Air pollution affects the overall health of a human being. Whether it comes out of exhaust fumes from cars and factories or smoke from burning stubble air pollution, it is a cause of major concern. The effects of this can be seen in the growing number of asthma and other respiratory diseases. These diseases affect adults and children alike, however, it is the younger generation and elderly people who are more susceptible. Hence, it is extremely important to care about the quality of the air you breathe in. 


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What is the significance of the air quality index (aqi)?

The air quality index is a visual representation of pollutant levels in the air around you. A quick glance at this colour coded map can tell you if the air outside your home is likely to harm you or not. The code is broken down into 6 levels ranging from green which signifies minimal impact to red which marks pollution levels that can harm a healthy person and seriously impact those who are already ill. The higher the aqi, the higher the level of air pollution.

 

What are the steps to reduce air pollution?

Simply talking about how there need to be stricter laws about car emissions and the burning of waste will not help you. Here are a few things you can do to protect yourself and your family from the ill-effects of air pollution.


	
	Carpool: exhausts from cars and other vehicles are one of the biggest causes of air pollution. Do your part to reduce air pollution by restricting the amount you use your car. Try taking public transport to work or carpooling with colleagues. Similarly, avoid making individual trips every time you need something from the market. Make a list and when it s long enough, then step out.
	
	
	Limit indoor pollution: do not smoke indoors. When cooking, keep the exhaust fan on so that the smoke produced does not collect indoors. Avoid spraying air fresheners etc. While they may temporarily make the air smell fresh, in the long run, they contribute to air pollution.
	
	
	Use public transport try to use public transport and avoid the use of personal vehicles.
	


How to protect yourself from air pollution


	
	Refrain from morning walks routines to later hours.
	
	
	Use n95/99 face masks whenever you step out.
	
	
	Use air-purifying plants to purify the air around your surroundings.
	
	
	Ventilate your kitchen, and bathroom to keep yourself away from air pollution.
	
	
	Restrict outdoor activities for kids if there is a high level of air pollution
	
	
	Use air-purifiers in your surroundings.
	
	
	Try to take steam with a few drops of eucalyptus oil every day.
	
	
	Keep your car s environment fresh.
	
	
	Ventilate your home, open your windows and doors and allow the air to circulate during mid hours.
	
	
	Eat jaggery (aka gurr) to flush out pollutants from your lungs.
	
	
	Consume a diet rich in vitamin c, omega fatty acids
	


Hence, the other way to cut down this pollution is by bringing significant lifestyle changes in our daily living. Cutting down the number of diesel and petrol vehicles can also prove helpful. People should shift to cng and electric vehicles for daily commuting. These efforts, if practiced on a regular basis, can bring a huge decrease in pollution.

Air purifiers can also be a healthy option for indoor purposes.

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Why Should You Care About Air Quality?

Headaches are extremely common   we all are familiar with mild or persistent throbbing ;pain. A number of conditions can result in headaches. Some of these include  


	
	Fatigue
	
	
	Lack of sleep
	
	
	Stress/tension
	
	
	An underlying condition, like migraine ;or sinusitis
	


Recent studies have revealed a lesser-known cause for headaches   ;hypertension, or what is commonly referred to as high blood pressure.

The connection between hypertension and headaches

Hypertension occurs when the force of the blood circulation in the arteries is elevated   this particular condition can lead to steady pain throughout the head, particularly at the back of the head or in forehead.

Hypertension-induced headaches usually affect both sides of the head, particularly the temple regions. However, a person may not even realize that the headaches he/she is experiencing are induced by high blood pressure.

Since hypertension is an asymptotic condition, it is often referred to as  the silent killer . When blood pressure rises above 180/110, the condition is known as  hypertensive emergency .

Different types of hypertension leading to headaches

There are three types of hypertension conditions that are followed by mild to severe headaches:


	
	Malignant hypertension- this refers to a sudden, rapid increase in blood pressure that calls for medical attention. This is more common among young adults and women with pregnancy-induced hypertension.
	
	
	Idiopathic ;intracranial hypertension- it is characterized by elevated blood pressure around the brain. Symptoms include vision problems, nausea, ;shoulder pain, thumping noise in the ears, and severe headaches.
	
	
	Hypertensive encephalopathy- this is an extreme condition of high blood pressure, which leads to swelling in the brain. A person with this condition experiences severe headache that becomes worse.
	


Uncontrolled hypertension can be dangerous   headaches induced by such a condition could also become frequent or worsen over time. However, with proper medications and certain lifestyle changes, high blood pressure can be kept under the normal measure. Once your blood pressure normalizes, the headaches will disappear in no time.

How Are Hypertension And Headaches Related?

C-reactive protein ;is a type of protein produced by the liver in response to an infection ;or inflammation. When your body contracts an infection, the white blood cells produce proteins to fight it. Some of these proteins activate the liver into producing c-reactive protein. For many years, the crp ;blood level has been used to ascertain the level of infection or inflammation.

Assessing the risk of heart disease ;with c-reactive protein

The level of crp is a potential indicator of how likely you are to develop cardiovascular diseases. This is because the development of atherosclerosis is linked with inflammation within the walls of your blood vessel. This results in higher levels of c-reactive protein in atherosclerosis patients than in those without the disorder.

The greater the crp levels, the more chances you have of being affected by cardiovascular disorders. The test also determines the risk of a second attack.

The value of knowing your crp levels depends on whether you come under one of three cardiovascular risk groups.


	
	High risk   not important to know crp because you should be combining lifestyle changes and aggressive treatment to reduce risk
	
	
	Intermediate risk   helpful to find out crp levels, as it can provide vital information crucial in deciding the next line of treatment
	
	
	Low risk   even if your crp levels are high, you will not be at risk   due to negligible risk factors and low cholesterol levels   that should require more than just lifestyle changes
	


To find out crp levels you will have to take a blood test. C-reactive protein is classified into  


	
	High   equal to or greater than 3
	
	
	Intermediate   between 1 and 3
	
	
	Low   below 1
	


If you are having a c-reactive protein test to check for heart diseases, your healthcare provider may recommend a cholesterol test as well. A number of other tests may also be prescribed to evaluate your risk further.

How C-reactive Protein Can Pose A Risk For Heart Disease?

Hepatitis is a condition that affects the liver by causing inflammation which is a common outcome resulting from a viral infection. While different types of hepatitis diseases are caused by different causes, there are some reasons like medications, toxins, alcohol, and drugs that are typically known.

 

Types

The five common types of viral hepatitis are hepatitis a, b, c, d, and e.

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	Hepatitis a
	


Hepatitis a is the result of an infection caused by the hepatitis a virus. This type of hepatitis is an acute disease.

 


	
	Hepatitis b
	


The hepatitis b virus causes hepatitis b. This is often a chronic disease that lasts longer.

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	Hepatitis c
	


Hepatitis c comes from the hepatitis c virus. It is one of the most common bloodborne infections in the world. It is a long-lasting condition.

 


	
	Hepatitis d
	


This is a not so commonly found form of hepatitis that only occurs in hepatitis b infected people. This virus not only causes liver inflammation but also cannot be contracted without an existing hbv infection.

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	Hepatitis e
	


Hepatitis e is waterborne. Hepatitis e virus infection is responsible for it. It is generally acute but can be severely chronic for pregnant women.


 

Causes of viral hepatitis

It is true that different types of viral hepatitis infections are caused by distinct modes of transmission. Here are the causes of a hepatitis infection:

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	Hepatitis a- when a person is exposed to the hepatitis a virus through food or water.
	


 


	
	Hepatitis b- when an individual comes in contact with hepatitis b virus through the transmission of bodily fluids like blood, semen, etc.
	


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	Hepatitis c- when someone gets infected with the hepatitis c virus through the contamination of bodily fluids.
	


 


	
	Hepatitis d- when a person is exposed to hepatitis d virus-infected blood, it causes this disease.
	


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	Hepatitis e- when a person comes in contact with the hepatitis e virus through water or food.
	


 

Causes of non-viral hepatitis

Although hepatitis is commonly caused due to an infection, other factors can also be reasons to cause hepatitis.

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Alcohol

Excessive alcohol can lead to liver damage, causing inflammation. It can also be called alcoholic hepatitis. The alcohol impacts the liver cells directly. Moreover, it can also cause cirrhosis or even permanent liver failure.

 

Autoimmune system response

In rare cases, the immune system of a person attacks the liver itself. It leads to inflammation that can be mild to severe according to the infection. Moreover, it s more common in females than in males.

How Is Hepatitis Caused And Some Common Types?

What are the different types of sickle cell disease?

Sickle cell disease or sickle cell disorder is a term often used to talk about a group of diseases affecting hemoglobin. It is the oxygen-carrying element of blood that makes up 2 alpha globins and 2 beta globins. Sickle cell disease happens due to beta-globin mutation and depending on the abnormality in mutation.

Types-
Sickle cell diseases can be of many types depending on the gene mutation in the blood. Some of the common types are-

Sickle hemoglobin s disease (ss)
Hemoglobin ss disease or sickle cell anemia is the most popular type of scd. It takes place when hemoglobin s gene mutation is inherited from both mother and father. In simple words, it happens when the child inherits one substitution beta-globin gene from each parent. In this type, the body only produces hemoglobin s. It is mostly found in people of african and indian origin.

Sickle hemoglobin- c disease (sc):
Patients with sickle hemoglobin sc disease have a moderately dissimilar swapping in their genes of beta-globin. Here, both hemoglobin c and hemoglobin s are inherited from each parent. It may cause similar symptoms like anemia but remains relatively l. People of west african and mediterranean origin are more prone to this.

Hbs beta-thalassemia
People with this type of scd inherit one sickle cell gene s and one gene for beta-thalassemia from each parent. Zero and plus are the two common types of beta-thalassemia. While beta 0 thalassemia usually takes a severe form, beta + thalassemia is a milder form of the disease.

Sickle beta-zero thalassemia
Beta-zero thalassemia takes form when the child inherits the beta s gene from one parent and beta 0 thalassemia gene mutation from the other. With similar symptoms to anemia, it is a slightly severe form of beta-thalassemia.

Sickle beta-plus thalassemia
Substitutions in both beta-globin genes take place in patients with sickle beta thalassemia (sb) disease. This may even lead to the requirement of blood transfusion if no normal beta globin is produced. Mediterranean and caribbean people are more likely to have this disorder.

Hemoglobin sd, hemoglobin se, and hemoglobin so
These are the few rare and not less common types of sickle cell diseases. They are also less severe. People with these forms of scd inherit one sickle cell gene s and one gene from uncommon hemoglobin (d, e, or o) from each parent.

Sickle cell trait
Hbas
People with sct have one sickle cell gene s and one normal gene a from both mother and father. Ones with this disorder show few to no signs of the disease and usually spend a normal life. However, the risk to their future generations still exists.
 

What Are The Different Types Of Sickle Cell Disease?

Preeclampsia is a condition that affects women during pregnancy. It is characterized by increased blood pressure and high levels of protein in the urine. Women with preeclampsia also experience swelling in the feet, legs, and arms.

Researchers suspect that excessive body fat or poor nutrition are the primary contributors to preeclampsia and eclampsia.

If left undetected, preeclampsia can lead to a more severe complication, known as eclampsia. Eclampsia can put you and your baby at risk, and can even lead to death (in rare cases).

How do preeclampsia and eclampsia affect the mother?

Preeclampsia and eclampsia can cause a host of complications for the mother, such as the following  

Hellp syndrome   hellp syndrome refers to three different conditions   low platelet count, elevated liver enzymes, and haemolysis. This generally occurs late in pregnancy and affects the processing of rbc, functioning of the liver, and blood clotting.

Seizures

Heart and renal failure

Water in the lungs

Bleeding from the liver

Reversible blindness

Effects of preeclampsia and eclampsia on the baby

Preeclampsia can lead to problems with the placenta in the initial stage of pregnancy. This may pose risks, including the following to the baby  

Lack of nutrients and oxygen, which may prevent the foetus to grow properly

Preterm birth

Stillbirth   this happens when the placenta is separated from the uterine wall

Infant death

Stillbirths are more common when the mother has suffered from a severe form of preeclampsia, like hellp syndrome.

Preeclampsia and eclampsia are linked to a myriad of health issues and life-long challenges for prematurely born babies. These may include cerebral palsy, learning disorders, epilepsy, deafness and blindness.

There is no particular cure for preeclampsia and eclampsia. Treatment, however, depends on how close you are to your due date, and how much the foetus has developed. In the case of mild preeclampsia, your doctor may recommend resting, healthy eating   that limits salt intake   and regular prenatal checkups.

Effects Of Preeclampsia And Eclampsia On You And The Baby

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