Asthmatics put on alert

THE extreme dry, an early bushfire season and the pending arrival of spring should put asthmatics on “high alert”, a Queensland general practitioner says.

Chris Moller, of the Ochre Medical Centre at Sippy Downs, on the Sunshine Coast, said the possibility of dust storms, smoke from bushfires and high pollen counts may lead to a “higher-than-average” spike in asthma attacks.

He said patients with asthma should see their GP at least once a year to review medications and have an asthma plan.