TIPS FOR YOUR RESPIRATORY HEALTH
Pollution affects respiratory health
Environmental pollution is one of the main respiratory health problems in the world. Pollution directly affects respiratory health. According to the expert, in many cases it causes respiratory diseases that would not have occurred without such exposure. In other cases, “ it aggravates pre-existing respiratory health pathologies that may have been caused by other circumstances such as tobacco consumption.”
Some cases of asthma or pneumonia are associated with pollution
Respiratory disorders, according to Barrueco, are caused by the inhalation of chemical substances that can act by causing inflammatory diseases such as Asthma or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
The Spanish Society of Clinical Immunology, Allergology and Pediatric Asthma (SEICAP) warns of the "serious danger that air pollution poses to the development of respiratory allergies or asthma in children, as well as their exacerbation.”
An article published in the European Respiratory Journal indicates that 11% of new cases of asthma in children in Europe It can be prevented. This would require reducing air pollutants to the threshold recommended by the World Health Organization.
Barrueco says that some pollutants "have been consistently linked to an increase in the incidence of respiratory infections, as well as with the incidence, hospital admissions or mortality due to “pneumonia”.
A study published in Environment International indicates that short-term exposure to ozone—a gas that contributes to global warming— is associated with an increase in hospital admissions for pneumonia.
Indoor air pollution caused by the use of biomass (such as firewood or excrement) as fuel for cooking or heating the home can also increase children's susceptibility to pneumonia, according to the World Health Organization .
In general, polluting particles Hospital admissions of children increase with respiratory diseases, According to a study published in Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association .
Pollution also increases the risk of lung cancer
Environmental pollution is also carcinogenic to humans, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). In fact, a study published in the journal Environmental Health indicates that Between 5% and 7% of lung cancer cases in Europe are attributable to high levels of environmental pollution. Another study published by The Lancet Oncology confirms that air pollution contributes to the incidence of lung cancer in Europe.
"The air we breathe has become polluted "with a mixture of cancer-causing substances," says Kurt Straif, head of the IARC Monographs Section, according to the Pan American Health Organization .
Pedro Pérez Segura, from the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM), explained the mechanism in the newspaper El País : “The continued inhalation of these particles It damages the cells that line our respiratory system. and there comes a point where genetic deficiencies accumulate, causing cells to proliferate in an uncontrolled manner and, eventually, a tumor can appear.”
How to avoid the harmful effects of pollution
Barrueco's main advice to avoid the harmful effects of pollution on respiratory health is Do not smoke. The expert also recommends Avoid closed spaces and outdoor spaces with high levels of pollution whenever possible. And wear a mask when it is not possible. For example, at work or in heavy traffic.
The Spanish Society of Sports Medicine (SEMED) advises refrain from outdoor physical activity in situations of air pollution high. Although regular exercise has enormous health benefits, “many activities They are carried out outdoors and in urban areas with possible air pollution .”
Physical exercise increases the volume of air that is inhaled by the lungs: “This means that the body will have a huge amount of oxygen to supply to its muscles, but also that the lungs filter a large amount of atmospheric air and, if it contains many polluting elements, it will also inhale very large quantities of these products to the detriment of our respiratory health.”
If air pollution is “not excessive”, SEMED recommends exercise during the hours of least pollution; choose green spaces, closed or without vehicle traffic; stay away from roads; or use masks.