The Silent Killer

What do you think is the most deadly killer in the world right now to which is everyone is exposed to ? What do you think is the most widespread risk factor for early death worldwide ?
Is it Alcohol ? Smoking ? Malaria? HIV ?  Is it Accidents ?   Think for a moment before you scroll down.

None of the above. 

Its Air Pollution . There are two major ways it contributes to disease & death. First are the gaseous chemicals like Carbon dioxide , Sulphur dioxide etc which cause global warming & other deleterious effects .The other is particulate matter . PM 2.5 , ie particle size less than 2.5 microns which cannot be filtered in the nose and they go and get directly deposited in the lungs .
 According to the AQLI the average person loses about 2.2 years of life due to air pollution.  To put into perspective,  first-hand cigarette smoke leads to a reduction in global average life expectancy of about 1.9 years. Alcohol & drug use reduce life expectancy by 9 months. Unsafe water & sanitation take off 7 months. HIV/AIDS cut lives short 4 months, and malaria, 3 months. Conflict & terrorism take off just 7 days. So, the impact of particulate pollution on life expectancy is more than of smoking, almost three times that of alcohol & drug use and unsafe water, five times that of HIV/AIDS, & 114 times that of conflict and terrorism
The burden of air pollution is maximum in low and middle income countries like India, Pakistan ,Bangladesh & Nepal .Air pollution is the greatest threat to human health in India, taking 5.3 years off the life of the average Indian. In contrast, heart attacks/strokes reduce the average Indian’s life expectancy by about 4.5 years, while child and maternal malnutrition reduce life expectancy by 1.8 years.On average, people in India would live 5.9 years longer if their country met the WHO guideline. 510 million people, all in northern India would live at least 8.5 years longer on average if air pollution is brought down to WHO prescribed limits.
Air pollution causes or aggravates diseases like
1.    Allergies
2.    Repeated colds and coughs
3.    Asthma
4.    Bronchitis
5.    Heart attack
6.    Brain stroke
7.    Cancer esp lung cancer
8.    Diabetes
Though outdoor air pollution is the most severe one, do remember that there is indoor air pollution apart from outdoor pollution Eg while cooking etc.
Practical tips to avoid air pollution:
1) Wear good brand N95 mask Eg 3M , if air pollution in your areas is high .Eg near main road , near industries, dusty roads, construction sites etc . Imagine how much you inhale when stuck in a traffic jam in an auto or two wheeler .  Also do not forget to wear mask when cleaning hosue or dusting old bed or books etc .The N95 mask will not however does not filter out toxic gases like sulphur dioxide . It filters out most of the harmful particulate matter if worn properly . Ordinary masks & cloth masks are very ineffecive to filter out the PM2.5 which cause maximum damage. No mask including N95 can filter out toxic gases.
 Kids may no be able to wear the N95 masks as they are tight and they cannot handle it .Ordinary masks can be used in kids above 2 years under supervision .
2) Try to buy / rent a house which is away from main roads / business centers & industrial areas in the outskirts of city .Staying away from main roads also helps to avoid sound pollution.If you cannot relocate your house , then install good air purifier at your home
3) Save electricity and use fans instead of ACs as much as possible . Avoid plastics. Use recyclable material . Use  induction or electric stoves as much as possible instead of gas stoves
4) Avoid traveling outside during peak hours as much as possible  . Avoid exercising outside when pollution is high. Many people run  on main roads etc where air pollution is more and  they breath  in more of the pollutants . Let the kids play indoor when pollution is high.
5) Public transport significantly reduces fossil fuel consumption. When feasible use public transport or for short distances you can walk. Car pooling is another way to decrease emissions. And of course the trend is now :Go Electric. Go Green.
6) Avoid burning mosquito coils or using mosquito repellents etc as much as possible .They emit harmful chemicals . Avoid bursting crackers etc as much as possible as they tremendously pollute the air . Do not burn the garbage near your house. Dispose according to local guidelines .
7) Keep house doors and windows closed for most of the time if there is much dust, smoke or vehicular traffic near  your areas.
8) Plant lot of trees in the area you live and inside your house . Keep a few plants inside house which detox your home air Eg Money plant , Peace lily etc
9) Keep your house clean . Do not allow any moisture to accumulate in your house . Keep it dry . Otherwise the molds which grow esp in rainy seasons cause lot of  allergy .Discard old furniture, very old books , old mattresses etc which accumulate lot of dust and dust mites and contribute to allergy .Declare your house smoke- free zone
10) If you can, please influence the local authorities/government  to do some good work like repairing roads, laying roads where there are none & it will go in  a long way to free your area from pollution . Volunteer near your areas to plant trees etc . Teach kids about saving electricity , water , growing plants & avoiding polluted areas (Eg standing near school bus silencer  etc) .
The bottom line: Help yourself & everyone else breathe cleaner air. Your life & the life of someone you love may depend on it.

You can get more details of the Air Pollution in your respective states ,other countries etc at https://aqli.epic.uchicago.edu