Air pollution and asthma are two controversial issues that people frequently face today but about which they converse frequently.
Air pollution is one of the greatest environmental catastrophes of our time, and asthma is a chronic respiratory disease that affects millions of people worldwide.
Depending on a person’s living environment, air pollution might vary, and a possible link between air pollution and asthma may exist.
From today’s Know Your Facts, discuss the relationship between air pollution and asthma for your knowledge. Read and enjoy.
Table of Contents
1. What Is Asthma
Asthma is a common medical disorder that affects the respiratory system and is caused by inflammation and the narrowing of the airways.
This condition can make it fairly difficult to breathe. The condition known as asthma can have a variety of causes.
Common Symptoms of Asthma
Compare with other respiratory medical conditions, asthmatic symptoms are quite common.
- Wheezing
- Shortness of breath
- Chest tightness
- Coughing
- Rapid breathing
- Difficulty breathing
- Trouble breathing out
But all of the symptoms cannot be noticed by every individual.
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Common Reasons Behind Asthma
Here are some common reasons behind asthma
1. Genetics
Some people’s histories of asthma can be traced back to their families and their genes. After being exposed to asthma triggers, people with asthma are more likely to experience inflammation and constriction of their airways than people without asthma.
2. Environmental triggers
Everyone could experience discomfort if the foreign bodies were to get entrance their respiratory systems in any way.
This list consists primarily of environmental irritants, such as tobacco smoke, air pollution, dust mites, pet dander, and mold.
However, if you suffer from asthmatic symptoms, the atmosphere around you may become rather uncomfortable as a result of these pollutants.
3. Allergies
If you suffer from any other sort of respiratory system-based allergies except asthma, there is a good possibility that you will develop an asthma allergy disease in the future. Mostly like hay fever.
4. Infections of the respiratory system
Asthma and allergies may have some form of connection with one another if your immune system is subjected to infections more frequently or if you have periods of weakness from time to time.
5. Higher level of physical activity
When you have weak lungs, it can be rather difficult to keep up the process of inhaling and exhaling on a consistent basis.
When you are engaging in strenuous exercise or physical activity, you require a higher amount of oxygen consumption in order to satisfy your requirements for energy.
Under these circumstances, it is possible that you will be exposed to a greater number of allergens than the average person would be. Therefore, asthma is a rather common ailment to experience.
6. Stress
In addition to the factors mentioned above, certain persons have asthma conditions due to the effects of stress.
What is Air Pollution?
Air pollution, on the other hand, is one of the most significant environmental issues with direct effects on numerous ecosystem components.
Air pollution is caused by natural and human activities that emit toxic compounds into the air, which have severe impacts on human health and the coexistence of living beings and nature.
Common air pollutants
Here are common air pollutants on the list.
- Particulate matter (PM)
- Nitrogen oxides (NOx)
- Sulfur dioxide (SO2)
- Carbon monoxide (CO)
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
- Ozone (O3)
- Lead (Pb):
- Benzene
- Formaldehyde
- Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
The causes of air pollution
Here are some common reasons behind air pollution.
1. Industrial emissions:
Industrial emissions to the environment, such as the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, by industries and power plants, emit the majority of common air pollutants.
The majority of emissions consisted of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide.
2. Transportation
Other than fuel-efficient vehicles, the vast majority of vehicles emit enormous quantities of air pollution. The majority of them contain pollutants such as carbon oxides, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, and others.
3. Agriculture
We frequently observe agricultural pesticides and fertilizers as another sort of air pollutant that contributes to air pollution. More precisely, they are restricted to locations where aggressivity is more well-known.
4. Natural origins
Sources of natural air pollution occur intermittently and under distinct seasonal conditions. Few are as noticeable as forest fires, volcanic eruptions, and dust storms. Despite the fact that they occur infrequently, their contribution is rather high in comparison to other sources.
Other than this, household activities contribute significantly more to air pollution than we recognize.
Aside from natural causes, the majority of human activities are controllable, but as a whole, individuals disregard their duties.
What is the Relationship Between Air Pollution and Asthma
There is a considerable level of connection between air pollution and the majority of the respiratory system-based diseases and conditions that people suffer from.
Continues to be at the top of that list is asthma.
According to research, one of the primary reasons that people with asthma have symptoms is because of the air pollution caused by vehicles.
Consequently, if you live in a rural location that is far removed from a city, your risk of developing asthmatic diseases is significantly lower when compared to the danger in urban areas.
In addition, when compared to adults, children who are subjected to air pollution have a significantly increased risk of developing asthmatic symptoms.
This is because children’s respiratory systems are still developing, and they are exposed to the outside atmosphere for a longer amount of time than adults.
Most importantly, even if you are able to control your asthma condition and take the appropriate medication up to any degree, your symptoms will still be exacerbated if you are exposed to polluted air in any form.
If you or someone you know suffers from asthma, you should ensure that the air quality conditions around you are kept in good condition.
If there is any kind of change in the air quality, you need to make sure that you take the necessary precautions as recommended by your medical guidance.
Those who have asthma and live in areas with a higher degree of air pollution are strongly encouraged to make use of public transportation in order to lessen the adverse effects of air pollution.
Supporting measures that promote clean air is also very important. Some examples of such policies include controls on industrial emissions and requirements for vehicles.
In addition, to eliminate this link between polluted air and asthma, ensuring enough ventilation and employing air purifiers are both necessary steps.
What’s more essential is that they get rid of harmful pollutants like cigarette smoke, perfumes, and cleaning products, all of which are frequently found in residential environments.
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