How Does Smoke From Fires Affect Our Air Quality and Health?
In short: Smoke from crop burning, rubbish fires, factories and traffic fills the air with tiny particles called PM2.5. These go deep into the lungs and even the bloodstream, causing coughing, breathing problems and, over time, heart and lung disease. On smoggy days, stay indoors, use a good mask (N95) outside, and protect children, the elderly and people with asthma.
What Is in Smoke?
- PM2.5: particles 30 times thinner than a human hair
- Carbon monoxide and other harmful gases
- Chemicals from burning plastic and rubbish
In Punjab, smog peaks from roughly October to January, when crop residue burning, cooler air and low wind trap pollution close to the ground.
Health Effects
| Short term | Long term |
|---|---|
| Burning eyes, sore throat, cough | Chronic lung disease and reduced lung function |
| Asthma attacks, breathlessness | Higher risk of heart attack and stroke |
| Headache, tiredness | Effects on pregnancy and child development |
Research also links air pollution with reduced sperm quality in men, another reason to protect yourself.
Who Is Most at Risk?
- Children and older adults
- Pregnant women
- People with asthma, COPD, heart disease or diabetes
- Outdoor workers and motorcyclists
How to Read the AQI
| AQI | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 100 | Good to moderate | Normal activity |
| 101 to 200 | Unhealthy for sensitive groups / unhealthy | Limit outdoor exercise |
| 201 to 300 | Very unhealthy | Stay indoors, wear N95 outside |
| 300+ | Hazardous | Avoid going out; keep windows closed |
How to Protect Your Family
- Check the AQI daily in winter
- Wear an N95 or KN95 mask outdoors; cloth masks do little against PM2.5
- Keep windows closed on bad days; use an air purifier if possible
- Exercise indoors when smog is heavy
- Drink plenty of water and eat fruit and vegetables
- Never burn rubbish or leaves
Clean air is the first essential: Unani medicine lists clean air (hawa) as the very first of the six essentials of health (asbab-e-sitta zaruriya). Ibn Sina wrote about the effects of polluted and smoky air on health more than a thousand years ago, advice that feels even more relevant during today's smog season.
Aksar Pooche Jane Wale Sawal (FAQ)
Smog se kaise bachein?
Ghar ke andar rahein, bahar N95 mask pehnein, khirkiyan band rakhein aur bahar warzish na karein.
Kya kapray ka mask kaafi hai?
Nahi, PM2.5 ke liye N95 ya KN95 mask zaroori hai.
Kab doctor ko dikhayein?
Saans phoolna, seenay mein dard ya dama (asthma) ke dauray barh jayein to fauran doctor se rabta karein.
Note: This article is for general education. Seek urgent care for severe breathing difficulty or chest pain.
Sources: WHO: Ambient air quality and health · Ibn Sina, Al-Qanun fi'l-Tibb