Do you know how air pollution affects children with asthma? Let's talk about this!

If your child has asthma, you probably already know that certain things can trigger it. It could be cold weather, pet dander, or smoke. But did you know that poor air quality can also be a major factor in your child's asthma? So it's important to know how to take care of yourself during times like these.

How do these harmful substances in the air affect asthma?

Simply put, when these harmful things in the air, i.e. things like dust and smoke, enter our children's airways , they act just like other asthma triggers. They cause the airways to become more sensitive, swollen, and constricted. This is when the child has difficulty breathing and feels like their chest is constricted.

Think about it this way. Our airways are like little tubes. What happens when dirt and dust get inside these tubes? The tubes become clogged and the air flow is reduced, right? That's what happens to the airways of a child with asthma due to air pollution.

Not only that, due to the harmful things in this air, children are also more likely to develop upper respiratory infections like flu and cold. You know, when you develop an illness like this, your asthma condition can get worse. Some children are allergic to things like pollen in the air (Allergens). For such people, when the air is polluted, their lungs become more sensitive to those allergens.

What are these pollutants that cause breathing difficulties?

Let's see what are the main things in the air that are bothering our children's breathing.

Let's learn exactly about ozone gas.

Have you heard of the ozone layer? It's high above the earth, protecting us from harmful rays from the sun. But there's another type of ozone, ground-level ozone, in the air we breathe. This one isn't so good for our lungs.

Ground-level ozone is formed when chemicals emitted from vehicles, large factories, and power plants combine with sunlight. You may have noticed that on some days, especially in urban areas, there is a yellow-brown haze in the sky (Smog). This is the main component of this. This is called ozone pollution. This is especially visible on hot days, or in hot parts of the country.

Effects of Particle Pollution

Another dangerous thing is the tiny particles floating in the air (Particle Pollution). These are very small pieces of things like dust, dirt, smoke, and soot. Sometimes these particles also accumulate in the air due to wildfires.

These particles are so small that they can travel deep into our lungs with our breath. The smaller the particles, the more likely they are to travel deep into the lungs and cause breathing difficulties. Like small thorns, they damage the airways .

Other Pollutant Gases

In addition, when various types of fuel are burned (for example, in vehicle engines, factories), other harmful gases are added to the air. Among them, `(Carbon Monoxide)`, `(Nitrogen Dioxide)` and `(Sulfur Dioxide)` are the main ones. When there is too much of these gases, it can directly affect the functioning of our lungs.

What can I do to save my child from this?

Now you may be thinking, 'Oh, so how do I protect my child from these things?' Don't worry. There are several things we can do.

Always be aware of the Air Quality Index (AQI)

If you live in an area with poor air quality, such as dust and smog, be aware of air pollution levels. You can find this information in daily weather reports (online, in newspapers). You can also get information about this by visiting the website of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the United States, ``www.airnow.gov`` (in Sri Lanka, institutions such as the National Building Research Organization (NBRO) also sometimes release data on air quality, which you can also check).

This is measured by the EPA's Air Quality Index (AQI):

• Ground-level ozone
• Those little particles (Particle pollution)
• Carbon monoxide
• Sulfur dioxide
• How much nitrogen dioxide is in the air?

This AQI value can change from time to time, from day to day, and even from morning to evening. In large cities, this AQI value is mandatory for the public to be informed daily. But even in very small areas, there are ways to find out this information. This AQI has a color-coded system to indicate whether the air quality is hazardous:

• If it is green or yellow , the situation is good, meaning there is no big problem.
• If it is orange, red, purple, or maroon , it means that people with asthma should limit their exposure to the outdoors as much as possible.

Many places also provide the next day's AQI value in advance, so you can plan your day accordingly. Imagine, this morning you were reading the newspaper and saw that the AQI was red. That means that today's air is not good for people with asthma. Then, instead of taking your child to the playground in the afternoon, you can play a little game at home or engage them in some other indoor activity.

Some other important tips

Try these things on days with poor air quality:

• If possible, keep the air conditioning on at home and limit your child's outdoor activities.
• If you have to do something outdoors, plan to do it in the morning. The air quality is usually a little better in the morning. Also, avoid spending too much time in areas with heavy traffic.
• If you have to stay in the car for a long time, close the windows and vents and turn on the air conditioning instead.
• If your child plays a sport that requires outdoor practice in hot weather, talk to the coach to see if they can practice in an air-conditioned indoor gym.
• It is very important to make sure that your child always has a quick-relief medicine (rescue inhaler) with them. This can be an inhaler to use in an emergency.
• It is also wise to improve the air quality inside your home. You can use an air cleaner to do this. Also, ventilate your home to remove fumes from gas appliances. Reduce the use of wood and wood-burning fires indoors as much as possible.
• Talk to your doctor about whether you need to change your child's medication on days with high air pollution. Remember, there are days when there is a lot of dust in the air. On days like these, talk to your doctor and maybe increase or change your child's medication. These changes can be included as part of your child's asthma action plan.

Finally, remember this...

You probably now understand that when you have a child with asthma, you also need to be very concerned about air pollution.

Remember, you are not alone. The most important thing is to be aware of this and take the necessary steps.

• Always pay attention to the air quality (AQI), especially on days with high levels of dust and smog.
• On days when the air is polluted, try to keep your child out of the house as much as possible. Try to keep the air clean even when you are indoors.
• Make sure your child always has a quick-relief/rescue medicine with them in case of an emergency.
• Talk to your doctor about this and make any necessary changes to your child's asthma action plan.

If you take care of these things, you will be able to greatly reduce the effects of air pollution on your child. It will be a great help to keep your child healthy!

` Asthma, Air Pollution, Children's Health, Respiratory Diseases, AQI, Asthma, Air Pollution