How to Stay Safe During Smog Season?
First, what is smog? Modern smog, as found for example in Lahore, is a type of air pollution derived from vehicular emission from internal combustion engines and industrial fumes that react in the atmosphere with sunlight to form secondary pollutants that also combine with the primary emissions to form photochemical smog.
The major effect of smog prevailing in Lahore and various regions of Punjab, since a week, causing various health problems and reduced visibility on roads.
Smog causes a lot of health issues like eye infections, allergies, coughing, chest infection, pain when breathing, and shortness of breath. When the concentration of smog increases, so do the number of emergency room visits. It can even cause premature deaths in some cases.
Who is Target of Smog?
Smog is harmful to all the persons, facing it including the children’s, adults, old age persons, and patients. It is affecting everyone who is facing it. Though its reaction is slow, as a person continuously lives in such environment its effects is more detrimental.
Children: Children’s lungs may be its main victim as they are are still developing and have smaller airways. Children breathe more rapidly than adults and also tend to spend more time outside playing which exposes them to smog.
People with existing respiratory Issues: People who already suffer from various respiratory conditions like asthma, and allergies are at a greater risk of becoming ill. These people have poor lung function and capacity. Microparticles in the air can cause inflammation in their lungs and aggravate their illness.
Old Age Persons/ Seniors: Seniors are at a higher risk of becoming ill due to particles found in the air due to smog. They already have weaker lungs, heart and immune system so they are unable to hold up against it without medication and doctor care. Smog is particularly dangerous for older people who suffer from cardiovascular diseases and respiratory conditions.
Signs, Symptoms of Smog:
As now we are living in smog affected environment, its signs that are affecting us are various, some of the main signs of smog, or effects on our health are listed below.
Safety Measure or Precautions against Smog
Smog is affecting our lifestyle badly, there is no shortcut to overcome it, still, experts are advising some safety measures or precautions against smog. Following these instructions, we can overcome its effects to some extent, some main precautions or safety measures are listed below.
