Did you know that Air pollution is expected to reduce life expectancy in India by 5.3 years on average, and by as much as 11.9 years in Delhi?
With almost 100% of the Indian population breathing polluted air daily, it is no surprise that India ranked eighth on the fifth annual ‘World Air Quality Report’ 2022.
Imagine the effects of air pollution on human health while living in a place like this. It is no wonder that health eludes so many of us.
It is therefore important to study the effects of pollution on health of people living in India and think of suitable ways to curb air pollution and its effects, especially on one’s immune system.
Effects of Pollution on Health
The increasing rate of pollution in India is a cause of discomfort. While air pollution is extremely harmful for the environment as a whole, the effects of air pollution on human health are downright fatal.
From damaging impact on cardiovascular health to escalating respiratory infections, the effects of pollution on health are downright noxious.
Let us look at some harmful effects of air pollution:
1. Respiratory Issues
2. Cardiovascular Ailments
3. Weaker Immune System
- Respiratory Issues
Air pollution impacts our ability to breathe properly by impacting our air pathways and lungs. It can cause coughing, shortness of breath, wheezing, pneumonia, or in extreme cases, lung cancer.
- Cardiovascular Ailments
Long-term exposure to polluted air can cause cardiovascular diseases such as strokes, coronary heart disease, abnormal heart rate, heart failure, and heart attack.
- Weaker Immune System
Short-term impact of harmful effects of air pollution can be seen in terms of allergies of the mouth and nose, itching in eyes, nausea, headaches, irritated skin and low levels of energy in the body. But the long-term effects are far worse.
To fight off the symptoms of a weak immune system, our body produces white blood cells. A high count of white blood cells (WBC’s) can cause inflammation of the body which leads to WBC’s destroying healthy cells. This exposes our body to various infections and diseases.
Why We Should Worry for Our Immune System
Everything in our body that protects us from infections and toxins encompasses our immune system. Multiple organs, lymph nodes, and cells come together to make up our immune system.
When a foreign organism enters our body, this immune system fights it to fend our body from harm. It tries to eliminate harmful entities from the system.
However, exposure to air pollution has adverse effects on our immune system. It negatively impacts its ability to fend off our body by making it weak.
Almost all foreign bodies enter our body through our respiratory tract. It is the first barrier against harmful pathogens, i.e. organisms that cause infectious diseases.
When the respiratory tract is weakened due to continuous exposure to high levels of air pollution, anything can enter our system and cause havoc inside. Hence, the effects of air pollution on human health are adverse.
Once the pathogen enters our body, the production of White Blood Cells is activated inside our body. They aim to kill the foreign object before it causes any harm to our body.
Exposure to air pollution can lead to over-production of these cells. This causes inflammation in the body which can lead to White Blood Cells attacking the healthy tissues too.
This further weakens our immune system by making us susceptible to different pathogens. In this way, the effect of pollution on health, especially air pollution, is a cause of worry.
Building Immunity to Fight Against Pollution
In order to curb the harmful effects of air pollution and minimize the effects of air pollution on human health, we need to understand how we can strengthen our immune systems.
Once we take proper measures to build our immunity, we can fight against diseases like dementia, asthma, obesity, cardiovascular problems, and Alzheimer’s which are often linked to air pollution.
Let us look at how we can fight the ever-growing effects of air pollution on human health:
- Healthy Nutrition
The best way to build our immunity is to consume as many antioxidants as possible. Antioxidants have been found to fight off the effects of air pollution on human health by strengthening our immune system.
Antioxidants can be found in fruits like blueberries, strawberries, cranberries, and bananas. Fresh fruits are a good source of antioxidants if you are trying to protect your immune system against the harmful effects of air pollution or minimize the effects of pollution on health.
Even vegetables such as spinach, carrots, broccoli, and potato are amazing sources of antioxidants. As a rule of thumb, try to inculcate as many seasonal vegetables and fruits as you can in your diet to lessen the effects of pollution on health.
- Regular Exercise
The role of exercising cannot be ignored when it comes to fighting off the effects of air pollution on human health.
Experts agree that the impact of air pollution is higher in those with an inactive lifestyle as compared to those who do light to moderate exercise on a regular basis.
Try to avoid the outdoors to exercise. You can easily exercise at home with a fitness app, or you may choose to workout in a closed space like a gym. If the place where you are working out has air purifiers, it will be beneficial as it will protect you from air pollution and its effects.
Practical Tips for Pollution-Resistant Living
To stay completely away from the effects of air pollution on human health may be difficult, but with certain protective measures in place, you can reduce the amount of effect of pollution on health of your loved ones and yourself.
Here is a list of things that you can do to protect yourself against the harmful effects of air pollution:
- Wear Mask: Whenever you step outside, wear a mask. You can use an N95/99 mask to save yourself from the effect of pollution on health. However, try to minimize the time that you spend outdoors.
- Use Air Purifiers: Whether you are at home or office, install good air purifiers to protect yourself from the toxic effects of air pollution on human health.
- Drink Herbal Tea: A concoction of Tulsi, turmeric, and ginger can do wonders for minimizing the effects of air pollution on human health.
Conclusion
Overall, the effects of air pollution on human health are detrimental. To protect yourself, try to adopt healthier habits in your life, like eating clean and healthy food, drinking plenty of water to flush out toxins, and exercising regularly.
Be aware of your surroundings and stay informed about the latest developments on the effect of pollution on health. And try to minimize the pollution from your end by taking green measures.
The active contribution of everyone to a cleaner environment is the only way out of this dilemma. So, stay active and stay informed.
