What to Know About the Health Effects of Dust Storms

A dust storm in Lubbock on Feb. 28, 2023 reduced visibility in the area for hours. Photo provided by Sarah Self-Walbrick.

By Mackenzie Sams

When Elijah Jones came to Lubbock, he didn’t realize just how difficult it might be to have a dust allergy in the area.

Originally from San Antonio, Jones moved to Lubbock with a vague understanding that the change might cause complications for his health. What he wasn’t prepared for was the dust storms–strong winds carrying dirt across the southern High Plains area.

“If I walk out during a dust storm, I’m in bed for the rest of the week,” Jones said.

For Jones, exposure to dust storms comes with a serious bout of hay fever, a condition which, according to Mayo Clinic, can cause a runny nose, itchy eyes, congestion, sneezing, coughing and sinus pressure.

Karin Ardon-Dryer is an assistant professor at Texas Tech studying the effects of dust storms on human health. She said that even those without allergies need to take dust storms more seriously.

“What we know for dust particularly is that it can either cause asthma, [chronic obstructive pulmonary disease], heart attacks…”Ardon-Dryer said. “I’ve just received a paper yesterday from a colleague showing that some particles have been found in the brain, so it can get there as well.”

Though the particles her colleague found were not dust themselves, Ardon-Dryer said they were a similar size to dust particles, which means dust may be able to take the same pathway into the brain. Ardon-Dryer’s own research shows that human lung cells introduced to dust have a higher chance of dying when compared to non-dust particles. It also can cause inflammation, which is  what leads to asthma attacks.

“We just saw pops, pops, pops, pops,” Ardon-Dryer said. “I remember my advisor at Harvard used to call them popcorns. That’s just explosions. And we realized these are cells that are exploding, and these things can also happen in our lungs.”

Ardon-Dryer’s research uses extremely high concentrations of particles, so Lubbock citizens shouldn’t worry that their lungs will explode, but these effects can still happen at a much lower level when dust exposure occurs. When there is a dust storm, Ardon-Dryer recommends that everyone stay indoors or wears a mask when they must go out.

Those who are at higher risk for developing health problems from dust storms include the elderly, children and people with asthma or other preexisting conditions. Dust storms usually happen in the late fall or early spring, though they can happen in the summer if the weather has been particularly dry, a representative of Lubbock’s National Weather Service said.

In Lubbock, dust storms are affected by the cotton growing cycle, as the plants’ roots can help hold dirt in place. Anyone who is concerned about the dust levels in Lubbock can keep an eye on the Air Quality Index, which is generally available wherever you get your weather forecasts.

Any number  between zero and 50 is considered good, while any number above that can carry various levels of health hazards.