Oxegen next weekend to give advice to festival goers on how to control their asthma and avoid triggering an attack.

For more information visit the Asthma Society of Ireland’s website at www.asthmasociety.ie or call the asthma helpline on 1850 44 54 64.

For more on asthma, visit the Irishhealth.com Asthma Clinic.

[Posted: Tue 30/06/2009]