Respiratory ailments are not confined to people who smoke or these with recognized medical vulnerabilities. More and more, docs throughout Indian cities are seeing sufferers with persistent cough, wheezing, and breathlessness who’ve by no means smoked a cigarette of their lives. The offender, they are saying, lies within the very air we breathe.
“Air pollution is in every single place. Site visitors smoke, mud from building, exhaust fumes, all irritate the lungs. I see this each day in my clinic,” mentioned Roshan Kumar, marketing consultant pulmonologist at V.S. Hospitals, Chennai. “Youngsters are hit more durable as a result of their lungs are nonetheless rising. Older individuals, too, since their lungs are already weak. And other people outdoors all day — drivers, site visitors police, roadside distributors, they endure essentially the most.”
Benhur Joel Shadrach, marketing consultant in interventional pulmonology and sleep drugs at Rela Hospital, Chennai, added that city air pollution exposes individuals to noxious particles akin to PM2.5, PM10, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides. “Essentially the most susceptible are kids, the aged, and people with current lung ailments together with bronchial asthma, COPD, and interstitial lung illness,” he mentioned.
The hidden menace indoors
Whereas outside air high quality dominates headlines, docs stress that indoor pollutants are equally dangerous, especially in low-income households. Cooking smoke from biomass fuels akin to firewood or kerosene is a significant danger. “Ladies inhale this for hours, and kids round them additionally breathe it in. It causes repeated chest infections and long-term lung harm,” mentioned Dr. Kumar.
Mould, which thrives in damp partitions after monsoons, is one other concern. “Spores set off allergic reactions and worsen bronchial asthma. In genetically inclined people, persistent publicity may even trigger situations like hypersensitivity pneumonitis,” defined Dr. Shadrach.
Local weather change and social situations
Specialists additionally identified that local weather change is aggravating respiratory health problems. Hotter summers, poor air circulation, and extended allergy seasons imply that sufferers with bronchial asthma and allergic rhinitis endure for extra months within the 12 months. Floods and cyclones go away houses damp, fuelling mould progress. “This isn’t a future downside. It’s taking place now,” mentioned Dr. Kumar.
Dr. Shadrach famous that rising humidity can dry out airway secretions and make respiration more durable. “Modifications in climate fragment pollen into smaller particles, which penetrate deeper into the lungs. That makes allergic situations extra extreme.”
Respiratory well being is carefully tied to dwelling requirements. Households with cramped housing, poor air flow, and restricted entry to wash gas face the next burden of illness. “In the event you can’t afford LPG, you find yourself utilizing firewood or kerosene. That’s like smoking each day,” mentioned Dr. Kumar. “Many delay coming to hospital due to value, and by then lungs are already broken.”
Dr. Shadrach added that overcrowding, damp houses, publicity to pet dander or bird droppings, and proximity to industries all worsen respiratory dangers.
Want for higher lung care
On the policy front, consultants acknowledge some progress. LPG distribution schemes have decreased smoke publicity for girls, whereas bans on smoking in public locations have curbed passive smoke inhalation. “Guidelines on car emissions, planting bushes and selling clear cooking gas do make a distinction. However the secret is continuity. One-time campaigns don’t change a lot,” mentioned Dr. Kumar.
Dr. Shadrach emphasised stronger enforcement. “Scrapping older automobiles, making certain air pollution certificates, and enhancing cross-ventilation in houses are important. Screening camps in communities assist detect issues early.”
Specialists imagine that whereas systemic change is important, people can nonetheless take steps to guard themselves. Masks throughout high-pollution hours, selecting quieter streets for train, and cleansing damp corners at residence are fundamental measures. “The only most vital step is avoiding smoking. Air pollution could also be laborious to regulate, however smoking is one danger we will fully eradicate,” mentioned Dr. Kumar.
Dr. Shadrach suggested monitoring air high quality indices, utilizing HEPA filters indoors, and avoiding actions like bursting crackers that worsen air air pollution. “Respiratory etiquette, common train, and a nutritious diet additionally assist lung operate,” he mentioned.
As India’s cities proceed to develop, the air its residents breathe stays a urgent well being concern. Specialists warn that safeguarding lung well being can’t be decreased to a matter of private alternative alone, it’s inseparable from housing, city planning, and clear vitality entry. And world lung day is a reminder that defending our lungs isn’t just a medical necessity however a collective duty.
Revealed – October 01, 2025 02:02 pm IST
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