Air pollution ranks among the major issues of the modern world and it continues to have an adverse effect on the people living in cities, towns, and even villages. It is an occurrence where dangerous gases, dust, smoke, and small particles enter the air that people breathe. These pollutants are a result of exhaust from vehicles, factories, the burning of fuel, and many human activities. Since air is the most vital thing for life, polluted air can become the source of many diseases. Breathing dirty air every day slowly but surely, it makes our body and mind weaker. A great number of people are not aware of the problem of air pollution until they or their family members get sick. This blog tries to present the facts of the situation in the simplest and the clearest form, thus, it tells how air pollution impairs health and leads to various diseases.
What Is Air Pollution?
Air pollution may be described as the introduction of a few substances to air that are bad for humans and nature. The substances can be a variety of things among which smoke, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and fine particles which are very small are the most common ones.Such minute particles are capable of penetrating the human lungs and even reaching the blood because of their very small size. Air pollution may be the result of what is going on outside or inside one’s house. Outdoor air pollution is the result of the use of cars, factories, power stations, and the burning of waste while indoor air pollution is the outcome of the use of wood or coal for cooking, smoking, and bad ventilation. Both forms are terrible and have been harming millions of people every day.
How Polluted Air Enters the Body?
As we breathe, the air goes to the lungs through the nose and mouth. Clean air provides oxygen to the blood, which is the reason the body works well. The same polluted air also gets into the lungs. The harmful gases and particles that come with the polluted air, they penetrate the respiratory tract and lungs. Among these particles, there are some that are so small that they even get into the bloodstream. Once these substances are in the body, they unfold, swell, and destroy the different body organs. Such situations, over the years, lead to health problems and diseases that last for a long time.
Effects of Air Pollution on the Lungs
Among all diseases caused by air pollution, lung diseases are the most frequent. People who breathe polluted air will show such symptoms as cough, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest pain most of the time. Those who live in highly polluted areas are the ones that mainly develop asthma and bronchitis. The fact is that pollution makes the occurrence of asthma attacks more often and aggressive.The most vulnerable are the children and elderly people as a result of their lungs being more sensitive. The lung tissue can be damaged and the lung volume may be lessened as a result of long exposure to polluted air. The lungs will not be able to hold enough oxygen which will make it difficult to carry out daily activities.
Air Pollution and Mental Health
Air pollution also causes mental health issues, which are rarely noticed. Studies have proven that being exposed to polluted air for a long time can lead to increased levels of stress, anxiety & depression. A polluted atmosphere affects the brain by limiting oxygen supply and causing it to become inflamed. Those living in pollution stricken areas may be encountering symptoms such as fatigue, irritability & lack of concentration. In extreme cases, air pollution has been associated with difficulty in memory as well as dementia type diseases. The need for clean air is not only for the proper functioning of the body but also for a healthy mind.
Air Pollution and Heart Diseases
Besides that air pollution only affects the lungs, it is a major cause of heart diseases too. Minute pollutants may travel through the bloodstream and cause damage to the blood vessels. This may result in high blood pressure and cardiac inflammation. Those who are exposed to air pollution are at high risk of suffering from heart attacks and strokes. The heart becomes inefficient because of the polluted air. This is because the heart has to pump harder in order to get oxygen to the rest of the body. This stress weakens the heart over time. The majority of the studies have found that those who live in places with a high concentration of air pollutants have more heart-related deaths than those in the cleanest places.
Impact on Children’s Health
Children are most vulnerable to air pollution among the rest of the population. Since their bodies are still developing & they breathe more rapidly than adults. They are more exposed to the pollutants. The exposure to air pollution can stunt lung growth in children & lead to respiratory problems. Sick children will be absent from school. So their academic performance will be affected. Besides, air pollution can also interfere with brain development. Which may later manifest as learning difficulties and low attention span. The harmful effects of air pollution on children may still be there when they become adults & the consequences may be their health and success.
Air Pollution and Cancer
One of the major consequences of air pollution is cancer. A long-term exposure to polluted air is what causes lung cancer. The first effect of carcinogenic chemicals in polluted air is the damage of cells followed by changing their normal behavior. This eventually could result in runaway cell growth thus the formation of cancer. Those living in the areas that are close to the roads with heavy traffic or have a lot of factories are more vulnerable. The risk becomes much higher when smoking is combined with air pollution. Lung cancer due to air pollution generally progresses at a slow pace and may be symptom-free in the initial stages.
Effects on Pregnant Women and Babies
Air pollution is particularly harmful to pregnant women & their babies. If the mother is exposed to a pollutant atmosphere, the dangerous substances can come to the baby through the blood. The results will cause premature birth, low birth weight & birth defects increases. The infants born in polluted areas can have weak lungs and a high chance of sickness. These problems may be with the child for their entire life. It is very important to make sure that pregnant ladies breathe clean air if we want to have a healthy future generation.
Air Pollution and the Immune System
The immune system is the one that keeps the body safe from infections and diseases. The problem is that air pollution is at the root of the weakening of this protection system. The polluted air that people breathe is the cause of nonstop inflammation which in turn weakens the body’s capability to fight the germs. Those who are exposed to air pollution regularly can catch diseases easily and are slow in healing. This state is quite dangerous, particularly for elderly people and those with some other health problems. Having a compromised immune system puts one at a higher risk of getting infectious diseases, among which are the ones of the respiratory system.
Long-Term Effects of Air Pollution
The impacts of polluted air are not always visible or felt right away. A number of health issues that arise from polluted air take years to develop in a person gradually. In the beginning, people might not recognize the harm as they appear to be in good health, but the process of the body being damaged is going on inside. Extended exposure to polluted air is capable of turning these health problems into one of those chronic diseases that are going to be with the person for life. These diseases include chronic lung disease, heart disease, and cancer. Moreover, air pollution shortens the human lifespan. There are many people who are going to lose several years of their lives just because they breathe polluted air every day.
Conclusion
Air pollution can be considered as one of the silent killers which cause damage to millions of people’s health worldwide. The lungs, heart, and brain are the main organs which are directly affected by the pollutants in the air, though the list of organs is quite extensive. The polluted air eventually leads to diseases that include asthma, cardiovascular disease, cancer, as well as mental health problems. Kids, pregnant ladies, and elderly people should be considered as the most susceptible groups. Air pollution impact can be of the short-term or the long-term type, but in both cases, the effects are severe. Clean air is one of the basic necessities that make a healthy life possible. The act of reducing air pollution is not only the government’s responsibility, but individuals also have a part in it. When we realize the ways air pollution harms the body, we will be motivated to take protection measures and also do our part to have a clean and healthy future that is accessible to everyone.