Air Pollution can lead to many harmful effects on your health!!
Exposure to high levels of air pollution for prolonged periods leads to a variety of adverse health effects on human health. Air pollution significantly increases the risk of having respiratory infections, heart diseases and lung cancer. Both short term and prolonged effects are associated with multiple health impacts. Air pollution impacts everyone but impacts more on people who are already ill.
Which body systems are affected by air pollution?
Air pollution appears to cause or contribute to a variety of health conditions. Exposure to particulate matter leads to numerous effects on our respiratory system leading to cough, breathing difficulty, worsening of asthma and reduced lung function. Particulate matter also leads to numerous ill effects on the cardiac system like irregular heartbeat and heart attacks. Exposure to air pollution can lead to brain stroke.
Which groups of people are most vulnerable to air pollution?
Some groups are more vulnerable to adverse effects of air pollution. These groups are elderly with chronic heart or lung disease, young children and people with asthma. Children are more susceptible to adverse effects of air pollution. This is because they inhale more air per kg body weight compared to adults, children breathe faster, spend more time outdoors, have smaller body size and have an immature immune system.
Which air pollutants are the most harmful?
Most important air pollutants are ground-level ozone, particle pollution/particulate matter (PM2.5/pm 10), carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. Out of these air pollutants the most is particulate matter. The size of the particulate matter is linked to their potential for causing health problems. Particles less than 10 micrometers (PM10) and especially less than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) pose the greatest problems, because they get deep into the lungs. PM2.5 can also penetrate the barrier of the lungs and can even get into our bloodstream.
What are some of the major sources or causes of ambient air pollution?
Air pollution can affect people both outdoors which is commonly recognized but also indoors which is poorly recognized. Major sources of outdoor air pollution are vehicular exhaust, burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, gasoline to produce energy for electricity or transportation, industrial emission [especially when coal & wood is used for production], construction & demolition activities, fires such as garbage burning or stubble burning or forest fires. Major sources of indoor air pollution are using improper fuels for cooking like kerosene or coal or wood, cigarette smoking, using dhoopbatti & agarbattis and construction work.
Medical Advice & Clinical Disclaimer
The educational medical guidance provided in this guide is for informational purposes only. It should not be used as a substitute for direct pediatric consultation, physical diagnosis, or clinical prescription. For individualized medical assessment of your child, schedule an appointment with Dr. Ankit Parakh.
