Teach sufferers how to prevent attacks and let freedom reign.
By Michael Segal
Richard Trumka Jr., a Consumer Product Safety Commission member, ignited a controversy last month by saying that gas stoves are dangerous and “products that can’t be made safe can be banned.” He’s half right: Gas stoves pose real risks, but they don’t justify a ban. The stoves can be made safe using ventilation, and the small fraction of the population at risk can be taught how to do so.
The risk doesn’t come from natural gas per se but from the act of burning it. Any flame unites nitrogen and oxygen in the air to produce nitrogen dioxide, an irritant that triggers asthma attacks in those who are susceptible and does so without the nasal congestion that warns people of an impending asthma attack when they’re exposed to allergens such as perfume. I’ve experienced the onset of asthma symptoms, without warning, from unventilated gas stoves.
This shouldn’t be a political issue but a medical discussion with families affected by asthma. The difficulty is that medical care in general, and for asthma in particular, focuses too much on treatment and too little on prevention.
With asthma, prevention isn’t simple to explain. I used to spend an hour with families describing the details of what to do about various triggers, such as gas stoves, fragrances and scented detergents. Physicians generally don’t have that kind of time, and even if they did, many patients or their parents see preventive measures as too burdensome and instead opt for asthma medications, despite their own complexity, cost and dangers.
Professional medical societies do an excellent job preparing guidelines for diagnosis and treatment. This focus isn’t surprising, since following an authoritative guideline is often required by insurers to reimburse tests or treatments. But there is no comparable focus on prevention advice that is practical and understandable enough for patients.
I’ve found that the details needed for a disease such as asthma run to about 3,000 words, similar to the length of a professional guideline. Professional societies need to see it as within their mission to prepare or certify such materials. The American Academy of Pediatrics has made a good start with a chapter in its 2005 book “Allergies and Asthma: What Every Parent Needs to Know,” but the book isn’t easily obtained and more practical detail is needed. Insurers should encourage such practical prevention guidance and home visits by nurses. Even with written advice, a family can be overwhelmed by the numerous practical issues, such as whether it is possible to ventilate a gas stove adequately to the outside and whether a scented shampoo is a problem, let alone asking hosts or guests to follow such measures.
We need to depoliticize asthma. We need to respect freedom and restrict the role of regulators to providing information instead of banning products that can be used safely. We also need to make sure that a family’s medical team can help those with asthma—with prevention as well as medication.
Dr. Segal is a neurologist and neuroscientist.
Appeared in the February 3 2023 print edition of the Wall Street Journal.
Copyright© 2023 Michael Segal.