"How Can Special Groups Prevent Fog and Haze-Related Illnesses During Hazy Weather?"
Haze has once again enveloped vast regions of China, not only making people feel depressed but also bringing about numerous problems. Elderly individuals, children, and pregnant women, as special groups, inherently have weaker immune systems. Failing to take proper precautions against haze weather can easily lead to conditions such as colds, bronchitis, asthma, and flare-ups of chronic illnesses. So, how should special groups protect themselves from haze?
Elderly individuals spend more time indoors and should pay special attention to cleanliness and hygiene. Those accustomed to sweeping the floor with a broom might consider switching to a vacuum cleaner. Carpets, cloths, sofa covers, and other items should be cleaned promptly. Traditional cooking methods such as frying can generate a large amount of oil fume, polluting indoor air. It is recommended to use steaming and boiling methods more often when cooking at home.
Children's bodies are not fully developed, and dust and particles in haze weather can directly harm their health through their respiratory tract, easily causing respiratory diseases such as colds, coughs, rhinitis, bronchitis, and asthma. Protection for children should be carried out from the following aspects. Through school promotions and knowledge dissemination, children can gain a direct relationship and sensory understanding of haze weather and its impact on health. Raise parents' awareness of methods for protecting their children. Reduce outdoor activities and shift them indoors to reduce the impact of haze on children. In daily life, fluffy toys often have more dust and bacteria on their surfaces, so it is advisable to let children play with them as little as possible or clean them frequently. Keep children's activities away from heavily polluted traffic trunk roads. For those living on streets, avoid opening windows for ventilation during peak traffic hours.
The continuous occurrence of haze weather can make many people feel uncomfortable outdoors. However, generally speaking, we spend less time outdoors and spend most of our time indoors. But for workers who need to work outdoors for long periods, such as construction workers, sanitation workers, and traffic police, they are exposed to haze for longer periods and have greater exposure. It is necessary to emphasize and pay attention to the protection of outdoor workers from haze weather.
Pregnant women should rest appropriately, avoid overexertion, ensure sufficient sleep, and reduce psychological stress. At the same time, pregnant women should not just rest but should also engage in appropriate activities and maintain an optimistic mood. Tips include: 1. Eat more zinc-containing foods; 2. Supplement vitamin C; 3. Increase the relative humidity of indoor air.
Haze can cause shortness of breath, chest tightness, and other discomfort for people with respiratory diseases such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It may cause lung infections or acute exacerbations. Diabetics are more prone to colds due to their weaker immune systems. PM2.5 has a significant destructive effect on patients with chronic heart and cerebrovascular diseases, increasing the heart burden of heart disease patients and inducing cerebral infarction. It is best to reduce going outdoors on hazy days, and when going out, it is recommended to wear masks with better protective effects. However, not everyone is suitable for wearing a mask. Patients with respiratory diseases, especially those with dyspnea, may artificially create respiratory obstacles when wearing a mask. Patients with heart disease, emphysema, and asthma are not suitable for wearing masks for a long time. Patients with chronic illnesses are advised to avoid going out shopping or participating in various outdoor activities when the fog is thick in the morning. They should drink more water and rest. If they feel unwell, they should seek medical attention as soon as possible. The harmful substances in haze can also affect middle-aged and elderly people with chronic cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Harmful substances entering the human body with haze may cause slow and continuous damage to blood vessel endothelium, affecting the oxygen-carrying capacity of red blood cells in the blood, and further affecting the blood and oxygen supply to the heart and brain, inducing conditions such as dizziness and chest tightness. When going out in haze weather, patients with chronic cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases should, in addition to wearing masks and keeping warm, also pay attention to carrying medications for treating and protecting the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular systems. These patients can eat more foods rich in vitamins and carotenoids, such as grapes, oranges, purple potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, and cantaloupes, on a regular basis.
