ON THE COVER Dr Sarah Jarvis
my Weekly’s favourite gp from tv and radio writes for you
IT’S FLU VACCINE TIME AGAIN – IF YOU’VE BEEN INVITED BY YOUR GP SURGERY, PLEASE DO KEEP YOUR APPOINTMENT AND GET PROTECTED
There are endless songs about our lungs – “All I need is the air that I breathe” to name but one. But most of us take our lungs for granted until they start causing problems. If you have any lung condition, you can’t afford to ignore pollution.
The most common conditions that can affect your lungs are COPD, chronic lung damage usually (but not always) down to smoking, and asthma. Asthma is closely linked to other allergic conditions like hay fever, and many sufferers find symptoms are worse in summer. But for the 3 million COPD sufferers in the UK, it’s the advent of winter that brings misery. Many flare-ups of COPD are down to chest infections, which are more common in colder months.
As winter comes around, it’s worth thinking about steps you can take to protect your lungs. Stopping smoking goes without saying. So does taking regularly any medication (including inhalers) you’re prescribed. But many of us underestimate the effect air pollution can have.
It’s not just people with lung problems who need to take air pollution seriously. Heart conditions, including heart failure, can affect your ability to breathe. So can simply being a little frail. In the long term, it has even been linked to a higher risk of some cancers. So really, air pollution is everyone’s problem. Pollution isn’t an excuse to stay indoors with the windows shut all year. The benefit to your lungs and heart from regular exercise vastly outweighs harm from pollution. But you do need to take sensible precautions to
keep your lungs healthy.
Firstly, get into the habit of finding out what pollution levels are on a day-to-day basis. Levels vary dramatically depending on where you are and what theweather’s like.
It’s time to get tech-savvy and get online. The Met Office has hundreds of weather stations all across the country which put out daily reports not just on the chance of rain, but also on air pollution. An online search for “Met Office air quality index” will take you to up-to-date local information.
Once you knowwhat pollution levels are, if they are high and you have heart or lung problems, consider putting off strenuous outdoor activity until levels are lower. As soon as you start exercising, you breathe harder and faster, usually through your mouth. This means you take in more air and don’t filter pollution out through your nose in the sameway.
When you do go out, plan your trip asmuch as possible to avoid busy roads. Pollution levels drop sharply even a couple of metres away from heavy traffic. Pollution builds up in areas of tall buildings where air can’t circulate.
If you have inhalers, do take them really regularly and order repeat prescriptions well in advance. If you have COPD, your doctor may give you a “rescue pack” of medicines to take if you get a cough – don’t run out.
Don’t do exercises at home too soon after cleaning. Both air fresheners and vacuuming affect air quality.
Breathlessness or wheezing are the big concerns but irritation in your throat and nose, aswell as coughing more, can both be linked to air pollution. Of course, in an ideal world we’d all live in the countryside. But getting your exercise from a regular walk in the park can help your heart, lungs and general fitness without running the risk of undermining your goodwork. Next Week: What You should Not Do
IF YOU’VE EVER SMOKED AND SUFFER FROM FREQUENT COUGHS, ASK YOUR GP ABOUT A BREATHING TEST CALLED SPIROMETRY TO CHECK YOUR LUNGS
FIND OUT WHAT LOCAL AIR POLLUTION LEVELS ARE ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS’’