Pollution of all kinds, whether air, water and/or sound take its toll on the human body resulting in many illnesses or aggravating existing illnesses.
In recent times, many Indian metros have come under the severely polluted category.
As the ill effects of pollution on the human body aggravate only over a period of time in most cases, preventive action is ignored and public consciousness on this is also not aroused. Hence mitigative and corrective actions from the powers that be to regulatory agencies are not firm and swift.
The medical community also needs to proactively warn people of the consequences.
To understand the ill effect on human health, The Indian Practitioner had an interaction with Dr. Aqib Khan.
His views are reproduced here.
Q 1. (TIP): What are the most common health issues caused by air pollution?
(Dr. Aqib Khan (AK)): All Respiratory illnesses, especially pneumonia and exacerbation of asthma occurring bluntly due to air pollution.
Q 2. (TIP): How does long-term exposure to pollution impact respiratory health?
(AK): Particle pollution or PM which stands for Particulate matter are divided into 2 types:
Coarse (PM size 2.5 to 10 microns) and Fine (PM <2.5) which is the most arduous size to eradicate by the cilia of the respiratory tract and thus affecting your lung health in the long term.
Q 3. (TIP): Can pollution contribute to cardiovascular diseases, and if so, how? Does it also aggravate diabetes?
(AK): Yes
a. The particle pollution add excess to the thickness of the plaques in the coronary artery thus speeding up blockage and provoking MI (i.e., Myocardial Infarction) or Heart Attack.
b. PM may accelerate severe blood infection along with going into MODS (Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome). It may also affect the pancreas, which secrete insulin, thus hindering the whole glucose absorption pathway.
Note: Scientific papers have clearly stated that diabetes speeds up MI by at least 2-4 times. As per my 1.5 decades of experience, adding air pollution and uncontrolled sugar levels may even increase the chance of heart attack by *4-10 times.
Q 4. (TIP): Are there specific pollutants that are more harmful than others?
(AK): No
Almost all pollutants are equally harmful, thus protection is needed from all.
Q 5. (TIP): How does air pollution affect children’s health differently than adults?
(AK): Air pollution can be catastrophic for growth of children in early age group (i.e., birth to 5 years of age) especially if the baby is LBW (Low Birth Weight) delivered before 32 weeks,as surfactant is required to release the tension of the lungs which gets completely available only by 32 weeks of gestation.
Q 6. (TIP): Are there any long-term effects of pollution exposure that we should be aware of?
(AK): The lungs become darker and age rapidly especially in a tier one urban city like Mumbai.
Q 7. (TIP): What steps can individuals take to protect themselves from pollution-related health issues?
(AK): Desisting from places like traffic prone roads and ongoing construction sites, along with wearing an N95 mask if required to visit such places is the superlative way to keep one’s body protected from air pollution.
Q 8. (TIP): Is there a link between pollution and mental health disorders?
(AK): As explained earlier, pollution does have long-term ill effects on the human body. A recent study in the USA in 2022 has even shown, people who breathe polluted air experience changes within the brain regions that control emotions, and as a result, they may be more likely to develop anxiety and depression than those who breathe cleaner air.
Q 9. (TIP): What are the latest research findings on the health effects of pollution?
(TAP+VM): According to WHO in December 2023, household air pollution exposure leads to noncommunicable diseases including stroke, ischaemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer.
Q 10. (TIP): Can you explain how heavy metals in the environment affect human health?
(AK): Three most common heavy metals and its effect on human health:
a. Mercury – may harm thinking and learning capacity.
b. Lead – Early childhood more prone for affecting neurodevelopment.
c. Cadmium – In cigarette smoke andin food (particularly irrigated rice in non-smoking population) can lead to kidney damage.
Q 11. (TIP): What role do pollution play in the rise of chronic diseases?
(AK): An important role, but still less than infectious diseases, spiked and unhealthy foods, decreased exercise, which can easily be thwarted by lifestyle modification.