How Saharan Dust Impacts Asthma and Allergy Sufferers: Dr. Forrester Shares Advice

Dr. Joseph Forrester, board-certified allergist with AllerVie Health, recently joined WBRC News to discuss the health impacts of Saharan dust on people with allergies and asthma. As dust from the Sahara travels across the Atlantic and reaches the Southeast, it can worsen air quality by carrying tiny irritant particles. When inhaled, these particles embed in the sinuses and lungs, triggering the body to produce excess mucus and intensifying symptoms for those with respiratory conditions. Dr. Forrester explained that poor air quality, whether from wildfire smoke or Saharan dust, poses a real risk for people with asthma and allergies, making it critical for patients and their doctors to monitor these events closely.

To help reduce symptoms during these summer dust events, Dr. Forrester advises patients to stay consistent with their allergy treatment plans, including daily antihistamines, intranasal steroid sprays, and asthma controller medications as prescribed. He also recommends keeping up with allergy shots if undergoing immunotherapy and taking practical steps like wearing a dust mask during outdoor activities such as yard work. With grass pollen season overlapping these dust episodes, Alabama allergy sufferers face multiple triggers at once, making proactive care more important than ever. Dr. Forrester’s timely advice underscores the need for personalized management strategies to help patients breathe easier even when the air turns hazy.