Delhi’s air quality on Saturday somewhat improved to the “very poor” category after two days of “severe” pollution levels. The city recorded an air quality index (AQI) of 381, according to the daily bulletin published by the Central Pollution Control Board.
However, even this is enough for a young, healthy adult to develop respiratory complications, health experts said.
Pollution is a “silent killer,” according to Dr. Randeep Guleria, former director of AIIMS and head of the department of pulmonary medicine and sleep disorders. The rising levels of pollution in Delhi can be seen in the rise in patients at AIIMS who have respiratory disorders.
Coughing, sneezing, irritation of the airways, skin infections, and respiratory distress are only a few of the immediate effects of the continuous pollution spell over the Capital and the surrounding regions, according to Dr. Sumit Ray, head of the critical care department at Holy Family Hospital. The muscles in the airways that connect the windpipe to the lungs tighten as a result of chronic exposure to high pollution levels, he added, and this causes the airways to gradually constrict.
“Even for a healthy person, the long-term impact of such high and prolonged pollution can be serious. We have seen that if a healthy person is not a smoker, they are usually unlikely to develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but now we are commonly seeing this among non-smokers, and that could be attributed to pollution,” said Ray.
Dr Bhagwan Mantri, consultant pulmonologist and critical care specialist at Moolchand Hospital, said Delhi residents experience unsafe levels of pollution all year round. In winter, the episodes become more severe, Mantri said, adding that such prolonged exposure to high pollution levels, with episodic peaks that go to dangerous levels, leads over time to the weakening of a healthy person’s respiratory system.
According to health experts, particulate matter, which may enter the bloodstream and lungs and cause serious health problems, is the main cause of pollution in the Capital.
People who have recovered from Covid-19 have been cautioned by Dr. Deepak Gupta, professor of neurosurgery at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), to take extra precautions during periods of high pollution levels.
“Not just relatively minor symptoms, such high pollution levels can trigger many more serious health complications, including lung cancer. Especially people who survived Covid-19 need to be careful,” Gupta said.
“Pollution harms people more than even cigarette smoke does. People must minimise their outdoor activities and exposure to high-pollution areas on days when pollution levels are at their highest. According to Guleria, the number of ailments brought on by pollution is rising,” Dr. Randeep Guleria said.
