According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 7 million people die each year as a consequence of the negative effects that air pollution has on our health. Children, adults, and the elderly are all exposed to the risk of early death and numerous health risks due to the effects of air pollution. In the following article, we will expose the biggest risks that come from breathing polluted air day after day.
The risks of air pollution on our health
Air pollution is considered to be the third leading cause of death in the world, even though it is not a disease or a disorder itself, rather than an important cause for numerous issues that will result in death. There are many risks that come from breathing polluted air. Children, pregnant women, chronic disease patients, and the elderly are the most venerable groups of people exposed to the major health risks of air pollution. In the following, we will list the biggest health risks due to air pollution.
- It increases the risk of respiratory diseases, especially respiratory infections, lung cancer, and pneumonia which has been suggested to kill off more than 5 million children each year;
- It causes damage to our cardiovascular system, exposing us to the risk of heart attack and numerous cardiovascular diseases;
- It damages our reproductive system, causing more and more cases of infertility within men and women, but also, it increases the risk of premature birth;
- It causes fatigue and headaches;
- It causes damage to the nervous system, increasing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and schizophrenia;
- It damages the brain development within children;
- Irritation to the eyes, throat, and nose occur;
- It causes sleep apnea, which is a medical condition that causes the breathing to rapidity stop and starts during sleep, posing as a potentially life-threatening condition;
- It influences our mood causing anxiety to develop.
Conclusion
As you can see, no tissue, organ, or body system is being spared in the fight against air pollution. Air pollution threatens to put an end way too early on our lives by exposing us to life-threatening risks with every breath that we take. From your lungs, heart, eyes, and nose, to your brain, and reproductive organs, air pollution threatens to damage them all if we do not take the necessary steps to put a stop to it.
References
https://www.who.int/airpollution/data/en/
http://www.sparetheair.com/health.cfm
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3155438/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5122104/
https://www.who.int/air-pollution/news-and-events/how-air-pollution-is-destroying-our-health
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/sleep-apnea-bad-mood-air-pollution-can-affect-you
