New Delhi: Delhi’s poor air quality is once more in the news as winter approaches. According to a prediction by the Air Quality Early Warning System, the air in the National Capital is predicted to remain in the “poor” or “very bad” category.
Health problems are not far off with the deteriorating air quality. Numerous studies have connected the worsening of a number of health issues with the increase in air pollution.
According to a study conducted last year by the Swiss company IQAir and Greenpeace Southeast Asia Analysis, there would likely be 54,000 extra fatalities in Delhi by the year 2020 as a result of air pollution.
According to the American Lung Association, breathing ozone and particle pollution can cause an increase in asthma attacks.
In the lungs, cells with cancer-causing mutations proliferate as a result of exposure to the microscopic pollutant PM2.5, according to research from the Francis Crick Institute and University College London in the UK.
Children who are exposed to high levels of air pollution may become fat and have a higher risk of developing asthma, according to another study conducted by the Lung Care Foundation and Pulmocare Research and Education last year.
According to the study, “ambient air pollution could be an important contributing factor” even though there are several potential explanations for childhood obesity, according to sources.
Climate change and air pollution
According to experts, as air pollution increases, it has a negative impact on persons who have respiratory disorders linked to the coronavirus.
According to Deutsche Welle (DW), European researchers learned in 2020 that breathing in contaminated air can raise the COVID-19 death rate.
Every year, the winter months see an increase in emergency hospital admissions related to respiratory and cardiac stress and symptoms. The vulnerable’s health has already been harmed by prolonged exposure to air pollution, according to Anumita Roy Chowdhury, director of the Center for Science and Environment (CSE), who was mentioned by DW in 2020.
Studies demonstrate that children are developing smaller lungs, that every third Delhi child has compromised lungs, and that many children get pulmonary bleeding, among other things.
Chowdhury added that even the healthy population suffers when smog levels rise and air quality deteriorates.
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Increased respiratory problems
Delhi reported an increase in the number of hospital patients with respiratory issues in November of last year.
“We have seen an upsurge in asthma attacks that are more severe. Hospitalization is necessary for those who already have respiratory conditions. According to Dr. Vikas Maurya, head of the pulmonology department of Fortis Hospital in Shalimar Bagh, these are the severe repercussions of the city’s harmful air pollution, he told PTI in 2021.
After Diwali the previous year, Delhi saw an upsurge in people with respiratory problems.
Notably, ThePrint claimed that on Diwali in 2021, the National Capital had seen the “highest harmful air quality” compared to the previous five years.
Rajesh Chawla, an Apollo Hospitals physician, explained the causes of the rise in respiratory illnesses to India Today. “When winter arrives, Delhi’s air circulation slows down. The AQI rating also drops as the holiday season approaches and air pollution rises as a result of increased traffic. As a result, we are seeing more patients with respiratory conditions.
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How can you avoid pollution?
According to PTI, specialists advise senior people and those with respiratory conditions to stay at home and only leave the house when absolutely required when air pollution levels are high.
According to the American Lung Association, when pollution levels are high, individuals shouldn’t smoke indoors.
Exercise enthusiasts should wait until after 10 a.m. to leave and stay out of the late-night crowd. “Since the air is denser when it’s cold, you wind up breathing dirty air in the early morning or late at night. Between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., the air rises as it becomes lighter, so it is no longer at your breathing level.
The American Lung Association advises against exercising close to busy areas because this will increase pollution levels due to vehicle emissions.
When going outside, people should wear a N95 pollution mask or a mask with a valve.
To maintain healthy ingest citrus fruits and foods high in antioxidants.
Lastly and most importantly, planting trees has always been an efficient method to tackle air pollution. You can also keep small plants at your home.
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