Solution for Pollution – with Dr. Wafia Abbas

The recent debate on cracker & no cracker has already taken an ugly shape, where the entire country stands divided on the approval or denial of the court’s decisions. While we may not have reached anywhere with improvement in the situations, we as mothers, have at least learned and educated ourselves more on how to get a solution for pollution with the recent state of the capital of the country.

Picture taken on the 21st of October, 2017 in NOIDA, at 11:00 AM. No filters used.

AQI – Alarming stages of Air Pollution

AQI or the Air Quality Index is a number used by the government of a country to communicate to its citizens about the condition of the air. The quality of air is best when the AQI is 0 TO 50, and is considered Hazardous and unbreathable when AQI is 300 or above. The National Capital region proudly flaunts an AQI of 714. Yet, we stand here, unalarmed, unaffected, ignoring bans or thinking of a solution for pollution-related issues.

Image Source: Screenshot of the AQI results for Delhi/NCR on aqicn.org

I got in touch with my dear Friend Dr. Wafia Abbas, PGDEMS(U.K), DYA (Pune), General Physician, Sood Hospital, Ex-Medical Officer at Ruby Hall hospital, Pune.

She has over 10 years of experience managing general cases with kids and women and seems equally appalled at the pollution situation in the NCR.

“children suffer the most!”, she says. “Most of them are so young, so little, that they cannot explain or even express their discomfort or the level of the problem. With cases coming in back to back, it makes us sad to see such little souls suffering.”

SO, what should we do to find a solution for pollution-related health issues in children

“What we are breathing is a toxic cocktail of pollutants, with SO2, oxides of Nitrogen, Suspended particulate matter and respirable particulate matters, as the primary component. From nose to lungs, from skin to even heart, all organs and systems are affected by them severely”, says Dr. Wafia Abbas

As per Dr. Wafia Abbas, here is a list of symptoms and problems that children have been commonly facing due to the rise in pollution levels in the Delhi/NCR region. Also enlisted, find some home remedies that you can use to relieve pain and severity of these symptoms at home.

Solution for Pollution related ailments in EYES:

Image source: www.clker.com

common complaints:

• Watering eyes
• Redness
• Itching
• Conjunctivitis

What to do?

• Rinse eyes with cold water frequently
• Avoid stressing the eyes with excessive screen time, or reading
• Ice pack on the eyes for a few times a day. A simple cotton cloth dipped in cold water, kept on the eyes, should also do the trick
• Instill a few drops of cold Rosewater in the eyes. Ensure to use rose-water specifically used for the eyes, instead of the ones meant for cosmetic uses, as they may slightly sting in the beginning.

When to see a doctor?

• when the eyes begin to give out a muddy discharge
• If there is excessive discharge from the eyes
• Blurry visions that do not get better with cold water or rose-water
• Bulb-like formation, or pus formations around the eye
• conjunctivitis

Solution for Pollution related ailments in the NOSE:

Source: cliparting.com

common complaints:-

-Allergic Rhinitis (common cold)

Pollution may cause the nose to be runny. Excessive running of the nose may even lead to some bleeding as the veins in the nose get inflamed.

What to do? 

• If the nose is simply blocked or runny, one may continue with anti-allergic medicines they usually use for the child
• Frequently clean the nose with clean water. Generous use of the saline nasal drops often prescribed to kids can be used for clearing a blocked nasal passage.
• Steam inhalation preferably with a couple of drops of eucalyptus oil

When to see a doctor?

• If there is no relief in symptoms even after 2 days of medications
• If the mucous discharge thickens with a persisting headache

 Solution for Pollution Related Ailments in the Throat:

Image Source: wonderremedies.in

common complaints:

• Sore Throat
• Difficulty in swallowing, eating or drinking
• Irritation in the throat

What to do?

• gargle with warm water with salt mixed in it
• sip a decoction made of Tulsi leaves & Turmeric
• Simply sip some green tea or even hot water

When to see a Doctor?

• When throat pain persists
• If fever accompanies the throat pain

Solution for Pollution related ailments of the Skin:

Image Source: Pixabay

common complaints

• Irritable skin
• Urticarial rashes
• Allergic conditions in the skin like redness, itching and extreme drying

What to do?

• Use a general dollop of aloe vera on the patch that feels irritated, or red
• Use some lacto-calamine lotion
• Apply some cold compress
• Add a few leaves of neem  or a few drops of neem oil in your bath

When to see a Doctor

• If there is no relief in the itching and redness, see a doctor

Solution for pollution-related ailments in the Lung:

Image Source: Pixabay

common complaints

• Mild cough
• cough with sputum

What to do?

• Have a decoction of tulsi leaves and black pepper
• have a tsp of Honey mixed with warm water

When to see a Doctor?

• When a cough with sputum changes from being colourless to yellow or yellow-green in colour
• Breathlessness and difficulty in breathing
• Severe chest congestion

Solutions for Pollution related Ailments in the HEART:

Image Source: Pixabay

complaints about the heart do not come to notice as immediately s the other symptoms do. Pollution is just one of the causes that contribute vastly to heart ailments, in case the body has been exposed to harmful and poor quality air over long periods of time.

Exposure to polluted air leads to inflammatory effects in the heart, resulting in cardiovascular issues.

Long-term exposure to such pollutants leads to arterial changes that contribute to high BP, diabetes or even cardiac failure.

common steps to take, in order to prevent the effects of Pollution

• keep your home as dust free as possible
• Drink atleast 4-5 litres of water in a day
• Plant green plants in pots, inside and outside of your living area (balconies, verandah, foyers, etc)
• Add a minimum of 300 g of vegetables like cauliflower, cabbage, capsicum, okra, spinach, lettuce, green fenugreek, gourds and the like.
• Add at least one whole fruit in your daily diet
• Frequently consume antioxidants like aloe-vera juice, pomegranate juice, wheatgrass juice and the like
• Exercise frequently, mainly exercise and yoga asanas that enhance lung capacity like kapalbhati
• Regularly consume immunity boosters like chywanprash, cod liver oil, triphala powder and the like. You can also use Himalaya’s septillin for a course of a month or as an immunity-boosting add-on when the child catches cold and other such infections.
• It is also a good practice to wear a mask whenever you step outside.

Important Note

I request all the readers to kindly use any of the above-mentioned remedies at you own discretion, especially when applying for little or young kids and toddlers. Kindly seek your doctor’s consultation before trying out any remedy that you may not have tried before. None of the advice stated above should be taken as a medical advice.

We truly hope that these pieces of advice from an experienced practitioner help you get a guideline on how to find a solution to pollution-related health hazards.

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