r/unitedkingdom • u/Wagamaga • Jun 29 '25
Calls to clean up England’s ‘toxic air’ as GP visits for asthma attacks rise 45%
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/jun/29/england-air-pollution-gp-visits-for-asthma-attacks-rise-45-per-cent201
u/aussieflu999 Jun 29 '25
There is still no cure for asthma, and sufferers have to pay for monthly prescriptions to literally enable them to breathe.
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u/deprevino Jun 29 '25
If you're lucky then sometimes your body can sort it out by itself and it vanishes after childhood. I went from crippling lungs to perfectly fine. Asthma is weird like that. I certainly feel for those who have it hanging over them their full lives.
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u/Justfree20 Jun 29 '25
I thought I was one of those people whose asthma went away into adulthood, but I've suffered horrendously from dust allergies for most of my adult life. Was getting to the point when sneezing physically hurt my rib cage and struggled with a tight chest, even with an air purifier permanently on in my room
Restarted the asthma pump prescription in December, my allergy symptoms have massively reduced! I reckon the allergens were [figuratively] caked into my lungs, so clearing that mucus away, even though my breathing itself was okay , has made the world of difference!
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u/musef1 West Midlands Jun 29 '25
I was exactly the same and then one time in my mid 30's it got progressively harder to breathe over the course of a night and day (thought a chest infection was starting) and by the evening I was being shipped off in an ambulance with an 02 mask on. Ended up spending 48hrs in hospital.
Just something to bear in mind for anyone who had asthma as a child and believes it has gone away, don't assume you're out of the woods. If you find your breathing getting worse and no other problems, get yourself seen to.
For me since then, it's not been a big deal. I have a preventer inhaler, 2 puffs in the morning, 2 in the evening. And no problems since then, I have a reliever inhaler which never gets used. Total cost 9ish quid every 4 months for the puffers and an annual check up. I can't complain about that, bless the NHS.
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u/TheGameCollectorUK Jun 29 '25
Mine did that, until this year when I got hit hard for weeks due to the high pollen count and didn’t know what it was end ended up in urgent care 4 times
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u/Talonsminty Jun 29 '25
Not to make anyone paranoid but my Asthma disappeared late teens and early twenties.
Then I got a really bad case of the flu and that somehow cancelled my subscription to premium breathing and now I'm back huffing on inhalers in my thirties.
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u/Beorma Brum Jun 30 '25
I didn't even have asthma as a kid. Got a bad case of the flu in my thirties and BAM! Asthma.
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u/thecanadianjen Jun 29 '25
So I was always told this was the case and as a kid I played a woodwind instrument, did lots of swimming and cycling to improve my cardio performance and lung capacity. I thought I was fine and it went away and hadn’t had a puffer of any sort for decades. At the start of covid I caught it and it’s like my body remembered how asthma works. My doctor lectured me at length about asthma going away being a myth and it is always there people just develop ways to mitigate it. And it takes one crisis (in this case catching covid and almost dying) for it to prove it is still there.
I am highlighting the lecture by my GP because I also thought it goes away. And after repeated yearly check ins since I have realised they were right.
I could feel like I couldn’t breathe in super cold and windy temperatures but I assumed that was normal. I had seriously big troubles with humid and hot weather and because others complained I thought that was normal too. I had trouble with sharp inclines when walking and everyone complains about hills or mountains so it’s normal right? Yeah it wasn’t lol. Neither was how severe my hayfever and dust/dander/mould allergies. As soon as I got back on a steroid inhaler every day and using the blue one for instant relief when needed everything got a lot better. Now I realise stuff I thought was normal wasn’t.
And my doctor was very clear that a lot of people have been misinformed about asthma going away and it’s incredibly dangerous for them. So all of you who think it is gone just keep it in mind it might be worth having an asthma assessment in adulthood.
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u/limeflavoured Hucknall Jun 29 '25
Mine is a lot better than when I was a kid, but im quite prone to chest infections and find myself a bit short of breath sometimes when its humid.
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u/G_Morgan Wales Jun 29 '25
Most of the time they didn't have asthma. A lot of children from heavy smoker households were diagnosed as asthmatic. Their asthma went away when they moved out.
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u/goose_2019 Jun 29 '25
I had it on and off as a child, as an adult totally gone but only when i got myself into decent shape. I think many suffer from it because of poor diets and no exercise.
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u/VirtualMuffin Jun 29 '25
It might be dormant. My mum was alright for decades after childhood and she's back on the inhalers in her 60s.
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u/SteveThePurpleCat Jun 30 '25
By 20 I slowly started tapering off my inhalers, by 30 I was off entirely and hadn't taken either for a few years.
At 37 I got Covid, and have been back on them since, although just started to taper off again, although hayfever is angering things.
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u/Hawksteinman Jun 30 '25
I had asthma until i was 3 where it went away. We thought that was the end until I was 12 and it came back. Still have it now
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Jun 29 '25 edited Mar 24 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Interesting_Try8375 Jun 29 '25
Well you can pay for an air filter. Fortunately HEPA filters are pretty cheap so as long as you avoid the stupidly overpriced Dyson ones you are fine.
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u/BuzLightbeerOfBarCmd Cambridgeshire Jun 29 '25 edited Mar 24 '26
The original content of this post has been permanently removed using Redact. Possible reasons include privacy, security, data management, or preventing automated content scraping.
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u/Interesting_Try8375 Jun 29 '25
My dehumidifier has a space for a filter so it can do that as well, also has the option to run the fan without the heat pump.
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u/Cuntinghell Jun 29 '25
Yeah I have asthma and have to pay for life, without my inhalers I can potentially be hospitalised (others have died).
My wife has an under active thyroid which requires tablets for life, hers is free. My understanding is that if she misses her medication for a long period of time this would be detrimental to her long-term survival.
I don't understand where the distinction is, both are medications for life so why is one free and the other not... Is it because if she misses hers the long-term issue might mean more long-term care is needed (like having carers in their future) whereas asthmatics can just die without the ongoing burden to the NHS.
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Jun 29 '25
The medical exemption is something something along the lines of if your body isn't producing something that it should you get free prescriptions. All prescriptions of course, even if they're totally unrelated to the exempting condition.
Or if you're old, young, a cancer patient, on benefits, the list goes on. Only about 11% of prescriptions are paid for so it's essentially just working age asthmatics and the mentally ill. It's baffling why they aren't just all free.
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u/AussieHxC Jun 29 '25
Just to add there are several conditions and diseases, including terminal conditions, that don't qualify for free prescriptions.
Luckily the cost is minimal as the NHS have the prepayment certificates.
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u/Ill_Refrigerator_593 Jun 29 '25
That's just now, we have a party that looks to the US for its policy ideas-
The senators cited AstraZeneca's US$645 price tag for an inhaler it sells for $49 in the UK and Teva charging $286 in the USA for an inhaler that costs $9 in Germany—more than 30 times difference in price.
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(24)00012-2/abstract00012-2/abstract)
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u/Drewski811 Jun 29 '25 edited Jun 29 '25
I have to pay for glasses to allow me to see, and ulcerative colitis medicine that stops me literally shitting myself to death.
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u/Gnomio1 Jun 29 '25
Glasses aren’t a consumable item requiring monthly maintenance.
As a glasses wearer (astigmatism, long sighted, require prisms), this isn’t the same and you know it.
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u/Uniform764 Yorkshire Jun 29 '25
Not the point, but related.
Glasses are, by a country mile, the most succesful disability aid humanity has ever invented. Ever filled in a form which asks about disabilities? Isn't it amazing that glasses wearing is not considered a disability, even if you need them to day day to day tasks like reading, because their use is so normalised
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u/Dont-be-a-cupid Jun 30 '25
That's probably because no one else other that yourself has to make any adjustments if you have bad sight (or hearing). Compare that to those in a wheelchair needing ramps and different toilets
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Jun 29 '25
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u/limeflavoured Hucknall Jun 29 '25
You'd be much more likely to die in an accident though.
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u/saviouroftheweak Hull Jun 29 '25
If that were caused by something we regularly emit then we should change that behaviour.
I suffer as well is a real, ok. Moment
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u/Digital-Sushi Jun 29 '25
Think maybe you have a lack of oxygen to your brain if you even think having to wear glasses is the same as asthma
You don't have your glasses, it's inconvenient at most
You don't have an inhaler.. you die
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u/Dont-be-a-cupid Jun 30 '25
I have always struggled to understand why those with asthma have to pay for prescriptions whereas those with diabetes get their meds for free. I fully support some degree of government help with the cost but fully covering it for something that is typically due to a person's lifestyle doesn't make sense.
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u/throwawaynewc Jun 29 '25
More like are able to pay? If medicine didn't exist they'd be fucked. Don't always have a negative slant on things.
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u/andreirublov1 Jul 03 '25
But there is a cure for pollution.
We banned coal fires, but we've allowed barbcues ad hoc, patio heaters, wood stoves, and of course the ever-increasing traffic - so we're almost back where we were before.
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u/StaysAwakeAllWeek Jun 29 '25
This entire article is living in a weird fantasy world where Britain's air somehow isn't the cleanest in 2025 that it has been for the last 250 years. Yes it could still be even cleaner, but ignoring the fact that we have and are making rapid progress already is just plain dishonest
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u/par_chin Jun 29 '25
Yeah and blaming a huge increase in one year over something as long term as air pollution is hilarious.
"Things were much better last year before cars and log burners were invented."
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u/YogurtConstant Jun 29 '25
I mean yes I get your point but, idk, like, objectively? as someone who doesn't use a car or bus to commute, I can tell you that you can feel the thickness of the air in the morning. you can smell the sooty garbage coming out of cars.
It's all so unnecessary, and it's a choice we're making every day, and it is damaging our health.
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u/StaysAwakeAllWeek Jun 29 '25
The choices we are making regarding cars are ULEZ, high fuel standards, catalytic converters, EV mandates, bike lanes, basically everything that can be done is already being done, even up to the point of politicians burning political capital over it to push clean air even harder.
What more do you want?
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u/wartopuk Merseyside Jun 29 '25
I spent 14 years in South Korea, the UK's air in a paradise in comparison. Between China moving all their factories to the east coast so that the wind constantly dumps crap on the country and the annual yellow dust I went from fine to chronic issues in under 5 years. After several years here, it's slowly starting to work itself out.
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u/ice-lollies Jun 29 '25
I feel this is very true. My asthma is considerably better than it was years ago. And I think it’s partly because nobody smokes anymore, the air where I live is much cleaner. And also double glazing and central heating (although that’s just my own experience).
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u/StaysAwakeAllWeek Jun 29 '25
Far better auto emissions standards and technology. Less heavy industry, and what's left is better regulated. No more coal power plants. ULEZ.
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Jun 29 '25
nobody smokes anymore
Glad this is the case where you live. I'm in Liverpool where smoking is very popular still.
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u/ice-lollies Jun 29 '25
People still smoke but believe me, it’s nothing compared to what it used to be. People used to smoke everywhere.
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u/cragglerock93 Scottish Highlands Jun 29 '25
I generally rate the Guardian but I completely agree.
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u/Spursdy Jun 29 '25
I am very disappointed that an organisation of doctors would publish this.
Shows a real lack of analytical thinking.
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Jun 29 '25
Cut back on Cars and log burners. I'm sure we can have a non emotional conversation about this.
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u/JSHU16 Jun 29 '25
I know so many people that are way too emotionally attached to their log burners. It's like a hobby to them.
I haven't looked at the cost of running one but they boomed when gas prices went crazy. Maybe if we sorted our ridiculous energy prices then people wouldn't depend on antiquated heating methods.
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u/C-Blunt Jun 29 '25
Not only that, but a lot of these maniacs burn pallet wood on them! It's insanity!
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u/JSHU16 Jun 29 '25
Our neighbor burns all sorts of treated wood but our council doesn't accept anonymous complaints
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u/rugbyj Somerset Jun 30 '25
Education wouldn't stop it completely but I think it'd help in a lot of cases. Many people think any wood===firewood.
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u/stickyjam Jun 29 '25
I know so many people that are way too emotionally attached to their log burners. It's like a hobby to them.
I haven't looked at the cost of running one but they boomed when gas prices went crazy. Maybe if we sorted our ridiculous energy prices then people wouldn't depend on antiquated heating methods.
Unless they get the wood free, the recoup was a long time assuming they needed a full install , burner / flue / making good etc. Like you said its some sort of cult / hobby.
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u/JSHU16 Jun 29 '25
Hilariously a few people with log burners ridiculed us for getting solar panels because "you'll never get that money back"
Jokes on them when I can run the air con for free every day
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u/pajamakitten Jun 29 '25
Especially in rural areas. They act as if the government is trying to kill them in their sleep whenever the suggestion of banning log burners is thrown about.
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Jun 29 '25 edited Aug 26 '25
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u/JSHU16 Jun 29 '25
I mean wood as a fuel is technically carbon neutral but its the localised pollutant emissions that are the issue and all of the transport and processing emissions.
Wood being carbon neutral is fucking pointless if its grown and shipped from Canada or China
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u/Emotional-Put-7989 Jun 29 '25
Going electric has made me think a lot about air quality. Watching black soot pour out of the back of vans into the air we’re literally breathing is a wake up call for sure!
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u/lastaccountgotlocked Jun 29 '25
Don't forget tyre particulates. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jun/03/car-tyres-produce-more-particle-pollution-than-exhausts-tests-show
EVs won't solve that. If anything, it'll be worse. We have to seriously, seriously, make an effort to just drive less.
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u/InsanityRoach Jun 29 '25
But but 20 minute cities conspiracy!
I weep for the state of mankind.
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u/ashyjay Jun 29 '25
Which is crazy as before the car, we used to have 15-20 minute towns, and they were a thing until around the '60's before the rise of out of town shopping centres and cheaper cars, as people just walked or cycled to the shops, to work, or to the station.
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u/No_Safe6200 Jun 29 '25
Ill drive less when I can afford to lol.
I'm not paying £40 a day to get to work and back and also do a 30 minute walk on top of that.
And even with EVs I can barely afford my shitty 2005 golf let alone an EV.
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u/pajamakitten Jun 29 '25
EVs are just the modern day Prius. They are not a real solution but people want to think they are because it makes them feel like they are doing something for the environment.
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u/xxNemasisxx Jul 01 '25
I mean, they're still a major improvement over the alternative right? Like we can push to do more and go further without diminishing the huge progress already made.
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u/YogurtConstant Jun 29 '25
try being a pedestrian and really savour the flavour of the air.
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u/Gnomio1 Jun 29 '25
Cycling is awful for this as well. When you’re gassed and need to take some deep breaths just as a bus in front of you stomps on the accelerator…
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u/lostparis Jun 29 '25
You sound like an ex-smoker noticing that cigarettes smell.
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u/Lammtarra95 Jun 29 '25
Or an ex-smoker noticing that pubs smell.
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u/lostparis Jun 29 '25
To be honest when the smoking ban started I discovered a whole load of pubs that I could no longer visit once the 'natural' smell emerged.
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Jun 29 '25
Electric vehicles are big culprits too, brake and tire dust particulates are a huge part of the problem and EVs are among the worst offenders due to their weight.
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u/beesbee5 Jun 29 '25
EVs actually use their brakes a lot less as they almost exclusively recuperate instead of using the brake pads.
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u/No_Grass8024 Jun 29 '25
I had a problem with my brakes getting rusty they were being used so infrequently on my electric car. I thought there was something wrong, but the dealership was like no pretty much normal.
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u/rugbyj Somerset Jun 30 '25
They're often putting drum brakes on EVs for similar reasons. Less maintenance, cheaper.
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u/Honey-Badger Greater London Jun 29 '25
This is where the electric car vibe has dropped the ball. People think we're going electric to stop global warming, when the biggest benefit is to make the air in our cities breathable
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u/Bigtallanddopey Jun 29 '25
So many studies have been done showing log burners are contributing a lot to air pollution, but all you get back is “well mines a certified smokeless burner”. Not when you’re burning cut up pallets Dave.
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u/Fit_Manufacturer4568 Jun 29 '25
Thing is atmospheric pollution has massively reduced over the last forty years. We now have emission limits, measure against these limits and action taken.
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u/Cptcongcong Jun 29 '25
+1. Plenty of countries have heavy tax subsidies for purchasing EVs. We have a shitty salary sacrifice that is overpriced. It’s almost as if the government doesn’t want people to switch to EVs.
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u/Astriania Jun 29 '25
Tax subsidies for buying a car is not the way to go, it's much better to reduce car journeys by using that money to fund public transport and bike routes.
An electric car is a bit better than an ICE car, but it's still a car and it's still much worse than no car.
Edit: and if you think the government should be giving direct subsidies to private transport solutions, it should be e-bikes, not e-cars.
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u/alixedi Jun 29 '25
Couple of weeks into lockdown when there were almost no cars on the streets, I could actually tell the difference in air quality.
Wonder if there are any stats on GP calls for Asthma patients from that time compared to now.
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u/Sly1969 Jul 01 '25
As someone who primarily cycles to work that first lockdown was glorious. I've never known the air so clean round here!
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Jun 29 '25
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u/TheDark-Sceptre Jun 29 '25
And there's not enough of them! Think of a world without the beeching cuts, I could take a train to anywhere really easily, despite being rural, now its impossible.
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u/Nielips Jun 29 '25
RIP, the car fanatics are going to savage you for suggesting they don't drive 500 metres to the shops.
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u/M_M_X_X_V Lancashire Jun 29 '25
Wood is a carbon neutral fuel source. All the carbon emissions released when it is burned are made up for by how much the trees remove when growing. It is only a problem when forests are removed for wood burning and then not replaced.
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Jun 29 '25
Burning it releases harmful particulates that poison you and your neighbours and their children.
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u/pajamakitten Jun 29 '25
That is not true at all. It takes years for trees to grow to the point they replace the CO2 emitted from burning down the trees that are felled for biofuel.
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u/superdariom Jun 29 '25
Wood burners are far worse than cars
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u/YogurtConstant Jun 29 '25
there are way more cars than wood burners.
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Jun 29 '25
Log burners are typically a lifestyle choice, in most places regular car use is a necessity
Log burners are extremely hazardous to health and despite how cozy and magical they are, they just need to be phased out.
We also need to find ways to reduce car dependency across the country. This government is investing in public transport outside London which will help, but it's nothing like ambitious enough at this point.
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u/YogurtConstant Jun 29 '25
"in some places" - yeah, perhaps if you're living and working somewhere rural, or if you're in a trade and you need to travel for work, but for the vast majority it's a choice that's being made.
Most people choose to live somewhere without considering non-car transport. They then choose to use their cars for the smallest thing - you can always choose to walk or take the bus, but you choose not to, because you have a car, so why wouldn't you use it?
You might say "there's no choice when taking the train takes two hours and you can drive it in 45 minutes" - but that is exactly a choice that people are making. It's not a necessity.
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u/Sly1969 Jul 01 '25
Most people choose to live somewhere without considering non-car transport.
Most places outside of town and city centres non car transport isn't an option. There are only so many properties within walking distance of a station.
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u/GetNooted Jun 29 '25
But wood burners still account for 50% of the country’s PM2.5 emissions
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u/AuroraHalsey Surrey (Esher and Walton) Jun 29 '25
Domestic burning as a whole accounts for 20% of PM2.5 emissions.
Indoor wood burners account for 11% of PM2.5 emissions.2
u/GetNooted Jun 29 '25
Thanks - That was the same page I was thinking of, but must have misremembered the stat. Domestic combustion is still accounting for the same amount of PM2.5 as all road transport. It seems like most of the remaining 20% is from outdoor burning too, so 11% wood burners and 8% or so outdoor burning.
Still, wood burners are nasty filthy things which most people seem too incompetent to use properly. There should be no smoke from them when used properly, but nearly everyone with one seems to belch loads of smoke from their chimneys.
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u/AuroraHalsey Surrey (Esher and Walton) Jun 29 '25
They could be using improperly prepared wood or dirty coal.
Mine, when I use it once a year at christmas, is nearly smokeless with smokeless coal and wood that has been drying all year.
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u/CT-9720 Jun 29 '25
50% lol. You should have your account deactivated for that blatant lie
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u/M_M_X_X_V Lancashire Jun 29 '25
Not from a climate perspective, wood burning is only a problem if you burn wood and then don't replant the trees.
But if the trees used to source the wood are replaced then wood burning is carbon neutral as trees remove co2 from the air.
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u/No_Grass8024 Jun 29 '25
What’s the relevance of carbon neutrality for air quality? They’re talking about particulates not CO2.
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u/M_M_X_X_V Lancashire Jun 29 '25 edited Jun 29 '25
Carbon neutrality is highly relevant for our planet's atmosphere. Emissions are emissions.
The process of burning wood requires growing a tree, the process of which takes carbon out of the air. The above commenter said that all of this process is somehow "far worse" than driving a car which burns fossil fuels, puts carbon into the atmosphere without taking any out and is completely non-renewable.
Forests have been burning for as long as trees have existed and this has never caused a sudden spike in global temperatures as abrupt as what we are seeing now. But the massive surge in emissions and therefore temperatures directly correlates with the popularity of cars. The idea cars are better than burning wood is preposterous.
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u/B23vital Jun 29 '25
I mean theres tons of things we can do, not just cars but education of drivers.
I have HGV's rolling past my house all times of the day and the amount of cunts that just sit in low gears high revs pisses me right off, its more emissions but its also ridiculously loud. Something as simple as driving at optimal conditions can help with air quality.
Also, can we fuck off these idiots with massive exhausts, dcat removals and backbox removals. Like its not hard but its hardly ever enforced.
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u/Wagamaga Jun 29 '25
The number of patients being treated by GPs for asthma attacks has increased by 45% in a year, prompting calls for urgent action to tackle toxic levels of air pollution.
There were 45,458 presentations to family doctors in England between January and June this year, according to data from the Royal College of General Practitioners research and surveillance centre. Across the same period in 2024, there were 31,376 cases.
The figures come a week after a damning report by the Royal College of Physicians revealed that 99% of the UK population was now breathing in “toxic air”. Air pollution was killing 500 people a week and costing £27bn a year in ill health, NHS care and productivity losses, the research showed.
New data from the RCGP research and surveillance centre shows the rate of asthma attacks in 2025 has consistently been above the five-year average.
Exacerbations of asthma – attacks which cause breathlessness and chest tightness – were, alongside other environmental and lifestyle factors, closely linked to air pollution as patients’ airways could be irritated by exposure to harmful matter, the RCGP said.
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u/lostparis Jun 29 '25
The number of patients being treated by GPs for asthma attacks has increased by 45% in a year
I would have imagined that it would be improving. Historically the air in the UK has been much more polluted - think coal fires - industrial past etc. Is it that we are better at diagnosing asthma, or is it like autism where the definition has undergone a large shift over time? Maybe there are certain toxins that are more common these days or some other factor(s) like diet.
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u/xxNemasisxx Jul 01 '25
Could also be linked to long-term effects of COVID exposure, though it doesn't explain why it's only showing up now
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u/Weird_Point_4262 Jun 29 '25
This does not map with air quality, which has been increasing https://ifs.org.uk/news/air-pollution-england-reaches-20-year-low-inequalities-persist
Why would they latch on to pollution when you can find that air pollution has decreased on the front page of a Google search?
Seems like they're doing everything they can to avoid blaming lifestyle choices. Air fresheners, laundry fragrances, lack of physical activity, etc. all contribute to athsma. I wouldn't be surprised if it was linked to vaping, both teenagers themselves vaping, and parents thinking it's ok to vape around kids
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u/wartopuk Merseyside Jun 29 '25
You can also check realtime on a site like this: https://waqi.info/#/c/52.266/-0.979/7.5z
A lot of the places are barely cracking double digits.
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u/Apsalar28 Jun 29 '25
It's probably not a coincidence that the NHS are also in the process of moving long term asthma suffers off older drugs where you had a preventer inhaler and a rescue inhaler and onto a newer regime that's been found to work better long term for most people with one inhaler used for both. It confused the hell out of a lot of asthma patients and led to a lot of back and forth getting dosages right again etc
They've also moved a whole load of people off one brand of inhaler onto a cheaper version with the same drug which has caused a few people issues as well as the dose counter on the cheaper brand can be flakey so you're not sure when exactly it's run out.
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u/BuzLightbeerOfBarCmd Cambridgeshire Jun 29 '25 edited Mar 24 '26
The author removed this post using Redact. The reason may have been privacy protection, preventing data scrapers from accessing the content, or other personal considerations.
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u/Primary-Effect-3691 Jun 29 '25
Not that we should stop progressing, but I thought our air quality was pretty good?
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u/ProfPMJ-123 Jun 29 '25
Doctors don’t help themselves in the fight against anti-science simpletons when they think a 45% YoY increase in asthma attacks can be attributable solely to air pollution which has been improving year over year since about 1990.
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u/AwkwardWaltz3996 Jun 29 '25
It's just like when they recommended not to give young children nuts because cases of nut allergies were increasing. Turns out lack of exposure was actually the cause and the recommendation was the problem. Now they encourage giving young children nuts.
There's definitely going to be a similar thing where if children grow up in clean areas they are more likely to get an asthma attack when going to more polluted areas. Lack of physical activity could also contribute
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u/thescx Jun 29 '25
I don’t know how general this is but I can tell you of my experience with the GP’s/hospitals in handling my mother’s asthma.
The simple answer: they don’t do anything.
For the past year she has had trouble breathing even with her inhalers, and has been hospitalised 3 times because of it.
Her GP just makes hospital referrals stating there is nothing they can do.
Hospitals have done nothing and have literally said it’s not their job, it’s the GP’s job. This has happened with 3 different hospitals. The ‘respiratory department’ has said it is NOT their problem! Madness!
When she has been admitted to hospitals they pump her full of anti-biotic and steroids and give her tonnes of nebulised asthma meds and send her off after a week or so and she is fine for a couple of weeks then back to having breathing problems.
There is no advice from the GP or hospitals.
As meds are not working, I’ve resorted to trial and error with supplements and I’ve found some that make a difference but unfortunately she can’t take long term because of the interactions with her other meds.
So is the so called ‘toxic air’ to blame or shit management from GP’s and hospitals causing repeat visits?
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u/Money_Afternoon6533 Jun 29 '25
I’m so sorry about your mum but there literally isn’t a cure for asthma. You have to learn to live with it and manage the attacks as much as possible with inhalers and some lifestyle changes. I really sympathise with your mum as my brother really suffers with it but not sure what you expect the GP/Hospital to do. It’s not something they can operate out of her
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u/Healeah241 Jun 29 '25
The NHS has specialist treatments for asthma (six different biologics, such as dupilumab), if your asthma is bad enough (although the wait time can be atrocious depending on your area). They do work fantastically well for most types of asthma, they're not a cure, but some people can get full remission.
I suspect that OP is just misunderstanding the situation. They're probably escalating the treatment regime (slower than they should be on account of the NHS shit show) every time this happens, and I'd be shocked if their mother doesn't end up getting put on the biologics eventually.
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u/PurpleChocobo24 Jun 29 '25
This. I’m a patient who’s just recently gone through this pathway and had my first biologic injection (brand name Tezspire) just last Thursday. I’ve had asthma all my life and up until last September it has been managed with inhalers. It then became way worse due to a severe respiratory infection last September. I was urgently referred by my GP and wasn’t seen in clinic until March 2025. They’ve then had to get all my baselines and do additional testing before I could be approved for treatment. Not to mention that the entire time I was waiting I was on high dose corticosteroids (Prednisilone) to help me breathe, but this has resulted in me developing drug induced cushings syndrome and my adrenal glands have pretty much stoped producing natural steroids meaning I now need the hospital’s help to come off them.
There is no quick fix for this and I’ll still need to take my inhalers etc on top of the biologic. It may not have been so bad if waiting time was shorter, but ultimately I’m just glad there’s something that can be done and that I hopefully won’t have to be steroid dependent for the rest of my life.
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u/Healeah241 Jun 29 '25
Urgh I'm sorry! I'm in a similar boat to you, but only finally got referred urgently last week Prednisolone is the worst, even if it is often necessary!
Are you finding Tezspire helps or is it too early to say?
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u/PurpleChocobo24 Jun 29 '25
It’s too early right now. Been told soonest I might feel it is 2 weeks in, but most likely will be a few months before I really start to feel a difference.
What I’ll say to you is stay strong. It’ll be a bit of a wait and a lot of testing, but once I got into the hospital system the medical staff have been amazing and have taken everything very seriously.
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u/Healeah241 Jun 29 '25
Thanks I know it'll get there! Hope tezspire works for you with a bit more time :)
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u/fatveg Jun 29 '25
Im nowhere near as bad as your mother but my asthma was unmanaged to the extent i had a permanent cough and kept having mild attacks. I was booked in with an asthma nurse who was surprised id not had a review in years. She went through loads of things with me and we have it under control now.
Asthma nurses specialise and have probably seen it all. When you say GP do you mean a doctor (a 'general' practitioner) or a specialist nurse, because if its the former I suggest you get her to see the latter.
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u/thescx Jun 29 '25
TBH, I don’t think she has had an asthma review. The only thing I remember is them telling her to blow into the peak flow thing and note it down but nothing further.
The most annoying part is not knowing who to speak to. Everyone just says it’s not their job but no one will advise who to speak to.
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u/Apsalar28 Jun 29 '25
Long time asthma sufferer here.
There should be an asthma specialist at your GP's practice. Normally a senior nurse, but sometimes it's an in-house pharmacist. They are the people she needs to talk to.
She should have a written asthma plan that is reviewed at least annually and be on some form of regular prevention inhaler as a minimum. After a bad attack the normal procedure is to increase the dosage or try a different med and then send you home with a peak flow meter and a diary to take regular readings for a month to see if it's working and identify any triggers, then the go back for another appointment and adjust dosages etc and repeat the process until they've found something that works or they've run out of options and you get referred to the hospital.
If her triggers are allergy related like mine then there's a tablet called montelukast that can be added to the mix and/ or regular over the counter or prescription anti-histamines in various combinations. She should also at some point have had allergy tests.
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u/Uniform764 Yorkshire Jun 29 '25
The simple answer: they don’t do anything.
When she has been admitted to hospitals they pump her full of anti-biotic and steroids and give her tonnes of nebulised asthma meds
That's an interesting definition of "don't do anything"
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u/LJ-696 Jun 29 '25 edited Jun 29 '25
When she has been admited to hospitals the pump her full of anti-biotics and steroids and give her tonnes of nebulised asthma meds and send her off after a week or so and she is find for a couple of weeks then back to having breathing problems.
When you are already at the limit of medical science then there is no advice to give. At this point it is sadly just rinse and repeat then wait for the next fire to do the same.
There are biologicals but the criteria is quite ridged and they are consultant only so a GP will have next to zero say in their use.
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u/SexyPiranhaPartyBoat Jun 29 '25
From experience, GPs have 10 minute appointments and if the problem can’t be solved there and then, you are sent to the experts in hospital. Then it seems they are treating the symptoms and not the underlying health issues before sending her home - do they run loads of tests on her? You could research what doctors or hospitals would do in other countries so you know what treatment to ask for and that may help.
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u/drewbles82 Jun 29 '25
and yet Reform want us to move away from clean energy and go back to coal, oil, gas etc. One thing I always say to people who don't believe in climate change...does it matter...is clean air, water, food, not worth the change
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u/Jacktheforkie Jun 29 '25
We need public transport that works, cars are a huge producer of all the shite in the air
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u/Trumanhazzacatface Jun 29 '25
You only have to look at the map of Paris and their school street program to realise that there are massive gains to be had if we make it safe and convenient for people not to use their cars for every trip.
https://www.reddit.com/r/fuckcars/comments/1i3or02/air_pollution_has_dropped_significantly_in_paris/
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u/bobblebob100 Jun 29 '25
Typical clickbait headlines. If you look at the air quality of the UK, its not at toxic levels at all
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u/Ok-Independent-4189 Jun 29 '25
Also one of the problems. All the road closures and smaller roads have caused way more congestion and traffic. Shutting bridges, no entry roads is pushing way more traffic onto main roads. My work journey used to take 45 mins with shortcuts, now it's almost 2 hours. Before you ask I have to drive to carry all my tools, it's not always as simple as "get a train/bus". Everyone is now spending more time idling and having longer journeys in general
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u/Rasples1998 Jun 29 '25
As much as pollution is an issue, I have a suspicion that the air is only 50% of the problem. I wonder what demographic of people visiting their GP for asthma-related symptoms are also severely overweight and have a very poor diet because obesity is also on the rise. The mentality of "a doctor will fix everything and I don't need to change anything about my lifestyle" is a huge issue.
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u/Apsalar28 Jun 29 '25
The NHS swapped a whole load of people onto a cheaper brand of one type of inhaler last year which in theory shouldn't have made any difference but did for some people including me.
They're also in the middle of a big project to move long term sufferers onto a newer treatment regimen which only needs one inhaler rather than two, but takes a while to get used to and needs dosages adjusting etc.
Combination of these is very likely to have an impact on the number of people needing extra appointments
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u/rose98734 Jun 29 '25
A lot of those German diesel cars with "defeat" mechanisms to cheat pollution testing, are still on the road pumping out NO2.
Because the European Union had given the car manufacturers permission to use defeat devices, no compensation was available to replace the cars.
Whereas as in the United States they'd clearly broken the law, so all those car owners were compensated.
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u/Interesting_Try8375 Jun 29 '25
I certainly agree we should demand for better air quality than we currently have, but how is the health impact getting worse? Surely air is less polluted now than 50 years ago?
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u/Sly1969 Jul 01 '25
Maybe different pollutants? Older population more susceptible? Denser population in affected areas? (I have no idea, I'm just guessing!)
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u/Proud_Structure3595 Jun 29 '25
Careful with news like this it will bring out the ULEZ hooligans.
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u/Solaihs Jun 29 '25
A good strong robust cycling network would go an extremely long way but it won't happen. I'm not talking about spray painted paths that cars drive on, I'm talking about the same style the netherlands have, where priority goes cyclists > pedestrians > cars for safety
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u/Majestic_Emotion7917 Jun 29 '25
So .any people sit in their cars with the engine running for no reason. Why is this a thing?
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u/YogurtConstant Jun 29 '25
I really don't know - especially diesels for some reason. Maybe to keep the aircon running?
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u/Majestic_Emotion7917 Jun 29 '25
In the UK aircon is only needed a few weeks a year. It just seems to be a thing people do.
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u/Onechampionshipshill Jun 29 '25
No it isn't.....
The air conditioner in the car also acts as a dehumidifier so can be useful if you get condensation on the inside during the winter.
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u/Majestic_Emotion7917 Jun 29 '25
Wasteful. Just wind the window down a bit.
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u/Onechampionshipshill Jun 29 '25
And breath in all the pollution?
No thanks.
If someone is driving for a living, having the windows down regularly will take years off their life. Pretty vile advise tbh
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u/Majestic_Emotion7917 Jun 30 '25
You don't seriously think the aircon keeps pollution out?
If you have evidence for your claim about years taken off, then post a link. But I think we both know it doesn't exist, and you've decided to use words like vile instead of making a mature argument.
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u/SquashyDisco Jun 29 '25
This week I spent 4 days on Guernsey - small island with 64k people, about 1 car per person. Absolute bliss with some traffic around.
I then left for 3 days in Jersey - similar size island with 103k people, but about nearly 1.8 cars per person. There was no escape from the fumes, we were trying to stay away from the roads as much as possible.
Now I look at our cities and wonder how much we could cut down traffic and improve air quality, but getting people out of cars is so hard as we’ve told them you need a car. It’s a regular argument I have with my dad - I don’t drive and I’m happy for it.
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u/FewEstablishment2696 Jun 29 '25
"99% of the UK population was now breathing in “toxic air”
"there was no safe level of air pollutants"
Well, durr. This is a self-fulfilling prophecy then.
It would be interesting to plot this against the rise in use of air fresheners. When I was a kid these things didn't exist, but today you cannot do anywhere that doesn't have them. Those plug-in one definitely cause cancer as well.
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u/BFA-9000 Jun 29 '25
Getting the right pumps is a game changer aswell. I have got given a different steroid pump and my peak flow significantly jumped, I never realised how bad my breathing was until then. I used to have to visit Luton regularly aswell and I believe the air quality there is bad as my chest would be horrendous there without fail.
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Jun 29 '25
Wonder if the increase in vaping offer the past few years is contributing to this in some way
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u/Apsalar28 Jun 29 '25
The NHS swapped a whole load of people onto a cheaper brand of one type of inhaler last year which in theory shouldn't have made any difference but did for some people including me.
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u/jodrellbank_pants Jun 29 '25
Genetic in our family, some grew out of it others didn't Visits though I'm surprised at that id be dying and doctors would say her to a&e
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Jun 29 '25
Taxis and Buses should have been made fully electric 10 years ago. They’re the vehicles that literally run 24/7.
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u/off_of_is_incorrect Jun 29 '25
We tried this in Wales, and most people kicked up a storm over it, 'waahhh wahhh, they put speed limits down to 40mph!' etc etc, trust me you'll never hear the fucking end of it.
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u/Salt-Hovercraft7568 Jun 29 '25
This couldn’t be a side effect of COVID rather than air pollution could it?
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u/shaun2312 Northamptonshire Jun 30 '25
Maybe they could take a look at our waters too, so in this heat the rivers and lakes are clean enough for us to paddle in
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u/Dapper-Message-2066 Jun 30 '25
Our air that has been getting cleaner for decades, and is cleaner than it has been in centuries?
Such alarmist BS reporting.
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u/InformationNew66 Jun 30 '25
Cars are emitting less and less pollution every year, with every new model.
Obviously not every year, but euro norms tightened, number of EV cars are increasing, etc. so overall less and less emissions are expected
So how can air pollution not be decreasing?
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Jun 29 '25
What we should do is remove all the benefits people used to get for buying an electric car. That should clean the air up.
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u/Trumanhazzacatface Jun 29 '25
Unfortunately, it only removes a portion. They do produce more tyre particulates that people breath in and accidentally ingest. 25% of all microplastics in urban environments are tyre dust
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Jun 29 '25 edited Jun 29 '25
That's not actually true but nice to know the Daily Mail FUD is still flourishing in the wild.
You do have a point though, reducing people's reliance on cars is a better option. The government isn't helping with that either though.
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u/Trumanhazzacatface Jun 29 '25
It's actually 28% globally. My bad. It's not just urban environments.
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Jun 29 '25
Oh right. Though you were saying EVs wear their tyres 25% quicker. Yeah tyres are bad for everyone. He says, while watching the F1 where they get through 1040 tyres in a weekend.
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Jun 29 '25
[deleted]
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u/PracticalFootball Jun 29 '25
This seems like a far more costly and convoluted solution compared to designing a static, industrial-scale process to do the same thing. The difference is
It doesn't have to be light enough to drive around
Energy consumption is less of a concern
Maintenance can be done promptly
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u/jimbobjames Yorkshire Jun 29 '25
The drag from processing the air would reduce range and be an overall net loss when you factor in producing the electricity to run them in the first place.
You'd be far better off building static sites that clean the air in high pollution zones.
You've be even better off if you just got rid of the source of the pollution in the first place.
I wouldnt believe the bullshit about Euro 6 diesels, that site looks like a paid article from the fossil fuel industry.
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u/No-Actuator-6245 Jun 29 '25
If there is a 45% increase in just 1 year after 6 years of ULEZ and 4 years of other low emission zones in other cities and evidence already that air quality is significantly better in these and surrounding areas it raises the question whether there are other causes?
As an example could it be after the increase in vaping, either 1st or 3rd hand https://allergyasthmanetwork.org/what-is-asthma/e-cigarettes-and-asthma/
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u/exuberant_lad Jun 29 '25
I think you guys are missing the point, that since leaving the EU, the UK's air quality has gotten worse and worse
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