Influence of small atmospheric ions on the airways in patients with bronchial asthma

Abstract

The influence of artificially generated atmospheric ions is studied in 15 patients with bronchial asthma. A slight but significant (at 5% level) improvement in the lung function was demonstrated in nine patients during positive as well as negative ion exposure, but the patients' subjective votings of the air quality did not show any changes due to ion exposure. No change in the histamine threshold of the airways in six patients with bronchial asthma was demonstrated during exposure to ions. Further controlled studies with electro-aerosols are needed.