Here are 7 ways to protect yourself from air pollution

World Health Organization (WHO) has rightly named air pollution as world’s largest environmental hazard. While the world is looking for measures to bring down or rather eradicate in air pollution, you should also prevent ourselves from becoming victims of the same

A social activist holds a placard during an awareness rally against air pollution under the banner, "Help Delhi Breathe' in New Delhi in January 2016. Pic/AFP

1. Restrict people from smoking outdoors and indoors too: Be it at home or on the streets, cigarette smoke creates massive air pollution. Before you destroy your lungs from being a passive smoker, ask your peers to quit smoking. Smoking not only kills an individual, but also pollutes the environment to a great extent.

2. Stay away from trash and wood burning fireplaces: As trash and burning wood are major sources of particle pollution, stay away from those objects to live a healthy life.

3. Avoid exercising outdoors: Either go for a walk in the morning when vehicular movement is less or exercise indoors to stay away from the side effects of inhaling polluted air. Exercising outdoors should be avoided especially near high traffic areas and in places where pollution levels are high.

4. Track air pollution forecasts in your area: Refer to websites that will give a update on the air quality index of your locality. Give a look and plan your day accordingly.

5. Make an effort to stay indoors: If you find air pollution in your area very high, make an effort to stay indoors. Staying outdoors during high levels of air pollution can lead to asthma, heart attacks and other forms of lungs and heart diseases.

6. Take walking routes and avoid crowded streets: Busy roads with higher vehicle movement tend to have more air pollution than walking routes or silent residential areas. If possible, take walking lanes and avoid crowded roads.

7. Eat well to help your lungs withstand air pollutants: Last but true! Good food and healthy lifestyle keep you away from becoming a victim of air pollution. Have food items which are rich in Vitamin A, C and beta-carotene. Grapefruit, broccoli, papaya, butter, potatoes, carrots, margarine are some of those items that help have healthy heart and lungs.

Also, let us come together and support national, state and local efforts to clean all sources of air pollution. We all can then lead a healthy life.

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