If the air quality is especially poor, it may take a few days for your body to recover. And if you're regularly exposed to high levels of unhealthy air, the health consequences can linger for months or even years.
They include: Buying a solid air purifier, they can be expensive, but they're worth it. Wearing a mask, not a surgery mask, but a good, decent mask, when you go outside. Sometimes, just staying inside is the best option. Close your windows.
However, in some cases, it may take weeks or even months for air quality to fully return to normal, particularly if there are multiple fires or ongoing smoke from other sources.
Both short-term and long-term exposure to air pollutants can cause a variety of health problems. For people with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD/emphysema or chronic bronchitis), air pollution can make it harder to breathe, trigger asthma attacks, or cause wheezing and coughing.
Clean lungs
Fresh air and coughing can help to remove sputum from the lungs, reduce inflammation and increase airwave space. If you live in a heavily polluted area, you may also want to try and drink two quarts of water (just over two litres) a day to help clear mucus, but make sure to check with your doctor first.
If outdoors, sensitive groups should keep activities light and avoid activities over 2 hours. Consider moving practices and events indoors. If events are not cancelled, increase rest periods to allow for lower breathing rates. Everyone should remain indoors as much as possible.
Personal exposure to ambient air pollution can be reduced on high air pollution days by staying indoors, reducing outdoor air infiltration to indoors, cleaning indoor air with air filters, and limiting physical exertion, especially outdoors and near air pollution sources.
When pollution causes property damage, physical injuries, or other harm, an environmental class action lawsuit may be the best way to seek justice for the people, families, and businesses who have been harmed.
Dehydration dries out the larynx, trachea, and main bronchi, which clean and hydrate inhaled air, reducing cilia beat frequency, damaging epithelial cells6, and amplifying respiratory droplets that carry inhaled contaminants—allergens, pathogens, and carcinogens—deeper into the lungs7.
Occupants of homes with poor indoor air quality may complain of symptoms such as headache, eye irritation, fatigue, dry throat, sinus congestion, dizziness, and nausea.
When air quality conditions are not good, this can cause sudden worsening of underlying chronic lung conditions, particularly asthma. This can result in an asthma exacerbation, which is when a person with asthma has trouble breathing, wheezing, and/or persistent coughing.
Look out for the following symptoms of bad air quality:
Headaches – if you suffer from frequent headaches, it might be a sign that you're breathing in polluted air which can cause headaches, and dizziness. Fatigue – poor outdoor air quality can make you feel tired and lethargic, even if you sleep long enough.
Susceptibility to infections: Air pollution increases the risk of lung infections, especially in children. Worsened COPD symptoms: Exposure to air pollution can make it even harder for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to breathe. Severe symptoms can lead to hospitalization and even death.
The best masks to protect the lungs from microscopic particles found in dust, smoke, smog and particulate matter are N95 masks that can filter out really small particles, according to Cedars-Sinai experts. Image by Getty. N95 Respirators and Surgical Masks (Face Masks).
The air inside of homes and buildings is often more polluted than outdoor air with levels of certain chemicals being many times higher than they are outside. There's little doubt, inhaling these pollutants isn't good for your health and, in some cases, it's outright dangerous.
These substances can make it hard to breathe and can sap your energy. If the air quality is especially poor, it may take a few days for your body to recover. And if you're regularly exposed to high levels of unhealthy air, the health consequences can linger for months or even years.
Lungs are self-cleaning organs that will begin to heal themselves once they are no longer exposed to pollutants. The best way to ensure your lungs are healthy is by avoiding harmful toxins like cigarette smoke, vaping and air pollution, as well as getting regular exercise and eating well.
Public Health urges everyone in areas where there is visible smoke or the smell of smoke or unhealthy air quality to avoid unnecessary outdoor exposure and to limit physical exertion (whether indoor or outdoor), such as exercise.
The highest AQI in India was recorded in New Delhi on 18th November 2024 with it being 1,081 and the concentration of PM2.
With emptier streets and quieter factories, air quality at night is easily perceived as being better than during the day. However, air quality is often at its worst in the early evening hours, with PM2.5 levels peaking between 21:00 and 23:00 globally4.