Air Pollution

यरूशलेम: शोधकर्ताओं ने बताया है कि गर्भवती महिलाओं पर वायु प्रदूषण का जोखिम उनके शिशुओं वजन पर असर डालता है, जो आगे चलकर खराब स्वास्थ्य परिणामों को जन्म दे सकता है। पर्यावरण अनुसंधान पत्रिका में प्रकाशित अध्ययन में यह भी पता चला है कि कम वजन वाली और निम्न सामाजिक आर्थिक पृष्ठभूमि से आने वाली माताओं को वायु प्रदूषण से प्रभावित होने की संभावना अधिक थी। हिब्रू विश्वविद्यालय (एचयू)-हदासाह ब्रौन स्कूल ऑफ पब्लिक हेल्थ के प्रोफेसर हागई लेविन ने कहा कि यह अब स्पष्ट है कि सरकारों को व्यक्तिगत स्तर पर पर्यावरण और स्वास्थ्य डेटा को एकीकृत करने के लिए बुनियादी ढांचे को स्थापित करने की आवश्यकता है। टीम ने वायु प्रदूषक पीएम 2.5 और 2004-2015 के बीच पूरे इजराइल में पैदा हुए 3,80,000 सिंगलटन शिशुओं के जन्म के वजन के बीच संबंध को देखा। टीम ने अधिक सटीक सांख्यिकीय विश्लेषण तैयार करने के लिए व्यक्तिगत, अज्ञात डेटा और विस्तृत उच्च-रिजॉल्यूशन प्रदूषक डेटा का उपयोग किया (एजेंसी) यह भी पढ़े► बड़ों की तुलना में बच्चों में गाते और बोलते समय कम श्वास कणों का प्रवाह

  Healthy lungs bring vitality (Prana), that’s why Ayurveda refers respiratory system as Prana vaha strotas. Lungs are constantly working to provide healthy oxygen to the body for its proper functioning. Just like other systems of the body, even the respiratory system is prone to wear and tear due to the increasing pollutants, toxins, and respiratory infections like COVID 19. Role of Ayurveda to maintain healthy lungs: Nasya This therapy includes the installation of herbal medication through the nostrils. You can do Nasya therapy on an empty stomach an hour before or after a shower or exercise. One should lie down with the head tilted back and put 5 drops of Nasya oil in each nostril. Nasya prevents nasal respiratory allergies, improves eye health, relieves fatigue, and alleviates Vata Dosha. Gandusha/ Oil pulling Humans may breathe through their nose and mouth as well. The nose has a filtering mechanism in preventing pollutants that entering the respiratory system. But in case of mouth breathing, Gandusha or oil pulling helps to maintain a healthy oral cavity and acts as a barrier to prevent the entry of pollutants and toxins through the mouth. Gandusha involves holding medicated oil in the mouth for 10-15 minutes and then spitting it out. It cleans the harmful toxins and bacteria and strengthens the mucous lining of the mouth and oral cavity. Ura Abhyanga/ Massage Ura abhyanga includes the application of medicated oils or sesame oil on the chest and back followed by hot fomentation or hot water bath. It helps to loosen the toxins and sticky adherent Kapha dosha in the lungs and expel them out thus maintain healthy lungs. Swedana Facial steam with medicinal herbs helps to liquefy and melt adherent doshas and pollutants and expel them out an inefficient manner thus removing pollutants and toxins from the respiratory system. Facial steam can be taken by adding eucalyptus oil, camphor, and tulsi drops to cleanse and strengthen the nasal and oral cavity. Diet Follow Kapha reducing diet- avoid oily fatty foods, heavy to digest, dense foods, and fried foods. Consume warm water throughout the day. Avoid curd, cold drinks, ice-creams. Do not overeat or drink in excess, have light to digest and freshly prepared food and regular meals in time. Include herbs like cardamon, holy basil, pippali, liquorice, turmeric, etc in the diet to strengthen the respiratory and immune system. Immunity Boosters Chyavanprash, Ayush Kwatha, and various other Ayurvedic medicines if taken as per the Ayurveda Physician’s advice can help to strengthen the respiratory and immune system and maintain healthy lungs and avoid respiratory infections and diseases. These Ayurveda tips will not only help prevent illness but also help nurture and maintain healthy lungs so that they can perform to their utmost capacity each and every day. Also, Read► Lung Cancer - Causes, Symptoms & Ayurvedic Treatment  

Now-a-days Lungs are prone to various infectious diseases caused due to increased levels of pollution, chemical exposure, time to time weather change or due to viral disease. The food which can clear the airways should be incorporated in daily life so that ill effects of pollution & aerosols can be checked on a regular basis. A few of the important food items are warm water, dry ginger, honey, black pipe, garlic, cloves, Carrot soup, Cinnamon, turmeric etc.  1. Warm water helps in the mucus breakdown & enhances the flow of natural blood to the body. Steam inhalation with warm water also plays an important role in clearing the lungs. 2. Dry ginger helps in breakdown of mucus & makes it easier for the body to expel the air. It has anti-inflammatory properties along with increasing blood circulation. The ginger can be boiled in water, strain the ginger out, add honey & drink as tea.  3. Black piper is having anti-inflammatory & anti-viral properties. It can be used with a glass of warm milk & a pinch of turmeric. It can be added in a pinch in green tea too.  4. Mustard Oil is considered as natural decongestant & it can be used for massage on chest when mixed with few cloves of garlic & ajwain. Massage followed with steam gives immediate relief from congestion.  5. Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory, it’s a potent antioxidant, acting as an expectorant is the third benefit turmeric for lungs  6. A tea containing cloves work as it can help in respiratory infection. Cloves work as an expectorant and helps in loosening mucus in the throat. 7. Soupous are highly recommended for Lungs health especially when they contain spices like clove, cinnamon, garlic etc. 8. Seasonal fruits and vegetables supply rich amounts of antioxidants, nutrients that support your immune system ability to protect your body from infections, disease and toxins.  9. Garlic is claimed to have numerous beneficial properties to the health of humans, it fights against infection have anti-inflammatory properties too. Read More► Ayurvedic home remedies to shield your lungs

Long term exposure to ambient air pollution may heighten the risk of Covid-19 infection, suggests research. The study, published online in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine, showed that both Particulate matter (PM) 2.5 and 10 were significantly associated with an increased Covid-19 infection rate. Every 1 microgram/cubic metre increase in long term exposure to PM2.5 was associated with a 5 per cent increase in the number of new cases of Covid-19 infection, equivalent to 294 extra cases per 100,000 of the population/year. "Our findings provide the first solid empirical evidence for the hypothesised pathway linking long-term exposure to air pollution with the incidence of Covid-19, and deserve future generalisation in different contexts," said Giovanni Veronesi from the Department of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Insubria, Italy. "Meanwhile, government efforts to further reduce air pollution levels can help to mitigate the public health burden of Covid-19," Veronesi added. While population density wasn't associated with a heightened risk of infection, living in a residential care home was associated with a more than 10-fold heightened risk of the infection. The associations were even more noticeable among older age groups, indicating a stronger effect of pollutants on the Covid-19 infection rate among 55-64 and 65-74-year-olds. However, as this is an observational study, and as such, can't establish the cause, they said. But long term exposure to air pollution also heightens the risk of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases through persistent inflammation and compromised immunity. These same pathways may therefore be involved in the link between air pollution and higher Covid-19 infection rates, the researchers noted. Further, drug treatment for diabetes, high blood pressure, and obstructive airway diseases, as well as a history of stroke were also associated with, respectively, a 17 per cent, 12 per cent, 17 per cent, and 29 per cent, heightened risk. For the study, the team looked at long term exposure to airborne pollutants and patterns of Covid-19 infection from the start of the pandemic to March 2021 among the residents of Varese, the eighth-largest city in Lombardy - worst affected region in terms of both cases and deaths due to Covid. Read More► Current Vax Effective Against Severe Omicron Outcomes: Study