I have a diagnosis

It's more than I thought it was. And more people are getting it because of climate change.

A quick update: I lost my voice for more than an entire week - which is a bit of a problem for a YouTuber.

After much reading and investigation myself, and going through blood results with GP, we both arrived at the same conclusion that this was some kind of immunological extreme response to allergens - like an extreme hay fever. The pollen and mucus has built up so much that it gathered in my vocal box and caused me to be unable to use my voice. Tally this with feeling fatigued, dizzy when getting up from a seated position, and sometimes feeling restricted in my breathing capacity, and it was starting to paint a picture that we could identify.

But here's the thing

The GP went further to say that she thinks I may have a form of 'Thunderstorm Asthma'.

Never heard of it?

I had dimly, but it came sharply into focus when my GP talked about the Melbourne cases on the evening of Monday 21 November 2016 which led to thousands of people developing breathing difficulties in a very short period of time.

But it's been a problem for quite some time:

While this event was unexpected, it wasn’t the first time we’d had thunderstorm asthma in Australia – we’ve actually known about it for decades.

Melbourne reported its first instance of thunderstorm asthma back in 1984, only a year after this phenomenon was first discovered in Birmingham in the United Kingdom.

Here's another thing

She says I'm not the only person who has been struggling over the past few weeks. You see, it's been really crappy weather in Wellington with a lot of wind and rain. You;d think that this would clear pollen. But no. The rain seems to swell the pollen and 'atomise' the large amount that is already around at this time of year (Wellington is notoriously pollen-heavy), to create smaller particles that gather in people's respiratory systems, potentially causing more extreme allergic reactions. Just because of the sheer volume and accumulation.

During storms there is a lot of moisture in the air. Grass pollen will absorb this moisture, making it swell up like a water balloon.

If pollen absorbs too much water whilst airborne, it can burst or “rupture,” releasing hundreds of microscopic particles into the air that can be swept by powerful winds.

Normally, when you breathe in pollen it gets stuck in your upper airway – for example, your nose and throat. This is what causes typical hay fever symptoms such as sneezing or runny nose.

But the microscopic particles released from ruptured grass pollen are much smaller and don’t get stuck as easily in the upper airway. Instead, they can travel deep into your airways until they reach your lungs. This may trigger more severe symptoms, such as wheezing or difficulty breathing, even in people with no prior history of asthma.

Here's the plan

1. I started feeling better when taking an antihistamine - so carry on taking those.
2. I lost the ability to pee when i took a pseudoephedrine-based decongestant. Like, totally. It came back at 10% of normal capability after a few hours, but this was very worrying - and a known risk factor for males over 50, but I didn't know that at the time. So yeah, I stopped taking those. You'll be relieved that I can pee normally again now (excuse the pun).
3. Start nasal rinsing pretty vigorously. I haven't done one of these before until this morning. So flushing out that nasal cavity and hopefully all the pollen clag and mucus that's stuck in there.
4. Take warm showers and steam inhalation.
5. Take flixonase to deal with mucus secretion if all the above isn't quiterdoing the job.
6. Possibly start taking Ventolin around with me during pollen season, just in case.

Thunderstorm asthma seems to be getting more common, and researchers think that it's linked to climate change. Here's who they think is at risk.

You might think asthma is the biggest risk factor for thunderstorm asthma. In fact, the biggest risk factor is hay fever.

Up to 99% of patients who went to the emergency department during the Melbourne 2016 event had hay fever, while a majority (60%) had no prior diagnosis of asthma.

And here's what they think the general population risks are:

Higher temperatures and pollution could be making plants produce more pollen and pollen seasons last much longer.

Extreme weather events, including thunderstorms, are also expected to become more common and severe.

In addition, there are signs rates that hay fever may be increasing. The number of Australians reporting allergy symptoms have risen from 15% in 2008 to 24% in 2022. Similar trends in other countries has been linked to climate change.

I'm feeling better, but my voice is still only at 50%, and I can speak only a little every day. It's pretty terrible to be honest, but I feel better having a plan.