Smoke and Fog together make Smog, which is basically a dense layer of harmful particles. It starts enveloping the area and refuses to settle down. Smog is responsible for causing viral infection and is extremely injurious for the cardiovascular and respiratory system.
How does smog affect your health?
Smog contains a pollutant called ozone, and elevated ozone levels can have a variety of negative effects on your lungs. Smog can lead to several different types of health problems. These include:
- Worsening of asthma symptoms.
- Difficulty breathing and lung damage.
- High levels of ozone can irritate your respiratory system, harm your lungs even after symptoms disappear.
- Eye irritation.
- Lightheadedness.
Tips to Protect Yourself from Unhealthy Air
- Avoid exercising in smoggy conditions, particularly at midday when ground ozone levels are at their highest. Try to change the times you exercise to morning or evening, or exercise inside.
- N95/99 masks should be used whenever you step out.
- Air Purifying plants such as Aloe Vera, Ivy and Spider Plant can be placed in the home and offices. They help purify indoor air and minimise indoor pollution.
- To avoid indoor air pollution, make sure there is a chimney in the kitchen and an exhaust in the bathroom. This will ensure that the air is recirculated. Not many know that indoor pollution can be worse than outdoor pollution.
- Not many people are aware of the fact that jaggery can help in flushing out pollutants from your lungs. You can simply consume it raw or include it in your menu or food items you consume every day.
- Herbal tea helps in detoxifying the body and also minimising the effects of pollutants. Having herbal tea including ginger and Tulsi is extremely beneficial to the body.
- Pollutants from your body can easily be flushed out by the intake of water and healthy juices so consume more and more water. It will further help in the cleansing of your body.
- Try to take steam with a few drops of eucalyptus oil every day in the evening to relax your air-passages and help your body remove the harmful particulate substances.
- Promote the use of carpools and ask your neighbors to avoid burning crackers or generate waste. Ask them to work together with you to reduce emissions. After all, we cannot wait for the government to take all steps. It’s time we should also get involved on our own.
- Open your windows and doors between 3 pm – 5 pm and allow the air to circulate. On a bright sunny day, this is the time slot when concentration of PM 2.5 is the lowest in the air.
- Consume fruits rich in Vitamin C, Magnesium and foods rich in Omega Fatty Acids. A healthy diet will help you beat the ill effects of pollution by keeping your immunity up.
