The unseen enemy that is killing us every day is air pollution

Have you ever considered that air pollution may not immediately damage you? Next, you should review what the WHO report states. It claims that more than 99 percent of people worldwide are exposed to air pollution that exceeds safe limits. In middle-income nations like India, where exposure levels are at their maximum, this issue is considerably more serious.

This ubiquitous pollution is creating more difficulties than we are aware of, from the obvious suspects like sneezing and red eyes to more significant issues like high blood pressure, reproductive issues, and terrifying illnesses like lung cancer, strokes, and heart attacks. And what’s this? The latest ranking of Delhi as the second most polluted city in the world is not one Delhites are particularly proud of. This implies that wherever there is air, there is air pollution. We are forced to breathe it, so we do.

The pollution conundrum

What is the process behind pollution, then? It occurs when chemicals are released into the atmosphere, either naturally or as a result of human activity. These compounds may either be primary, dispersing directly into the air, or secondary, formed when the primary ones combine with other contaminants or substances already present in the environment. These pollutants come in a variety of forms and are present both inside and outside. Each of them carries with it an own set of issues.

silent assassin

An open invitation to health problems is living in an area that is polluted. You could have to cope with common issues including runny noses, itchy eyes, and difficulty breathing. However, pollution may also seriously harm your health, so the damage doesn’t end there. Chronic headaches, infertility issues, and even fatal illnesses like lung cancer, strokes, heart attacks, and excruciating asthma or COPD flare-ups are all caused by it.

Case studies

Let’s use a case study from Delhi’s Primus Hospital to demonstrate the severity of air pollution. A 25-year-old nonsmoker with a runny nose, sore throat, heaviness in the chest, shortness of breath, and wheezing was experiencing trouble in January 2023. She had similar symptoms at the OPD at Primus Hospital.

It was discovered that she has had asthma since she was 17 and that it runs in her family. Over the previous five years, she had intermittently used inhalers and had made a few trips to the doctor because of her asthma. She also had allergic rhino sinusitis, but despite all of this, she was according to the doctor’s recommendations. The twist is that she isn’t feeling any better. In actuality, her health was deteriorating. She returned in April with the same problems. She had been appropriately using her inhaler and paying attention to everything the doctor suggested. So what’s going on? It comes out that she relocated to Delhi for job in November 2022 from Himachal Pradesh. She worked as a salesman and spent several hours outdoors each day, so it’s very obvious that Delhi’s smoggy air contributed to her declining health.

This incident proves that even if you were previously healthy, air pollution may seriously harm your health. Polluted air may have a negative impact on your general health if you already have an illness like asthma, as was the case in the example given.

Put precautions in place.

As we are all aware, prevention is always preferable than treatment. Therefore, to protect yourself, remain indoors during periods of high pollution, keep doors and windows closed, avoid exercising outside, use masks, and strictly abide by local recommendations for air quality. Don’t forget to follow your doctor’s advice, take prescribed medications, and get frequent checkups.

The time is now for a coordinated effort.

Since cleaning the air is not solely the responsibility of the government, a group effort is urgently needed. We can all contribute to the creation of a society in which we can not only survive but also breathe clean air by paying little attention to our everyday acts that are generating pollution and making course correction measures like carpooling, taking public transportation, and avoiding burning things outside.

Air pollution has detrimental consequences on health; it is a factor in one-third of fatalities from heart disease, lung cancer, and stroke. Our current and future generations are harmed by air pollution, which is one of the largest health challenges of our day. It’s time for us to band together and take controllable steps to restore our ability to breathe.