As a child, I was always susceptible to lung irritation caused by pollens, dust, mold, and second-hand smoking. With seasonal allergies from grasses (alfalfa) and sweet clover.
However since moving to Utah (ten years ago) I have been diagnosed with asthma. With the treatment of asthma becoming a daily part of my life. To control the asthma attacks, I take long term asthma control medications, medications for allergy induced asthma, quick relief medications and a steroid inhaler. When these medications do not work, I use a nebulizer that turns the liquid medicine into a mist, just so that I can breath.
Utah is a beautiful state with participation in outdoor sports (hiking, skiing) a part of the culture. However, due to air pollution and the "air inversion" days, I am limited to staying inside (50% of the year) . I love to garden, but must limit my exposure to the poor air quality. Before going outside, I look at the air quality alert system to determine the pollution level for the day. On a bad air day, I limit my activities.
As a child, I loved to look up at the night sky and look at the stars to recognize the many constellations. Now, the individual stars are difficult to find. And the constellations are obscured by the pollution.
