Healthy adults may feel nothing on a high PM2.5 day; asthmatics can wheeze within hours. Common symptoms include irritated eyes, dry cough, chest tightness, unusual fatigue after light exercise, and brain fog when ozone is high in summer afternoons. People with COPD, ischaemic heart disease, or pregnancy deserve stricter personal limits than regulatory averages.
Short-term versus long-term
Hourly spikes drive rescue inhaler use and emergency visits. Annual averages drive chronic progression. ClearSpot surfaces both: the exposure chip reacts to acute thresholds while history trends show whether your neighbourhood is slowly improving or stuck above WHO guidance.
Actionable habits
Close windows during traffic peaks, prefer side streets for jogging when ATMO indices are orange or red, and discuss an air-quality action plan with your doctor if symptoms track with our alerts. None of this replaces treatment; it complements it with timing and geography.