The first AirHealthOurHealth podcast is up! I had the great privilege of interviewing Dr. Matt Drake, who is a pulmonary critical care doctor at OHSU as well as an asthma scientist who has developed an extraordinary way of studying airway neurons. He has also researched the effects of fuel and ozone on airways, which is of particular concern for patients with asthma. Dr. Drake also knows what it is like to have asthma, as he suffers from it himself. Read more of his bio here.
I also appreciate Matt’s appreciation for the importance of policy for air quality. He joined me in providing testimony for the Oregon DEQ and Multnomah County in 2018 when the EPA was proposing rollback of clean car standards and the clean power plan. The Oregon Environmental Council filmed it and wrote about it here.
On the podcast, we talked about how air pollution affects the airways, what it’s like to live with asthma and care for patients with asthma. We also talked about the billions of dollars spent in asthma care every year and the health and economic benefits of preventing asthma exacerbations.
Twitchy Airways Club Focus– For members of the Twitchy Airways Club, this podcast will help understand what is happening in your lungs when they are exposed to ozone, PM2.5 and fuel exposure and how your breathing can still feel labored even when the air looks clear. We also talked about the importance of trigger diaries.
Listen to the podcast and please send me your thoughts. You can record voice questions on the Anchor podcast site or submit questions via the “Get in Touch” page or Facebook page.
Image of Dr. Drake courtesy of OHSU.
Video from Oregon Environmental Council.
