Thursday, November 05, 2009 11:00 AM
The Asthma Clinic at Salisbury Pediatric Associates treats between 600 and 800 children from the immediate area.
Those children could guess that Rowan County received an “F” for air quality.
They experience it in their lungs every ozone action day.
“Ozone pollution irritates the tissue of the lungs and causes them to release proteins that increase the inflammation and reactivity,” says Dr. Christopher Magryta, the pediatrician who treats children in Salisbury Pediatrics’ Asthma Clinic. “During ozone action days, the volume of people who go to the emergency department and primary care clinics goes up pretty dramatically.”
Magryta notes that children with asthma who spend time near heavily trafficked areas often need medical attention. “The more exposure the child has to ozone and pollutants, the more likely the child is to have symptoms,” he says.
While he does not think parents should keep their children inside during the summer months, he recommends keeping the windows closed and turning on the air conditioner. And on serious ozone-action days, he says it’s better to engage in indoor activities.
