Outdoor activity can
cause serious damage to a person's health
because of elevated air pollution levels.
Those especially at risk are those who exercise
by running, bicycling or skating.
According to Dr. Joseph T. Cooke, associate
professor of clinical medicine and patient
safety officer at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill
Cornell Medical Center, the danger lies in
the components of air pollution. The three
main culprits are fine particulate matter,
(the mixture of solid particles and liquid
droplets in the air), ozone (a gas composed
of three oxygen atoms) and carbon monoxide.
These components of air pollution irritate
the lungs, making it harder to breathe and
worsening problems initially caused by asthma,
bronchitis, cardiopulmonary maladies, and
emphysema.
"The pollutants affect the lungs by
causing inflammation or irritation of the
airway lining," Cooke explained in a
prepared statement. "More mucus and phlegm
is produced, and small muscles surrounding
the airway respond by squeezing down. The
work of breathing increases, and it becomes
more difficult to get oxygen into the body,"
he said.
The three pollutants are located in cities
around the world. Fine particulates are emitted
from the diesel engines of buses and trucks.
Carbon monoxide arises from cigarette smoke
and automobile exhaust, and it has the ability
to force oxygen out of a person's circulatory
system.
For those exercising, overexposure to carbon
monoxide can lead to dizziness, confusion,
headaches and dangerously high body temperatures.
Ozone, which is the largest component of smog
in cities, adversely affects breathing patterns
and decreases the size of airways, making
the lungs more resistant to oxygen.
For those determined to work out outdoors,
Cooke offered the following tips:
- Do not run on or near roads where there
is heavy truck or bus traffic.
- Work out in the early morning or later
in the evening.
- Exercise indoors if possible.
- If you experience any difficulty breathing,
stop exercising immediately and see a doctor.
