We encounter air pollution every day. As soon as we go outside, we breathe in pollutants from sources like smoke, dust, fossil fuel emissions, wildfires and more. In recognition of Lung Cancer Awareness Month, experts at Baylor College of Medicine highlight how air pollution harms our overall health, especially our lungs.
Air Pollution Still Threatens Lung Health Despite Declining Smoking Rates
“It’s encouraging to see fewer people smoking, but the reality is that the air pollutants we breathe every day can still harm our lungs,” said Dr. Farrah Kheradmand, a pulmonologist and professor of medicine at Baylor.
She explains that inhaling any type of smoke exposes your lungs to tiny inorganic particles that damage lung tissue and disrupt the immune cells working to protect you.
Environmental pollutants don’t affect everyone the same way. Your genetic makeup can influence how your body responds to polluted air. If air pollution impacts you, you might experience symptoms like a scratchy throat, itchy eyes, difficulty breathing, or a lingering cough.
“If you start experiencing a constant cough whenever you’re outside, it’s time to contact your doctor,” Kheradmand advised.
Dr. Elaine Symanski highlighted that long-term air pollution can lead to chronic conditions like heart disease and COPD.
Dr. Elaine Symanski, a professor in the Center for Precision Environmental Health, noted that research shows long-term exposure to polluted air can contribute to chronic conditions such as heart disease and COPD.
Certain groups are especially vulnerable to the health effects of air pollution, including older adults, people with a long history of smoking (about a pack a day for 20 years) who have developed chronic obstructive lung disease, and individuals with asthma at any age.
Dr. Kristina Walker Whitworth, an associate professor in the same center, encouraged people to monitor local air quality alerts and ozone action days issued by the Houston Health Department or the National Weather Service. She added that those in high-risk groups should limit outdoor activities when these alerts are in effect.
Kheradmand also cautioned against exercising outdoors on days with poor air quality, explaining that heavy breathing during activities like jogging increases your exposure to pollutants.
Read the original article on: New Atlas
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