What happens when you breathe polluted air?
Long-term exposure to pollution can raise the risk of various diseases. Symptoms include coughing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, irritation of the eyes, nose and throat
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When a person breathes in, the air enters the lungs, and then the oxygen from the air moves from your lungs to blood. After that, carbon dioxide moves from your blood to the lungs, and then a person breathes out.
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The air travels through nose to lungs. Some pollutants succeed in evading the cilia. The immune system later recognises them as foreign bodies. Some particles may enter the bloodstream and travel to other organs.
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Particulate pollution is more harmful as the small particles can bypass the body’s natural defences.
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Notably, long-term exposure to pollution can raise the risk of other diseases.
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Symptoms include coughing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, irritation of the eyes, nose and throat etc.
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People who are at high risk from pollution include children, outdoor workers, elderly people, pregnant women etc.
