Respiratory advice for flooding emergencies

Our thoughts are with everyone dealing with flooding and extreme weather events in Auckland and Northland. Please keep safe and follow advice from emergency services.

For people in our respiratory community, here are a few things to remember as you get through the next few days.

• If you need to leave your home, take your asthma medications, spacers and Asthma Action Plan with you.
• Keep out of floodwaters if you can. This water contains sewage and if it gets in your lungs, it will increase the risk of pneumonia.
• Stress, humidity and mould can trigger asthma symptoms, remember to follow your Asthma Action Plan if you find your asthma worsening.
• If you need advice, contact Asthma NZ. They have nurses available to provide practical advice. Call them on 0800 227 328 or visit their website here.
• If your medication supplies are low, get in touch with your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible, as it could take some time to get repeats.

In the coming days and weeks, as the clean-up begins, mould will pose a risk to many in the respiratory community. Mould can cause or worsen respiratory conditions as can cleaning products with strong odours. To reduce the risks during the clean-up phase:

• Keep using your medications regularly and keep your reliever inhaler with you at all times
• Wear a mask when cleaning
• Once your home has been cleaned, do what you can to get it as dry as possible to reduce the risk of mould growth.
• Remember to keep your home ventilated while you dry it out.