Red tide is the result of an overgrowth of a certain type of algae. This algae that bloom off the coast of Florida is considered to aggravate the symptoms of asthma in people who are susceptible to it. Just being exposed to the algae for one hour can tamper with the working of the lungs and can take almost five days to bring the condition of your lungs to normal.
When tested, the asthma patients showed a decrease in lung function to almost 10 percent on being exposed to the red algae while walking on the beach. So asthma patients are advised to stay away from the beaches during red tides.
These algae produce airborne toxins called brevetoxins that first leaks into the water from ruptured algal cells and then gets into the air. As a result, the beach visitors start showing symptoms like dry cough and teary eyes. Scientific data collected from the local community also confirmed the anecdotal reports.
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