Tips to protect yourself from SMOG After Diwali

What is smog?

“Smog is a dense layer of stagnant air which forms near ground level when air pollution is high it is more common in built-up cities with dense traffic or in areas near industry with high emissions.”

This harmful substance is created when sunlight reacts with gases, such as industrial emissions or car exhaust fumes, in the lower atmosphere. The high-pressure warm weather systems that we get on hot days tend to be slow moving, so they trap the polluted air at a low level in the atmosphere.

“Smog is made up mainly of ozone but it also contains other harmful substances, such as sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and PM10s (small molecules which can find their way deep into our lungs),” adds Dr Wright.

How smog affects health

Some people are more sensitive to the effects of smog and air pollution than others, including those with existing chest, lung or heart complaints. The first health signs of smog may be irritation in the throat, nose, eyes or lungs and breathing may be affected.

According to Asthma UK, about two thirds of people with asthma find that pollution triggers their symptoms. High levels of pollution have been linked to an increased risk of asthma attacks and low peak-flow readings, so it’s important for asthmatics to keep their inhalers at hand during smog attacks.

In Delhi and NCR, city smog is a regular and ongoing concern and, for those exposed to it on a daily basis, it can be more harmful to health.Two days after Diwali night, Delhi experienced low visibility due to smog on Wednesday morning as pollution levels touched hazardous limits. The PM 10 levels reached a massive 999, more than 10 times higher than the safe limit. On the other hand, PM 2.5 touched a maximum of 743, as per the air quality index.

Levels of PM 2.5, tiny particulate matter that reaches deep into the lungs, more than doubled within a few hours to 750 micrograms per cubic meter in the city's worst affected parts, India's Central Pollution Control Board said.

That is 30 times a mean guideline of 25 micrograms per cubic meter on average over a 24-hour period set by the World Health Organization (WHO), which says outdoor air pollution killed 3.7 million people worldwide in 2012.

The U.S. embassy in New Delhi said its air pollution index had late on Sunday breached the "hazardous" level upper limit of 500, at which it stops measuring levels of PM2.5. The index had rocketed to 1,126 by 2 a.m. (2030 GMT)

Research carried out at the University of California, for example, looked at the effects on nearly 450,000 people of living in highly smog-polluted cities. They found that chronic exposure to ozone and smog in areas with the highest concentrations resulted in a 25 per cent to 35 per cent greater risk of dying.

Practical steps to protect yourself

If you have respiratory problems and are affected by smog and air pollution, or are keen to protect yourself or your children from potential health effects, there are practical steps you can take.

Here are the top tips:

• Watch the weather forecast and check daily air quality reports if you live in a city or an area that is particularly congested with traffic
  
• If the air quality forecast is poor, stay indoors and keep your windows closed - or, where possible, avoid the affected areas
• Avoid exercising in smoggy conditions, particularly at midday when ground ozone levels are at their highest
• Use High quality antipollution mask, if smoggy areas are unavoidable
  
• Air purifiers installation at home is also a good Idea.
• If you’re asthmatic or have COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), carry inhalers at all times. If smog is bad, treatment may need to be increased for a while. If you notice any rapid deterioration in your condition, consult your doctor
• If you have respiratory conditions and need to travel on smoggy days, avoid congested areas where you may get stuck in traffic jams. Road junctions can be a hotbed of exhaust emissions. Keep your windows closed
• If you’re walking or cycling to work, plan a route that avoids too many areas that are built up or congested with cars
• Keep your own emissions to a minimum. Avoid unnecessary car journeys in cities, don’t rev up or leave your engine running for a long time outside your home on cold days or when stuck in traffic jams.

Keeping an eye on air quality

If you’ve got respiratory problems and are affected by smog, it’s important to keep up to date with weather forecasts and smog throughout the year.

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