How Pollution is affecting your lung’s health and what is the solution?
You may experience symptoms rapidly if you are exposed to high levels of pollution, such as on a busy road or during a high pollution episode. Irritated airways, shortness of breath, and coughing are some of the symptoms. If you notice these symptoms on a frequent basis, you should see your doctor for a checkup.
If you have a respiratory condition, such as asthma or COPD, excessive pollution levels may exacerbate your symptoms, such as an asthma attack or a flare-up. When pollution levels are high, asthma sufferers may find that they need to use their reliever inhaler more frequently than usual. It’s also critical that you use your preventer inhaler on a regular basis.
As the world becomes hotter and more crowded, our engines emit dirty emissions, and half of the world lacks access to clean fuels or technologies (e.g. stoves, lamps – are they clean? Kerosene based lamps & stoves are also fossil fuel dependent), the air we breathe is becoming dangerously polluted: nine out of ten people now breathe polluted air, killing 7 million people every year.
Air pollution has serious health consequences: one-third of all deaths from stroke, lung cancer, and heart disease are caused by it. This has a similar effect to smoking cigarettes and is far stronger than the effects of eating too much salt, for example.
How Does Air Pollution Affect The Lungs?
Shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, asthma episodes, and chest pain are all symptoms of air pollution irritated airways. Lung cancer, heart attacks, strokes, and, worst-case scenario, early death are all dangers associated with exposure to air pollution.
Some individuals are more susceptible to air pollution’s effects than others. People who already have a respiratory ailment (such as asthma or COPD) are more susceptible to acquiring problems and severe effects from pollution. Inhaling air contaminants has also been shown to have detrimental consequences for children and the elderly.
Lung health is endangered by air pollution, especially for:
What Are The Symptoms Of Air Pollution Exposure Associated With Respiratory Health?
At high concentrations, all types of air pollution can harm the airways, and long-term exposure to lower pollutant concentrations can have similar respiratory effects. Nasal and throat complaints are the most common upper respiratory tract symptoms reported following exposure to air pollution. Non-allergic rhinitis and nasal mucosal erythema, sinusitis, nasal itching, runny nose, nasal congestion, sneezing, dry mouth and throat, productive and dry cough, wheezing, and dyspnea are some of the symptoms.
Increased levels of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides have been linked to symptoms such as nose and throat discomfort, followed by bronchoconstriction (narrowing of bronchioles in the lungs) and dyspnoea (difficult or laboured breathing), particularly in asthmatic people. Exposure to nitrogen dioxide during the first year of life has been linked to cough and drycough, sneezing, and a runny/stuffed nose.
Particulate matter that passes through the lung epithelium can cause inflammation, worsening pre-existing lung diseases, and intensifying asthma and COPD symptoms.
Pollutants in the air, such as nitrogen oxides, can make people more susceptible to respiratory diseases. For example, the number of outpatient appointments for upper respiratory tract infections in Hong Kong was found to be significantly related to the concentrations of the air pollutants PM10, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and sulphur dioxide.
What’s the Solution?
There are certain things that persons who live in places with high levels of air pollution can do on a daily basis to assist decrease the impact. These are some of them:
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