Chest Infection

[Chris S]

I've done quite a lot of city centre cycling over the last two weeks, I often got stuck behind elderly buses belching out clowds of black smoke every time they moved off.

I now have a chest infection. Could the two be related?

 

[asterix]

When I was looking for a house one November there was a lot of temperature inversion beneath which a lot of pollution was trapped. I too went down with a very unpleasant chest infection having cycled in York a lot. Some parts of York are badly polluted and there are power stations to the south.

 

[SportMonkey]

Try one of the Respro Techo Golds for a bit, stops you getting a mouthful of flies to, it also improves your draw. Linky: http://www.rutlandcycling.com/6164/Respro-Anti-Pollution-Mask---Techno--Various-Colours-.html

Oh, and hope you get better soon.

 

[Moodyman]

Traffic fumes are not good, bit neither is road dust. There is plenty of that in summer if it hasn't rain for a few days.

Overtaking lorries are the worst as they blow everything in your face. I have a near-constand groggy chest in summer.

The face mask posted earlier isn't that good as it steams up.

I've worn a buff over my mouth when it's particularly bad and that helps. Also, try and breathe through your nose though that isn't easy when you're giving it large.

 

[SportMonkey]

I use it and, if I have sunglasses on and I'm going slowly (<10 mph) with a sweat, it steams my sunglasses up. Otherwise it's pretty good, and at least the active charcoal filter gets rid of the particulates which a buff just can't do, the particulates are supposed to be what cause the problems.

My view is, I'd rather steam up my sunglasses than ruin my lungs.

 

[fossyant]

Not really. Urban commuter here.

 

[SportMonkey]

I think it depends on your immunity and what the air is like, Fossy your commute probably isn't that bad for pollution as mine isn't.