Air is very important for every being. But now-a-days air we breathe is polluted. Polluted to an extent that it can cause serious health damages. Air pollution may not be noticed sometimes, but it’s impact is wide and dangerous. Here are some diseases caused by air pollution.
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Asthma:
Asthma is a condition where airways of a person become inflamed and swell. The extra mucous produced makes it difficult for the person to breathe properly. Air pollution makes the symptoms worse and in very serious conditions it may trigger attacks. Ground level ozone and particle pollution are the reasons behind air pollution.
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Acute Bronchitis:
Air pollutants create irritation in the airways. Exposure for long and short time period both can cause coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath.
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Lung cancer:
Lung cancer is one of leading cause of death. Dust, smoke and chemical particles in the air gets inside the body when inhaled and causes cancer.
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Premature deaths:
It has been studied that indoor and outdoor air pollution causes approximately seven million premature deaths every year. Long term exposure to poor quality air, reduces life expectancy.
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Heart attack:
Tiny particles which come from factories, power generation plant and even burning of wood pollute the air. These particles are less than 2.5 micron which are responsible for cardiovascular disorders.
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Increased risk of infection:
Particles from fuel combustion, wildfires, smoke from factories, etc. increase the risk of lung infections.
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Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease:
Fuel burning for the purpose of cooking and exposure to fumes of tobacco is the main reason behind COPD. These particles get mixed with the air, thus polluting it. Damage caused to the lungs due to COPD cannot be altered.
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Infant mortality:
Exposure to particulate matter has been linked to the infant mortality. Some studies show that birth weight of infants is also affected due to air pollution.
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Leukaemia:
Leukaemia is a kind of blood cancer. It is the cancer of blood forming tissues and bone marrow. This affects the body’s ability to fight against infection. It is mainly caused by exposure to benzene vapours mixed in the air.
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Neurological disorders:
Polluted air contains mercury particles (although present in acute quantity). This is the cause of neurological disorders such as ischemic stroke and multiple sclerosis.
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