What is smog?
Smog is basically smoking fog. Originally named for the mixture of smoke and fog in the air, it is a type of air pollution that forms by the emission coming out from internal combustion engines of vehicles and industrial smokes, open burning etc.. It consists of so many gases like CO(carbon monoxide),CO2(carbon dioxide),SO2(sulfur dioxide),NO2(nitrogen dioxide) etc.
Effects of smog on our Health:- If your body is allergic to dust ,your body produces antibodies as a response. Those antibodies cause the production of chemicals such as histamines. They are what cause:
Eyes and nose irritation
Shortness of breath
Dryness of nose and throat etc….
Its important to note that smog affects everyone differently and some people are more susceptible to its negative effects.
Children, elderly persons and people with asthma need to be especially careful during smoggy days.
Certain precautions that one can take to ward off the negative effects of toxic air pollutants :-
Avoid morning and evening walks.
Try to wear full sleeve clothes.
Wash your face and hands regularly.
Use mask(N95 or N99) if mask is unavailable use a cloth to cover up your face.
Use a good quality air purifier at home ,offices etc.
Do not use Agarbatti , candles etc when the pollution is at its peak.
Keep your immune system fortified with the right Diet:-
Eat a balanced and healthy diet.
Drink lot of water to flush out toxins. Especially try to drink detox water.
To reduce inflammation include walnuts, flaxseeds in your daily diet.
Include vitamin C in diet or taking it as a dietary supplement helps to build the immune system strong. Vitamin C also reduces the risk of allergies. Vitamin C is found in abundance in oranges, guavas, strawberries, watermelon, apples etc. In vegetables it is found in broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, red bell pepper.
Broccoli is a wonder veggie, include it in your daily diet.
Take a mixture of honey, extract of basil leaves, ginger juice with pinch of cinnamon powder. Take it at least once in a day.
Use some natural decongestants like ginger, fennel, mustard in your regular meal.
Green tea also helps to reduce the toxins of air pollution.
Drink a glass of pomegranate juice daily.
Use olive oil to build immunity.
Ayurvedic remedies to reduce smog effect on health:-
Certain herbs and spices have been suggested in ayurveda for curing common respiratory ailments. Turmeric is a very well known antioxidant. Use raw turmeric in vegetables. It contains curcumin which is a natural anti inflammatory agent. Jaggery mixed with onion juice is said to have an expectorant effect, useful during dry and wet cough.
Squeeze the juice of ½ lemon into a glass of warm water and add 1 tsp of honey. Take it 2 times in a day. Lemon juice has antioxidants that can strengthen the immune system and help clear away mucus.
Dr. Suman Setia BAMS DNHE PGDHHM
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