How pollution makes you breathe uneasy

Air quality affects health of lungs and entire respiratory system; here’s how you can protect yourself from harm

BENGALURU: We are aware how urbanization has impacted not just our lifestyle but also our natural surroundings. The rapid and uncensored growth in industries and vehicles along with extensive deforestation have resulted in excessive rise in air pollution. Compared to rural areas, cities are more exposed to air pollution. The polluted air gravely affects people’s health and mostly causes trouble in their lungs, respiratory and cardiovascular system. Despite the awareness, the levels of pollution have not come down rather increased. These high levels of air pollution are causing serious breathing problems in people of all age. Our own deeds have left us deprived off the very basic need, clean air to breathe.

However, the effect that air pollution causes is not linear. The reactions to air pollutants differ from person to person based on the type of agent that the person is exposed to and the degree of exposure, the existing health conditions of the person, immunity as well as genetic factor comes into play.

The most common and the maximum health impact of air pollution is observed in the form of breathing problems affecting the respiratory system of one’s body. Breathing problems include asthma, allergies, and chronic sinusitis.

How does it affect you?
The small particles or pollutants that are suspended in the air due to air pollution go deep into the lungs, affecting the respiratory tract, initiating a significant inflammatory response, impaired mucociliary clearance and development of both childhood as well as diseases of adults. Hence pollution might not directly cause asthma but the dysfunctioning damages the lungs to lead to asthma. 

Air pollutants affect the health in more than one way: From simple to serious health concerns, from biochemical and physiological to breathing difficulties, cough and aggravation of respiratory as well as cardiac disorders. Air quality affects health of our lungs and the entire respiratory system in particular. The air comprises of not just oxygen but also other substances such as pollutants, which can be harmful to our health. Some ways in which air pollution 
impact our health are:

• High levels of air pollution aggravate respiratory sickness by damaging the cells.
• Exposure to air pollution over a period of time leads to lifetime health concerns as well like asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, and even cancer.
• It also adds stress to the lungs by making them work harder to supply oxygen to the body. Long- term exposure can affect the lungs even permanently by accelerating their ageing, decreasing their capacity to function and lead to loss of lung capacity.
• Lungs are designed to absorb large quantities of air while being in close contact with the bloodstream and aid the movement of oxygen. When the air pollutants are absorbed by the lungs, they cause serious breathing problems as they affect the flow of oxygen in the body as well as the quality of oxygen.
• Our respiratory system is made up of a mucous membrane that cover’s the internal surface of the system. This membrane is particularly sensitive to air pollutants.
• Researchers have often pointed out that particulate matter in the air due to air pollution reduces life expectancy.
• Ozone and other similar pollutants like metals and free radicals lead to irritation in breathing, trigger asthma and even cause lung and heart problems.

-The author is a consultant, paediatric pulmonology 
at Aster RV Hospital