It’s quite worrying to think about it, but the air that you breathe every day could be harming your health. There are lots of different particles in the air, and some of them can be damaging or dangerous for your wellness and wellbeing, particularly if you suffer from asthma.
Air pollutants are all around us. They come in the form of cigarette smoke and fumes from car exhausts, both of which release particles and gases into the atmosphere, and these can then irritate your respiratory system.
Leading charity Asthma UK believes that pollution actually plays a very strong role in causing asthma in the first place, both in children and in adults, as well as being a strong trigger to exacerbate the symptoms of those already suffering from the condition. Two thirds of people who suffer from asthma feel strongly that fumes from traffic make their asthma symptoms worse, and about 42 percent of asthma sufferers actually said that the worry about the effects of heavy traffic fumes would cause them to avoid areas with congestion. A strong 85 percent of those who suffer from asthma say that they feel very concerned about the effect that the increasing levels of vehicle fumes will have, both on their own future and that of their children in the years to come.
There is strong evidence that links the development of asthma with certain residencies, such as those who live next to roads with heavy traffics, particularly roads that are frequently travelled by diesel-fuelled lorries and busses, which cause the highest levels of pollution. Some studies suggest that asthma that starts when you are an adult can have the strongest link with pollution. This study links adult-onset asthma with pollution in the home environment, rather than any association with travelling or the workplace.