The average air quality index (AQI) reading in Delhi was on the higher side of the Very Poor (301-400) category on Thursday (October 30), making it among the most polluted days of the year so far. As air pollution levels rise in Delhi-NCR, complaints of respiratory issues have been increasing over the last 10 days, senior pulmonologist Dr Gopi Chand Khilnani, chairman of PSRI Institute of Pulmonary, Critical care and Sleep Medicine, said in an interview with The Indian Express. Air pollution can lead to severe forms of viral or bacterial pneumonia with high mortality rates, Dr Khilnani said. His advice to all those with chronic conditions: if possible, go away from Delhi until the middle or end of December.
What does years of exposure to air pollution – of the kind residents of Delhi-NCR suffer – do to the lungs of a person?
Air pollution has both short-term and long-term effects on our lungs – and also on other systems of the body. Among children, air pollution leads to diminished growth of lungs, as has been shown by a study conducted at AIIMS. A higher incidence of asthma is also seen among children – about a third in this region, compared to the 5-10% in the rest of the country.
Among adults, 30 or 40 years ago, in 90% of cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the culprit was smoking or the use of tobacco. Now, as much as 50% of COPD cases are the result of indoor and outdoor air pollution. Again, more than 80% of lung cancer cases were earlier caused by tobacco smoking; today, in daily data, 40% of lung cancers are seen in people who have never smoked. Also, the incidence of lung cancer is rising among younger patients.