As air pollution breached severe levels in the national capital, top doctors in Delhi are advising that we keep our children indoors. Any outdoor activity is dangerous, they say.
In collaboration with #MyRightToBreathe, an advisory has been put together by top doctors in Delhi NCR that says it’s time we treated air pollution as a national emergency.
NO Good Time to Be Outside
- Air pollution affects the skin, eyes, nose and sinuses, throat, lungs, heart, and indirectly every vital organ in our body.
- It affects even foetuses in pregnant women.
- Air pollution is responsible for the death of MILLIONS of people in India.
- Exercising is vital for health, but not when we are breathing poison. It is vital to plan your exercise environment very carefully.
- Air pollution causes PERMANENT DAMAGE to the LUNGS, similar to smoking.
- With the PM levels where they are, there really is no safe time to be outdoors.
A normal adult breathes approximately six litres of air per minute at rest. When we exercise in toxic air, you may inhale up to 20 litres.
Running a marathon in these conditions can deposit approximately 2 tablespoons of toxic ash in your lungs.
IMAGINE THE DAMAGE.
So What Can You Do?
Follow daily local air quality alerts, which will guide people in a form that everyone understands what activities to restrict.
- Exercise areas should be at least 200 metres away from roads/construction sites/smoke emitting industries (No, this doesn’t guarantee clean air).
- Educate people about masks. Normal surgical masks are useless.
- N95 masks are effective but suffocating, especially when exercising.
- Branded masks are efficient but expensive, and not a daily solution while exercising.
- Patients at risk should take their medication diligently and avoid unnecessary exposure as far as possible.
Smoking cessation is an individual responsibility, providing clean cooking gas is the government’s responsibility
We need to focus on air pollution as a collective solution
ENDORSED BY INDIA’S TOP DOCTORS
Dr Naresh Trehan, consultant cardiac surgeon
Founder, Medanta Medicity
Dr Neeraj Jain, head, Department of Respiratory Medicine,
Sir Ganga Ram Hospital
Dr Arvind Kumar, head, Department of Chest Surgery,
Sir Ganga Ram Hospital
Dr Harsh Mahajan, founder and chief radiologist
Mahajan Imaging
Dr Navin Dang, consultant microbiologist
Director, Dr Dang's Lab, Delhi
Dr Ashwani Chopra, consultant physician
Director, Fortis Aashlok Hospital, Delhi
Dr Alok Chopra, consultant physician
Director, Fortis Aashlok Hospital, Delhi
(Breathe In, Breathe Out: Are you finding it tough to breathe polluted air? Join hands with FIT to find #PollutionKaSolution. Send in your suggestions to fit@thequint.com or WhatsApp @+919999008335)
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