Today
Air quality is like a (bu) like (tai) (hao)
Open the window, and the eyes are slightly blurred
From time to time, the throat is also a little uncomfortable
Yes, the slight haze begins to brush the sense of presence again
Recently, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine ("Zhejiang University First Hospital") has received some increase in patients admitted to the Department of Respiratory Medicine. Some of these patients have dry throat, dumbness, swelling and pain, some have asthma attacks, and some are accompanied by eye discomfort... Are these "pots" of smog? In fact, the harm caused by poor air quality to human health is far more than that.
Below, Xiaobian and everyone go deep into the "pickpocket" smog and its harm, and experts teach some anti-haze tips.
How much does PM2.5 know
THE "PM" of PM2.5 is an abbreviation of the English "particulate matter", meaning "fine particulate matter". "2.5" refers to 2.5 microns, PM2.5 is a fine particle with a diameter of 2.5 microns, which is equivalent to 1/20 of the diameter of a human hair, which is invisible to the human eye.
The nasal hairs in our nasal cavity can block PM100 and PM75, and PM50 is a visible threshold value for the naked eye, inhaling the human nasal cavity, but the nasal hairs that look dense cannot stop PM50 from continuing to go deeper, and can only be adhered to by the mucus secreted by the cells of the nasal mucosa. PM50 accumulates in our nasal cavity to a certain extent, and we will want to blow our nose and dig up our noses.
PM10 can be a step closer, can reach the throat, the mucus secreted on the surface of the throat sticks to PM10, accumulating to a certain amount, we want to spit, so the phlegm must be spit can not be swallowed!
Here comes the key! PM2.5 is the threshold value for reaching the alveoli. Fine particles below PM2.5, the upper respiratory tract can not stop, they can go all the way down, into the bronchiole, alveoli, and then through the alveolar wall into the capillaries, and then into the entire blood circulation system of the human body.
PM2.5 carries many harmful organic and inorganic molecules and is the source of pathogenicity. After it enters the bloodstream, the macrophages in the blood engulf these particles but cannot be "digested", resulting in a large number of macrophages disappearing and the body's immunity decreasing. At the same time, "choked to death" macrophages will also release harmful substances, leading to inflammation of cells and tissues.
The harm of smog is not small
A study published in the BMJ (British Medical Journal) showed that the authors aimed to assess the relationship between short-term exposure to high concentrations of PM2.5 and the risk of hospitalization for 214 diseases. Studies have shown a positive correlation between exposure to PM2.5 and an increased risk of hospitalization for a range of diseases, such as sepsis, fluid and electrolyte disorders, acute and nonspecific renal failure, and the risk of admission to hospital for other common diseases is also positively correlated with short-term exposure to PM2.5, such as coronary atherosclerosis, arrhythmias, acute myocardial infarction, chronic obstructive pneumonia and bronchiectasis, Parkinson's disease, diabetes, etc.
The harm of PM2.5 to the human body mainly includes:
No.1
Injuries to the respiratory system
After PM2.5 and below fine particulate matter enters the lungs, it stays in the respiratory system for a long time as a foreign body, which has a clogging effect on the local tissues of the lungs, and can cause people with bronchitis, emphysema and bronchial asthma. Patients with asthma, COPD, bronchiectasis and other diseases will worsen their condition after encountering smog days.
No.2
Damage to the cardiovascular system
PM2.5 will constrict blood vessels, causing dysfunction of vascular endothelial cells, resulting in a large number of reactive oxygen radicals entering the blood, so that coagulation function is enhanced, inducing thrombosis, increased blood pressure and atherosclerotic plaque formation; the dust entering the blood will also damage the ability of hemoglobin to deliver oxygen, which may cause congestive heart failure and coronary heart disease.
No.3
Carcinogenic
Multiple components in PM2.5 are carcinogenic or pro-carcinogenic. Pathogenic microorganisms, chemical pollutants, oil fumes, etc. will "hitchhike" and follow fine particulate matter into the body to cause cancer. Epidemiological investigations have found that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, carcinogens in urban atmospheric particulate matter, are associated with the morbidity and mortality of lung cancer in residents. The American Cancer Society's 26-year follow-up survey of 1.2 million adults showed a 10-milligram increase in PM2.5 concentrations per cubic meter and a 15 to 27 percent increase in lung cancer mortality.
No.4
Accelerates brain degeneration
The systemic inflammatory response induced by PM2.5 may involve the brain and accelerate the progression of Alzheimer's disease, leading to cognitive decline. A study published in Brain showed that PM2.5 pollution in the air can cause damage to the brain and is associated with brain atrophy and memory loss. In the study, scientists from the University of Southern California found that women aged 70-80 who were exposed to severe air pollution had a greater memory decline and developed symptoms of brain atrophy similar to Alzheimer's disease compared to women who breathed clean air.
No.5
Serious impact on the next generation
If pregnant women are in a high concentration of PM2.5 for a long time, the heavy metal elements carried in PM2.5, such as lead and arsenic, will affect the baby's growth and development and intellectual development. Inhaling too much smog will not only cause damage to the nervous system of adolescents, affecting attention, memory and reflexes, but also cause children's vision to be impaired.
No.6
Brings depression and mood problems
The pineal glands in the human brain are very sensitive to light, and once there is no sunlight and the environment darkens, it will begin to inhibit the uplifting thyroxine and adrenaline, and people will easily become sluggish.
Indoor smoking is more terrifying than smog
"In fact, the 'haze' generated by indoor smoking is more terrible than the smog days!" Wang Xuefen, chief physician of the Department of Respiratory Medicine of the First Hospital of Zhejiang University, introduced that smoking is the "culprit" that causes indoor PM2.5 to soar.
The data shows that in 30 square meters of indoor smoking, a cigarette is completely burned, and PM2.5 may reach 120 micrograms per cubic meter or even higher in a short period of time, which is equivalent to moderate and severe pollution of outdoor smog. Moreover, the diameter range of PM2.5 particles produced by smoking is 0.107-0.4 microns, which is smaller than the outdoor PM2.5 diameter and more serious to human health.
"Even if you only smoke one cigarette indoors, you need to open the window for more than 16 hours to restore the PM2.5 concentration in the room to the previous level." Chief Physician Wang Xuefen has repeatedly stressed that smoking produces a huge amount of pollutants, not only nicotine, tar, but also carbon monoxide and various irritating substances, which can stay indoors for days to months. Not only does "first-hand smoke" hurt oneself, "second-hand smoke" harms people, but the "third-hand smoke" left on clothes, walls, carpets, furniture and even the surface of hair and skin will continue to cause health hazards.
note! Smoking indoors on smog days can be said to be "worse" for human health.
Experts teach you eight tricks to "shield" smog
Since 2013, the State Council has formulated the Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Air Pollution and actively controlled smog. In the face of PM2.5 pollution, the state and provinces are actively tackling and responding. Relevant experts of the First Hospital of Zhejiang University remind everyone to keep in mind the following tricks to "shield" the smog around them:
First trick: Go out less
On smog days, the elderly, children, pregnant women and susceptible people with respiratory diseases should minimize going out; patients with asthma and coronary heart disease need to carry drugs with them if they want to go out. If the haze stimulates the respiratory tract and causes throat discomfort, cough, chest tightness and other symptoms that do not alleviate continuously, you need to go to the hospital for treatment.
Second trick: wear a mask
PM2.5 is very small, and it is difficult for general masks to play an isolating role, and it is necessary to effectively protect masks, such as N95 masks. But not everyone is suitable for wearing a mask. Patients with respiratory diseases, especially those with difficulty breathing, artificially create breathing disorders after wearing masks.
The third trick: wear a hat and a long coat
Hair has a strong ability to absorb pollutants, wearing a hat can alleviate the harm, wearing long clothes, avoiding excessive skin exposure, can reduce the area of contact with harmful air.
Trick 4: Wash your nose
Go out to come back in time to wash your face, rinse your mouth, clean your nasal cavity, although you can't wash out PM2.5, but you can remove the pollution residue attached to the body, and some large particles in the nasal cavity and mouth can be cleaned out.
Fifth trick: drink more water
Accelerate the metabolism of PM2.5, excrete through the urine; eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, not only can supplement a variety of vitamins and inorganic salts, but also can moisten the lungs, remove dryness, expectorant cough, healthy spleen and kidney.
Trick Six: Purifier
It is best to open the window a little smaller and use a humidifier, humidification spray, or put a basin of water on the heater to increase the air humidity and let the dust and microorganisms sink. Humidifiers should be used in the smog room, the air humidity increases, and the floating particles will fall to the ground to avoid being inhaled by the human body. Households with air purifiers can also be turned on.
Seventh trick: open the window for ventilation
In general, on smog days, it is necessary to reduce the number and time of window ventilation, but it is not feasible to open windows for ventilation at all. Open the window ventilation to try to avoid the morning and evening smog peak hours, choose noon or outdoor air pollution is not very serious, under the condition of static wind about half an hour a day to open the window ventilation.
Trick 8: No carpets
Because PM2.5 particles are easily deposited in the carpet, once raised, adults and children are easily inhaled. When cleaning up the home environment, work wet to prevent dust and allergens from wafting up.
bibliography:
Yaguang Wei et al. Short term exposure to fine particulate matter and hospital admission risks and costs in the Medicare population：time stratified，case crossover study. BMJ. 2019.(27).
Diana Younan et al. Particulate matter and episodic memory decline mediated by early neuroanatomic biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease. Brain. 2019.