How much do you know about haze?
Haze contains a variety of harmful substances, of which especially PM2.5 can be inhaled to the lungs, thus causing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other chronic respiratory diseases to attack or worsen acutely. Chronic harm mainly focuses on the respiratory system, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular system, but also can reduce the body's resistance, causing allergic reactions and even leading to increased incidence of lung cancer cases. For some patients with chronic diseases, it often exerts an immediate impact. So some patients can be said to be a "haze forecaster". When the air is fine, they are ok but as long as there is a haze, they will cough all time. In the case of patients with asthma, chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema and other respiratory diseases, their old diseases can be easily induced by air pollution in foggy haze.
Anti-haze TCM Decoction Pieces
Ophiopogon 3g, lily 5 pieces, Campanulaceae 5g, licorice 3g, mulberry leaves 5g, dried tangerine peel 5g; mix them with boiled water before taking the medicine.
Seven Methods to Help You with Anti-fog haze!
1. Reduce the frequency of going out
Children and old people as well as vulnerable people with respiratory diseases should minimize their frequency of going out or reduce outdoor activities. When going out, they should wear a mask to prevent any contaminants from coming into their lungs through noses and mouths. And when returning home, they should immediately wash the faces and bare skin.
2. Wear a mask and minimize their frequency of going out
When you have to go out, you can wear a mask, but it’s best to keep wearing a mask for 4 hours or less. A cloth mask should be cleaned and disinfected with water every day. Some personality masks and cartoon masks have some difficulty in filtering the viruses and dust in the air due to their thickness of only one or two layers. Frequently-used N95, KN90 and other types of masks have good protective effect on PM2.5, but they are not suitable for children to wear. It’s best not to use disposable masks repeatedly to avoid secondary pollution.
3. Close windows and doors to keep indoor air clean
On foggy haze days, we should close doors and windows as far as possible to keep indoor air relatively better. At noon when there is more adequate sunlight and fewer pollutants, open windows for ventilation for a short time. The air purifier has a certain role in improving indoor air quality and we should choose those air purifiers not producing ozone and other by-products.
4. Keep green plants indoors
Some green plants can be placed indoors, which can absorb carbon dioxide in the air and produce oxygen.
5. Pay attention to diet
Patients with chronic respiratory diseases, especially the old patients, should maintain a scientific pattern of life, avoid over-exertion and drink more water. In addition, they should also eat more light food but less spicy food, and eat more tofu, milk and other similar foods, and take some vitamin D pills if necessary.
6. Be careful in walking and driving
Moderate and heavy haze days often lead to low visibility, when cyclists and walkers should be more careful, slowly move when passing intersections and unattended railroad crossings, and comply with traffic rules to avoid traffic accidents.
7. Make timely treatment of recurrent diseases
Those people with chronic respiratory diseases, such as asthma, chronic pharyngitis, allergic rhinitis and cardiovascular disease, as well as weak people, the elderly, children and pregnant women should avoid going out. If they need to go out, especially those with asthma and coronary heart disease should carry drugs with them to avoid aggravating their disease condition.
By Shunyi Hospital of Beijing Hospital of TCM
Correspondent: Kong Lingze
Tel.: 89413350