How to take care of yourself and prevent complications in the days of haze, the red haze of the Sahara?
The dust and mud coming from the Saharan desert especially affects respiratory patients. Here are some tips to protect your lung health in this climate context.
This morning, a large part of Spain woke up covered with a cloud of reddish dust, which has turned its towns into movie landscapes, either because it reminds us of the desert or even of other planets like Mars, the red planet.
The exceptional episode causing this situation is the suspended dust from the Sahara desert. The dust haze It is a meteorological effect that occurs in the atmosphere and is characterized by the presence of dust and sand particles in suspension, which gives rise to the characteristic cloudy and reddish environment.
The suspended dust of the haze is composed of clay, gypsum, calcite and other minerals; microscopic particles such as pollen, fungi and pollutants from industries in the Saharan countries.
In these clouds of dust we will find:
- Thick substances, whose diameter is equal to or greater than 10 microns. These are mainly particles of mineral origin. (PM10)
- Fine substances, with a diameter equal to or less than 2.5 microns. (PM 2.5)
- Ultrafine substances, with a diameter equal to or less than 0.1 microns. (PM 0.1)
How do they affect our respiratory health?
As we breathe in airborne particles, they pass into our respiratory system where they are filtered through the nose, pharynx, and larynx. Once there they can be expelled by coughing, sneezing, with saliva or by being swallowed. If not expelled, PM 10 particles remain trapped in the larger airways, such as the trachea and bronchi, while PM 2.5 eventually settles in the finer airways such as the bronchioles inside our lungs. The most worrisome are PM 0.1 that can reach the alveoli and from there pass into the blood to be distributed throughout our body.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) the maximum level to which we should be exposed would be 50 micrograms per cubic meter but these amounts are multiplying by 20.
Why are they dangerous to our health?
Both short and long-term exposure to these types of substances will trigger problems in our health.
Exposure at high levels can cause:
- Irritation of the respiratory tract which makes us more susceptible to respiratory infections, increases the risk of bronchitis and can cause people with chronic respiratory diseases to have an exacerbation or crisis.
- Symptoms of diseases affecting the heart and/or blood vessels can be aggravated by increasing blood viscosity and blood pressure, as well as reducing the amount of oxygen reaching the organs. There may be cases of arrhythmias, heart attacks or strokes.
- Prolonged exposure to these substances can lead to cancer.
- They can be associated with premature deliveries or low birth weight.
- In general, they can affect a reduction in the life expectancy of people highly exposed to these substances.
the symptoms of haze
The main symptoms that the presence of this haze can generate are:
- Itchy eyes, nose and throat due to irritation.
- Cough accompanied by phlegm.
- Wheezing in the chest when breathing (wheezing)
- palpitations
- Pain or a feeling of tightness in the chest when breathing
- feeling short of breath
- Tiredness
These symptoms can be aggravated in people who carry out work or sports activities in the open air since by breathing faster and deeper the particles would enter the lungs further, reaching further.
What to do on days with the presence of calima
To avoid the consequences that this situation can have on our health, especially if we have a respiratory problem, it is advisable to follow these tips:
- Avoid going out, and if we have to, wear an FFP2 mask as tight as possible.
- Do not exercise outdoors.
- Keep the doors and windows of the houses closed.
- Stay in humid environments.
- Drink plenty of fluids to get good hydration.
- Clean the dust of our house with a damp cloth.
- If symptoms worsen, call XNUMX.
If you have questions about how to handle this situation, contact our educators by writing to us at cuentanos@lovexair.com
Reference sources:
https://www.rtve.es/noticias/20200224/calima-como-afecta-salud/2004061.shtml
https://www.apepoc.es/actualidad/212-como-debemos-protegernos-del-polvo-en-suspension-y-la-contaminacion?jjj=1647333607088
https://www.rtve.es/noticias/20200224/calima-como-afecta-salud/2004061.shtml
https://www.20minutos.es/noticia/4970578/0/calima-tenido-naranja-murcia-alicante-almeria-convertirlas-escenario-marciano/
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