How Pollution Affects You

Across Asia pollution is a very real health danger. It is something which is invisible to the eye but affects many of us in adverse ways. If you live in an area with a degraded environment, pollution can cause issues with your health- so to avoid this here is some information about pollution and how to plan our trip to protect ourselves.

Air Pollution Symptoms

Air pollution is a significant health risk in many parts of Asia. From China to India and across Southeast Asia, air pollution warnings are all too frequent and all too real. The short term symptoms of this can include headaches, nausea, chest pain, coughing and even respiratory issues such as pneumonia. If you already have a long-standing illness such as asthma,simply being outside and being in contact with pollutants will exacerbate this. If you come into contact with air pollution for a long period of time, you could start to develop a chronic respiratory illness and even allergies.

What Causes Air Pollution?

  • Carbon monoxide- It reduces the amount of oxygen which reaches your organs. It can even cause mental issues when exposed to high doses.
  • Ozone- Not the atmosphere layer, this Ozone is closer to the ground and when it reacts with sunlight, it forms toxic chemicals. If you have lung issues such as emphysema, this can irritate it.  
  • Sulfur dioxide – it constricts your airways.
  • Nitrogen oxide- It aggravates and inflames your respiratory system.
  • Particulate Matter- For those who suffer from heart or lung disease, particulate matter can be dangerous. When inhaled they can travel to organ and mess with body function. You can find out more here: https://www.epa.gov/pm-pollution
You can help protect your health from pollution. It only take a little planning and discipline.

Tips

  • If you have asthma, travel with your inhaler present all the time.
  • In other countries which suffer from smog they may advise you to stay indoors on some days. Don’t ignore the warnings.
  • Try to avoid too much activity if you feel like you are in a place with a lot of air pollution.
  • Think about asking for a breathing mask if you are going somewhere which is very polluted.

Published by Editorial Team

The Asia Rising Editorial Team is made up of a multinational team of writers, content experts and journalists from around the world operating out of our Bureaus in New York, Bangkok, Toronto and while on assignment across Asia.