Delhi Pollution Triggering Inflammation in Lungs Without Any Symptoms; Doctors Sound Health Alarm

As the Air Quality Index in New Delhi has fallen further – exacerbated with smog, fog, dust, and toxic air – the health of residents continues to deteriorate even as doctors raise alarms over falling respiratory

issues. According to Dr GC Khilnani, Chairman of the PSRI Institute of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, many cases of young people, without any symptoms but severe inflammation in the lungs, are being reported. “I see two types of patients: the young people who do not have any illness or respiratory illness, asthma, or bronchitis. They are coming with a very troubling cough, sore throat, and runny nose. When I examine them, I don't find anything,” Dr Khilnani told ANI. “A test called fractional exhaled nitric oxide is done, which actually indicates the level of inflammation in the airways, and that I am finding is very high,” he added. According to Dr Khilnani, antibiotics are not helpful in treating pollution-related cough and breathlessness. Doctors say severe air pollution, which has now come under the “severe” category across Delhi-NCR, is causing long-term and life-threatening lung issues, leading to:

• Increased inflammation
• Reduced lung function
• Higher risks of asthma
• Bronchitis
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
• Lung cancer

Children, the elderly, and those with underlying medical issues are the most affected by the toxic smog's fine particulate matter or PM2.5, which consists of toxic smoke and chemicals.

How does pollution affect your lungs?

Doctors say air pollution causes inflammation, irritation, and swelling in airways, which leads to severe coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, increased mucus, and infections. Also, long-term exposure leads to irreversible issues like COPD, asthma, and even systemic problems by entering the bloodstream, impacting the heart and brain. Tiny PM2.5 is especially harmful, penetrating deep into the lungs and triggering severe immune responses. Doctors say when you breathe smoke-filled, toxic air, tiny particles bypass defences and enter your bloodstream – thereby causeing deep lung swelling. Apart from smoke, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide also contribute to conditions like bronchitis. Chemicals and gases cause immediate irritation and long-term damage, making lungs weaker and more vulnerable to severe illness, affecting overall health beyond just breathing. Also, inflammation in the airways makes them more sensitive to irritants like cold air, particle pollution, allergens, lipopolysaccharides, and gaseous pollutants. It can also impair lung function by constricting the airways. Inflammation harms or kills cells on a cellular level and jeopardizes the stability of the alveolar-capillary barrier. The initial harm is made worse by repeated particle pollution exposure, which also encourages chronic inflammation with cellular proliferation and remodelling of the extracellular matrix.

How to protect your lung health from air pollution?

To protect your lungs both in the short and long term, you need to first continuously check the AQI and accordingly limit outdoor activity on bad days. Apart from that, doctors suggest you must:

• Wear N95 masks outdoors
• Use air purifiers at home
• Avoid smoking
• Stay hydrated
• Eat foods that are loaded with antioxidants
• Use deep breathing exercises to support lung function