Air Pollution And Asthma

It's necessary to comprehend the definition of asthma and its scope before we start discerning the relation between asthma and the mounting worldwide air pollution. What is asthma then? Asthma, to be very precise, happens to be a respiratory problem that originates from the inflammation and spasm of the lung's air passages which are known as bronchial tubes also. It must be kept in concern that asthma is most frequent, but not always, related to allergies. However it does play a prominent role in the generation of allergies and boys are found to be more susceptible to this than girls.

There is no doubt that asthma and the pertinent symptoms are not confined to any specific region but are expanding their tentacles by leaps and bounds throughout the world. What leads to this dangerous trend? On the world of scientists, the mounting air pollution is the first and foremost cause of this trend. Can this be accepted as true? Certainly since studies have revealed how air pollution from cars, factories and power plants has become a major cause of asthma attacks. Take for instance the United States of America. Only in this country almost 159 million people has become vulnerable to worsening weather condition because of air pollution.

A detailed investigation was made in 2002, in this regard. As indicated by the study, 30 percent of childhood asthma is due to environmental exposures, costing the nation $2 billion per year. Even healthy people, these days, are becoming an easy prey to this. Let's look at the air pollutants that generate asthma and these include Ground Level Ozone and Sulfur Dioxide (SO2). What is Ground Level Ozone? It is nothing but a toxic component of smog, ozone that triggers asthma attacks and makes existing asthma worse. This may also lead to the development of asthma in children. Ozone gets produced at ground level whenever tailpipe pollution from cars and trucks reacts with oxygen and sunlight. It is to be noted that Ground Level Ozone is becoming a big problem in cities with lots of traffic, for instance Los Angeles, Houston and New York City.

What is Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) then? It is a respiratory irritant that remains associated with the inception of asthma attacks and sulfur dioxide is produced when coal and crude oil are burned. On the other hand, as per studies, coal-fired power plants, above all older plants that burn coal without SO2 pollution controls, are the worst SO2 polluters. The situation is getting appalling in USA since one in five Americans lives within 10 miles of a coal-fired power plant. Oil refineries and diesel engines that burn high-sulfur fuel also discharge large amounts of SO2 into the air.

What is the duty of an individual then? He/she is required to gain knowledge of the signs and symptoms of asthma allergies without delay. The common symptoms include wheezing, shortness of breath, a feeling of tightness in the chest, coughing. This may start out slowly and can get worse over time, if the accurate medication is not applied timely. Never forget that there is the requirement of treatment, if you fail to avoid an allergen.

• Juliana Breckinridge
• 30/04/2009, 8:59 AM
• 0 Comments