Toxic air puts millions of babies' brains and lungs at risk

About 17 million babies worldwide live in areas where outdoor air pollution is six times the recommended limit, and their brain development is at risk, the U.N. children’s agency (UNICEF) said on Wednesday. 

The majority of these babies – more than 12 million – are in South Asia, it said, in a study of children under one-year-old, using satellite imagery to identify worst-affected regions. 

“Not only do pollutants harm babies’ developing lungs – they can permanently damage their developing brains – and, thus, their futures,” said UNICEF member . 

Any air pollution above the World Health Organization’s recommended limit is potentially harmful for children, and risks grow as pollution worsens, UNICEF said. 

Air pollution is closely associated with asthma, pneumonia, bronchitis and other respiratory infections, it said. 

Scientific findings about the links with brain development are not yet conclusive, but rapidly growing evidence is “definitely reason for concern”,  the  author told. 

Brain development in the first 1,000 days of a child’s life is critical for their learning, growth and for them “being able to do everything that they want and aspire to in life”, he said. 

“A lot of focus goes on making sure children have good quality education, but also important is the development of the brain itself,” he added. 

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How smog can affect your heart?

Some cities in Asia are troubled by high pollution, which during winter months, causes thick smog to settle down, as there is no breeze and the atmosphere is heavy. When the pollution levels are much higher than the prescribed limit by the WHO, then people suffer from severe respiratory and heart  problems.

Some of the most common symptoms of pollution include irritation in the eyes, nose, and throat; coughing; phlegm; chest tightness; and shortness of breath. Those with heart problems can experience pain in the chest, palpitations, shortness of breath, and fatigue. Inhaling toxic air can also trigger cardiac arrhythmias and heart attacks. Here’s more on the symptoms of smog.

 Speaking about this, a Dr.  said, “Pollution levels are at an all-time high. This situation is particularly dangerous for those with existing heart problems and those susceptible to them. Breathing in high amounts of polluted air is linked to an increased risk of heart attack and strokes. If you are at a risk of heart failure, high levels of air pollution could make this worse. You might also feel the symptoms get worse if you have angina or atrial fibrillation.Continuous exposure to pollutants can also lead to plaque formation in the arteries thereby triggering heart attacks in patients at high risk. It is imperative to take certain precautionary measures while going out, especially in the wake of such pollution levels. While the government makes efforts to reduce pollution, one must also make efforts at an individual level.” Here’s more on how smog is affecting YOU!

Smog is a complex mixture formed by various pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and dust particles, which interact with sunlight to form ground-level ozone, leading to the build-up of haze that hangs in industrial cities. This is a high-alert situation for the city with children and older adults at high risk.

Adding further, Dr.  said, “High contents of particulate matter PM 2.5 air pollutants less than 2.5 micron in size can be absorbed and cause inflammation of the heart arteries. Exposure to pollutants also increases the risk of acute arterial vasoconstriction and atherosclerosis. Although nothing can prevent exposure to pollution in some way, some steps will ensure that this exposure is limited. This includes exercising in areas that are at least 200 meters away from roads, construction sites, and smoke-emitting industry, and not venturing out of the house when pollution levels are at their peak.” Here are simple ways you can lessen pollution.

 Some tips to cope with the increased pollution levels are as follows.
 Patients with asthma, and chronic bronchitis should get the dose of their medicine increased during smog days.
Avoid exertion in conditions of smog. It is better to avoid walking during smog hours.
Heart patients should stop their early morning walk during smog hours.
Remember to take the flu pneumonia vaccine.
Keep doors and windows shut particularly during the early morning hours.
It is better to wear protective masks if you must venture out.

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STRESS ALONE ISN'T THE CULPRIT FOR POOR SLEEP, AIR POLLUTION TOO !

Air pollution might be linked to poor sleep, say researchers looking into the impact of toxic air on our slumbers. The study explored the proportion of time participants spent asleep in bed at night compared with being awake – a measure known as sleep efficiency.

The results reveal that greater exposure to nitrogen dioxide and small particulates known as PM 2.5s are linked with a greater chance of having low sleep efficiency. That, researchers say, could be down to the impact of air pollution on the body. “Your nose, your sinuses and the back of your throat can all be irritated by those pollutants so that can cause some sleep disruption as well as from breathing issues,” said Martha Billings, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Washington and co-author of the research. Billings added that pollutants entering the blood could have an effect on the brain and hence the regulation of breathing.
 
The study, presented at the American Thoracic Society’s annual international conference, drew on air pollution data captured for nitrogen dioxide and PM2.5 levels over a five-year period in six US cities, including data captured near the homes of the 1,863 participants. The data was then used to provide estimates of pollution levels in the home.

Researchers then captured data from medical-grade wearable devices worn by the participants on their wrists over a period of seven consecutive days to monitor fine movements while they slept – an approach that offers insights into how long each participant spent asleep or awake. From the results, the team grouped the participants according to their sleep efficiency, finding that the top quarter of the participants had a sleep efficiency of about 93% or higher, while the bottom quarter had a sleep efficiency of 88% or less. The team then took all of the participants and split them into four groups based on their exposure to air pollution.
 
After taking into account a host of factors including age, smoking status and conditions such as obstructive sleep apnea, the team found that those who were exposed to the highest levels of air pollution over five years were more likely to be in the bottom group for sleep efficiency than those exposed to the lowest levels.

More specifically, high levels of nitrogen dioxide increased the odds of having low sleep efficiency by almost 60%, while high levels of PM2.5s increased the odds by almost 50%. Higher levels of pollution were also linked to greater periods of time spent awake after going to sleep.

 However, it is not clear whether the pollution itself was affecting the participants’ sleep or whether the poorer sleep quality might be down to other factors linked to pollution, such as the noise generated by traffic. In addition, data from one week’s sleep might not reflect an individual’s typical sleep pattern.

Scott Weichenthal, an epidemiologist from McGill University in Canada who was not involved in the study, said the research did not prove that air pollution caused poor sleep, but he added: “There is certainly increasing evidence that air pollution affects our body in ways that we didn’t appreciate before.”

Roy Harrison, professor of environmental health at the University of Birmingham, said a link between pollution and sleep was not unexpected. “Previous research has shown associations between nitrogen dioxide exposures and effects upon various physiological and biochemical functions in the body, as well as hospital admissions and mortality,” he said. “It should therefore come as no surprise that such exposures also affect sleep patterns.”

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