Air pollution levels broke records in Lahore and Multan this past week with air pollution clocking in at over 100 times the World Health Organization’s air quality guidelines. Hundreds have been hospitalised including dozens of children, and the air pollution is so severe it is now visible from space.
The impact of this year’s extraordinary smog will take time to assess but it is expected that doubling and tripling the amount of pollution in the air will have devastating effects, particularly on children and pregnant women.
Young children are most affected by air pollution because they have smaller lungs and lack the immunities that come with age. They also breathe twice as fast as adults and take in more air, often through the mouth, along with pollutants, leading to life-threatening respiratory diseases.
What is Smog?
Smog is an anthropogenic phenomenon. However, a few regular conditions—weather patterns, scope, or geographical location—may work with its development. Smog shows up mostly in urban areas, where the concentration of air contamination is a lot higher. High population density, transportation, the presence of polluting factories, and other industrial facilities—these variables make smog more likely to show up. Even though in certain areas of the globe it has become a necessary piece of the urban countryside, it doesn’t mean we don’t need to stress over it.
How does smog affect people?
The level of impact of smog on your health and general well-being relies upon different features. Children and seniors are at the most noteworthy risk of being strongly impacted by it. Some diseases can make the side effects brought about by exposure to smog much worse. The main one is asthma and the different states of the respiratory system. Smog is especially dangerous for pregnant ladies. The contaminating particles can impact the improvement of the fetus and cause miscarriages. The scientific studies also found a connection between openness to air pollution and the risk of autism spectrum issues.
Is smog dangerous for other body systems as well?
Yes, smog can be hazardous to numerous body systems, not just the lungs. It’s a significant natural risk composed of pollutants like ground-level ozone, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter. These poisons can widespread affect the body past the respiratory system.
This is a breakdown of how smog can influence different body systems:
1. Respiratory System
• Lung Irritation and Inflammation: Smog bothers the airways, causing irritation and prompting conditions like asthma, bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
• Reduced Lung Function: Long-term exposure can hinder lung development in children and decrease lung function in adults, expanding the risk of diseases.
• Exacerbation of Asthma: Individuals with asthma are especially vulnerable, as smog can trigger attacks and make it harder to relax.
2. Cardiovascular System
• Expanded Risk of Heart Diseases: Pollutants in smog can enter the circulatory system, prompting inflammation, oxidative stress, and harm to veins.
• Hypertension and Arrhythmias: Smog exposure has been connected to hypertension, irregular heartbeats, and even coronary failures.
• Blood Clotting: Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) can increment blood coagulation, possibly prompting strokes and other cardiovascular events.
3. Nervous system (brain)
• Cognitive Decline: Studies show that long-term exposure to air contamination is related to mental degradation, memory issues, and an expanded risk of neurodegenerative illnesses like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
• Mental Health: Exposure to elevated degrees of air contamination has been connected to nervousness, depression, and other mental health issues.
• Brain Inflammation: Inhaled pollutants can go to the mind, causing irritation and oxidative harm, possibly influencing brain development in children.
4. Immune System
• Weakened Immunity: Airborne pollutants can suppress resistant capability, making the body more powerless against diseases, especially respiratory infections.
• Autoimmune Reactions: There’s evidence recommending that constant exposure to smog might add to autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis by setting off immune system dysregulation.
5. Reproductive System
• Impact on fertility: Air pollution can influence sperm quality, egg health, and hormonal balance, possibly lessening fertility in all kinds of people.
• Pregnancy Complexities: Pregnant ladies presented with elevated degrees of smog are at a higher risk of complexities, including preterm births, low birth weight, and developmental issues in children.
6. Skin and Eyes
• Irritation and Aging: Smog can irritate the skin, prompting dryness, redness, and worsening conditions like dermatitis and skin breakout. It can also speed up skin aging because of oxidative pressure.
• Eye Irritation: Toxins can cause red, irritated, and watery eyes, which might be worsened in individuals with existing circumstances like dry eye disorder.
How to Protect Yourself from the Health Impacts of Air Pollution
1. Stay Informed: Actually, look at air quality forecasts daily. Keep away from outside exercises when pollution levels are high, particularly if you’re sensitive (e.g., youngsters, old, asthmatics).
2. Limit Outdoor Exposure: If air quality is poor, remain inside with windows shut. Exercise inside instead of outside to lessen breathing in pollutants.
3. Use Air Purifiers: Invest in air purifiers with HEPA channels to lessen indoor contamination levels, particularly in rooms and living regions.
4. Wear a Mask: Use N95 veils while going external in vigorously polluted regions to sift through hurtful particles.
5. Improve Indoor Air Quality: Avoid smoking inside, use exhaust fans, and limit the use of candles or incense.
6. Plants and Ventilation: Keep indoor plants that purge air (like spider plants) and ventilate your home on low-contamination days.
7. Healthy Diet: Eat food sources rich in antioxidants (like fruits and vegetables) to assist with safeguarding your body from oxidative stress brought about by contamination.
8. Stay Hydrated: Drink a lot of water to assist with flushing out poisons from your body.