Air pollution is one of the biggest problems of our modern world. People living in cities and industrial areas are exposed to potentially harmful chemicals and particles that become airborne and get into their lungs, poisoning their system and generating various diseases. Under these circumstances, we have to do everything in our power to fight pollution and to keep our homes free from these toxic chemicals that make us ill. Children are among the most exposed categories of people. Let’s see what is the impact of indoor air pollution to kids.
First of all, children are more prone to breathing through their mouth. Whenever they are distracted by their games, they forget breathing through their nose, as they see not problem in using their mouth to take in the air they need. Although you may not realize it, breathing through the mouth is a very big problem. The nose has a lining that serves as a mechanical filter, preventing many airborne particles from entering our lungs. When we breathe through the mouth, the air goes directly into our airways, without any filtering, so we inhale all those particles that might harm us. Since kids have a habit to stay with their mouths open, they are more exposed to health hazards induced by inhaling various particles that would have otherwise been stopped by the natural filter which are our nostrils.
The other issue that makes indoor air pollution so dangerous to kids is that they are more fragile than adults. A newborn baby, an infant or even a toddler can be affected a lot more by the poor quality of the indoor air than most adults. Adult lungs are already formed and able to fight intruders. The lungs of a small child aren’t ready yet to face such threats, so they may collapse under the pressure of the particles in polluted air. Adults have stronger immune systems, so even if they inhale pollutants, they are able to fight them without too may problems. Children aren’t prepared for this kind of assault, hence the need for us, their parents, to keep our indoor air as clean as possible by using HEPA filters and other such devices.
Children are more active than adults, and this makes them even more vulnerable to indoor air pollution. When your kids play, they put a lot of effort in that, so their breathe accelerates a lot. This means that they inhale a bigger air volume while they play. If the quality of this air isn’t good, the kids will be prone to developing various medical conditions such as allergies, rhinitis and bronchitis. These problems will determine the children to open their mouth to breathe even more often, as their nose would be obstructed by secretions.
These three factors combined have a tremendous power to make your child sick. In time, indoor air pollution may weaken the immune system of the child, opening the gate to all bacteria, germs and various other enemies that can’t wait to invade the tiny body and all of its organs.
If you need more information about the effects of indoor air pollution on children, you should try to find some expert websites or get in touch with a medical doctor. A pediatrician or an allergist will be able to explain you the biological mechanisms that trigger various health problems and the best ways you can prevent them from making your kids ill. Besides, you should research the various ways you can improve the quality of you indoor air. There are a few things you can do right away, without the need for spending a lot of money.