President of hospital pulmonologists, ‘high temperatures increase ozone levels that irritate the respiratory tract, be careful with correct use of air conditioners’
“Humidity and smog are a deadly mix for those suffering from asthma and COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: we are talking about patients who have permanent inflammation of the airways and for this reason are more at risk in these days of great heat. The high temperatures combined with fine dust increase and amplify the levels of ozone in cities, ozone which is an irritant for the airways, therefore trachea, bronchi and lungs”. This is what Claudio Micheletto, director of the Complex Operating Unit of Pneumology at the University Hospital of Verona and president of the Italian Association of Hospital Pneumologists (Aipo), told Adnkronos Salute.
Italy is preparing for a scorching weekend and “we must be careful – warns Micheletto – not to go out during the central hours of the day and avoid sudden changes in temperature”. Protecting yourself from the heat with air conditioning is fine, “as long as you use it correctly: the temperature at home must never fall below 25-26 degrees. If the outside temperature is 38-40 degrees, it is a good idea to adjust the inside temperature a few degrees lower to avoid pneumonia”, he concludes.
