Air pollution and respiratory diseases

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Le Thi Minh Huong - Emergency Medicine Doctor - Department of Resuscitation - Emergency - Vinmec Nha Trang International General Hospital. The doctor has more than 06 years of experience in examining and treating internal diseases, emergency and emergency resuscitation.
The development of industries as well as the rapid increase of urbanization make air pollution leading to respiratory diseases become more and more urgent.

1. Actual situation of air pollution in Vietnam

According to the ranking of cities with the highest levels of air pollution in the world on October 31, 2019 (Airvisual), Hanoi's air pollution is ranked 16th and Ho Chi Minh City is ranked 16th. Ho Chi Minh City ranked 53rd. The time with high concentration of fine and ultrafine dust is usually at night and early morning because these are periods of calm wind and lower temperature than during the day, making the air more pollution cannot diffuse, remain high.
Increasing pollution levels and photochemical smog have caused direct effects on human health.

2. Air pollution - Causes of respiratory diseases

The World Health Organization (WHO) continuously warns of the threat from air pollution to human health. The origin of air pollutants comes from human activities such as emissions from motor vehicles, industrial activities, infrastructure construction, thermal power, oil refining, industrial waste burning. , agriculture, cooking operations, fuel heating.
Air pollution is the appearance of dust, fine dust, ultrafine dust or gases such as CO, SO2, NO2. Dust particles that exist in the air play an important role in determining the quality of the atmosphere. The types of dust that our naked eyes can see or feel are large dust particles. In addition, there are fine dust particles (less than 1/30 the diameter of a hair), which the naked eye cannot see or feel, which causes serious respiratory problems such as: allergic reactions. inflammation of the upper respiratory tract, inflammation of the lower respiratory tract, later attacks on the blood vessels and the heart.

In both children and adults, short-term or long-term exposure to air pollution can lead to decreased lung function, respiratory infections and worsening asthma. Emerging evidence also suggests that ambient air pollution may affect diabetes and neurodevelopment in children.
In healthy adults may also experience symptoms such as eye, skin, nose and throat irritation; cough, sputum, chest tightness, shortness of breath when breathing in polluted air. And these symptoms should go away as the air quality improves. As for people with pre-existing lung diseases such as asthma, COPD can increase symptoms of the disease such as more shortness of breath with tightness in the chest, more coughing, and wheezing. Studies show that in times of extreme weather or high air pollution, hospitalizations for respiratory and cardiovascular causes are higher.

3. Improve air quality - Protect your own health

Studies have shown that when fine dust is reduced by 20 - 70 μg/m3, the rate of people at risk of dying from diseases related to air pollution also decreases by 15%.
To protect their own health, everyone should form the habit of wearing a mask every time they go out. A cotton cloth mask will help block about 30% of airborne dust particles. Specialized masks for surgeons will block about 80% of dust. In addition, in the family, it is necessary to avoid smoke from coal stoves, wood stoves, smokers, pipe tobacco in closed rooms, affecting the health of members.

For the whole society, strictly implement the law on environmental protection, management is to control air pollution or sources of environmental pollution by measures such as:
Replace old equipment with modern equipment; Strictly manage and treat wastes or gases released into the environment; Using dust settling chamber, dust filter to reduce air pollution; Minimize the use of fuel sources such as coal, firewood, oil in production or daily consumption; Forest fire prevention and fighting; Limit burning of straw; Plant many green trees. In order to maintain and strengthen the "fence" to protect their own health, people should:
Avoid vigorous exercise activities when in a place with air pollution, causing you to breathe faster or deeply like cycling, jogging...; Keep the house clean, wipe with wet wipes; plant many trees around the house, along the way to help clean the air; Eat foods rich in antioxidants such as vegetables and fruits to protect joint health and avoid the formation of free radicals from polluted air; Eat a diet rich in nutrients, such as green vegetables and beans, fish, meat, eggs and dairy. Supplementing side meals with products rich in vitamins and minerals, necessary beneficial bacteria for the body, improving resistance, enhancing health.

In case of persistent symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath, sore eyes, itchy throat; People need to see a doctor immediately, in order to minimize the risk of other chronic respiratory diseases or the onset of symptoms of a cardiovascular disease.

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