Greta Jimenez
Air pollution can have a significant impact on your health, even at low levels. It can increase the risk of wheezing and respiratory infections, worsen asthma, and even cause DNA damage, which can lead to cancer. Short-term exposure to air pollution can affect your blood pressure, heart rate variability, and how your blood clots, while long-term exposure can increase the risk of osteoporosis and related fractures, especially in low-income communities. Air pollution can also harm fertility and pregnancy, and increase the risk of stroke or heart attack.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Respiratory infections | Increased incidence of wheezing |
| Asthma | Significantly worsened |
| Heart | Increased risk of heart attack or stroke |
| Blood pressure | Affected by short-term exposure to air pollution |
| Heart rate variability | Affected by short-term exposure to air pollution |
| Blood clotting | Affected by short-term exposure to air pollution |
| DNA | Damage caused by free radicals triggered by toxins |
| Cancer | Caused by DNA damage |
| Fertility | Lowered chance of pregnancy |
| Osteoporosis | Increased risk |
What You'll Learn
- Pollution can cause wheezing and respiratory infections, and worsen asthma
- It can increase the risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures
- It can trigger free radicals in the body, which can cause DNA damage and lead to cancer
- It can cause reproductive harm, lowering the chance of pregnancy
- It can increase the risk of heart attack or stroke
Pollution can cause wheezing and respiratory infections, and worsen asthma
Air pollution can have a detrimental impact on your health, including your respiratory system. It can increase the incidence of wheezing and respiratory infections, and even worsen asthma.
Air pollution can induce inflammatory pathways within the lungs, which can send signals to the rest of the body. This can lead to an increased risk of stroke or heart attack, with rates of these conditions being higher on days with high levels of pollution.
Even low levels of air pollution can have an impact on your health. Short-term exposure to air pollution can affect your blood pressure, heart rate variability, and how your blood clots.
Additionally, air pollution has been linked to reproductive harm, with research showing it can lower the chance of pregnancy and harm the baby during pregnancy. It may also increase the risk of osteoporosis and related fractures, especially in low-income communities.
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It can increase the risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures
Air pollution can have a detrimental effect on your body, from increasing the risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures to triggering free radicals in the body that can cause DNA damage and even cancer.
Research in the journal *The Lancet Planetary Health* found that air pollution may increase the risk for osteoporosis and related fractures. Even a small increase in levels of an airborne particle called PM2.5—which comes from car exhaust, wood smoke, and power plant emissions—may lead to an increase in bone fractures in older adults. The risk was found to be greatest in low-income communities.
Participants living in areas with higher levels of PM2.5 and black carbon, a component of air pollution from automotive emissions, had lower levels of a key bone-related hormone called parathyroid hormone or PTH. This suggests that air pollution can directly impact bone health and increase the risk of osteoporosis and fractures.
Additionally, the toxins in air pollution can trigger free radicals in the body, which can cause DNA damage and potentially lead to cancer. Air pollution has also been linked to reproductive harm, with research showing that it can lower the chance of pregnancy and impact fertility in both men and women.
Overall, air pollution can have significant negative effects on the body, including an increased risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures.
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It can trigger free radicals in the body, which can cause DNA damage and lead to cancer
Air pollution can have a detrimental impact on your health, even at low levels. One of the ways in which pollution affects the body is by triggering free radicals, which can cause DNA damage and potentially lead to cancer.
Free radicals are molecules that are produced in the body as a result of exposure to toxins in the environment, including air pollution. These free radicals can cause oxidative stress and damage to cells, including DNA. DNA damage can disrupt normal cellular function and increase the risk of cancer.
Research has shown that air pollution can increase the risk of reproductive harm, impacting fertility in both men and women and potentially harming the baby during pregnancy. Additionally, air pollution has been linked to an increased risk of osteoporosis and related fractures, particularly in low-income communities.
Short-term exposure to air pollution can also affect blood pressure, heart rate variability, and blood clotting. It can induce inflammatory pathways in the lungs, which can send signals throughout the body, increasing the risk of stroke or heart attack. Therefore, it is important to be aware of air quality and take precautions, such as staying indoors or exercising indoors on high-pollution days.
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It can cause reproductive harm, lowering the chance of pregnancy
Air pollution can have a significant impact on your health, even at low levels. One of the lesser-known effects of pollution is the reproductive harm it can cause. Research shows that environmental pollution can reduce fertility in both men and women, lowering the chance of pregnancy by up to 29%. Animal studies also suggest that ozone in air pollution can reduce women's fertility.
Air pollution can also harm the baby during pregnancy. The toxins in air pollution are believed to trigger free radicals in the body, which can cause DNA damage and potentially lead to cancer.
In addition to reproductive harm, air pollution has been found to increase the incidence of wheezing and respiratory infections, as well as worsen asthma. It can also affect your blood pressure, heart rate variability, and how your blood clots.
Even a small increase in levels of airborne particles, such as PM2.5 from car exhaust, wood smoke, and power plant emissions, may lead to an increased risk of bone fractures, especially in older adults and low-income communities.
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It can increase the risk of heart attack or stroke
Air pollution can have a significant impact on your health, even at low levels. One of the most concerning effects of pollution is its ability to increase the risk of heart attack or stroke.
Pollutants in the air can induce inflammatory pathways within the lungs, which then send signals throughout the body. This can result in an increased risk of heart attack or stroke, as well as higher rates of these incidents on days with high pollution levels. Short-term exposure to air pollution can also affect your blood pressure, heart rate variability, and blood clotting.
The toxins in air pollution are believed to trigger free radicals in the body, which can cause DNA damage and potentially lead to cancer. Additionally, research suggests that environmental pollution can impact fertility for both men and women, reducing the chances of pregnancy.
Air pollution may also increase the risk of osteoporosis and related fractures, especially in low-income communities. Even a small increase in levels of airborne particles, such as car exhaust or wood smoke, can lead to an increased risk of bone fractures in older adults.
To reduce the potential harm caused by air pollution, it is recommended to track pollution levels and stay indoors on high-pollution days.
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Frequently asked questions
Pollution can induce inflammatory pathways within the lungs that can send signals out to the whole body, resulting in stroke or heart attack. Studies have shown that rates of heart attack or stroke are higher on days with high pollution. Even short-term exposure to air pollution can affect your blood pressure and heart rate variability.
Air pollution has been found to increase the incidence of wheezing and respiratory infections. It can also significantly worsen asthma.
Research has found that air pollution may increase the risk for osteoporosis and related fractures. Even a small increase in levels of an airborne particle called PM2.5—which comes from car exhaust, wood smoke, and power plant emissions—may lead to an increase in bone fractures in older adults.
Research shows that environmental pollution is having an effect on fertility for both men and women, lowering the chance of pregnancy by up to 29%. Animal research also suggests that ozone in air pollution can reduce women’s fertility. Air pollution can also harm the baby during pregnancy.
