Investigating the relationship between air pollution and heart diseases

Cardiovascular disease is a general term to describe conditions that affect the health of the heart and blood vessels. In general, heart diseases are one of the main causes of death worldwide, and of course, they are more common among people over 65 years old. Factors that affect the occurrence of heart diseases include: male gender, old age, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, etc. Also, exposure to air pollution can also play a role in causing cardiovascular diseases. In fact, air pollution can increase the risk of heart diseases. In this article, we will talk about the effect of air pollution on the heart.

Air pollution is dangerous for which people?

Air pollution is dangerous for everyone, both children and adults. But some groups can suffer more than others:

• People with heart diseases (history of coronary artery stenosis, heart failure, blood pressure, cardiac arrhythmia)
• pregnant women
• children
• Seniors over 65 years old
• People with immune system defects
• People with diabetes
• Users of corticosteroids

How does air pollution affect the heart?

In polluted air, there are suspended particles called PM, which consists of solid particles or liquids in the air. Research shows that short-term and long-term exposure to particulate matter is associated with an increased risk of heart attacks and other forms of heart disease. When you breathe in polluted air, air pollutants can enter your bloodstream through your lungs and heart. In this case, the risk of heart disease will increase. Air pollutants can damage blood vessels by narrowing and hardening them and can be a factor in the risk of heart attacks.

Air pollution can lead to the stimulation of the sympathetic system, aggravate arteriosclerosis and blood pressure, and disrupt the heart’s function. It means, for example, it causes cardiac arrhythmia and increases the possibility of heart attack and heart failure.

In which places is the air pollution the most?

We explained the effect of air pollution on the heart. Particulate matter in the air exists throughout the year and affects the air quality, especially in big cities. Some particles can remain in the atmosphere for days to weeks. Therefore, the pollution of particles produced in one area can travel hundreds or thousands of kilometers and affect the air quality of distant areas. Airborne particulate pollution levels can be high under the following conditions:

• Near busy roads in urban areas and in industrial areas.
• In places where fires have occurred and there is smoke from wood-burning stoves, fireplaces, etc.
• When the weather is calm, the possibility of air pollution increases. On hot and humid days when the air is stagnant, the concentration of polluted particles increases. But on rainy and snowy days, the possibility of pollution is less.

Investigating the effect of air pollution on heart attack

For every 10 micrograms per square meter of dust particles and polluted particles, the probability of heart attack increases by 10 to 20 percent. In this case, a heart attack may occur one hour after exposure to polluted air or even last for about 2 days. People with high blood pressure should not be exposed to polluted air because air pollution increases the systolic pressure, and in this case, if the person is prone, he may be exposed to heart attack. Don’t forget that high blood pressure is also one of the causes of heart attack.

Symptoms of heart problems due to air pollution

The effect of air pollution on the heart may take 1 or 2 days to show. Sometimes this effect will be visible only hours after being exposed to polluted air. These symptoms indicate that a person may have a heart problem after being exposed to polluted air:

• Headache and dizziness
• nausea
• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• heart beat
• Increased blood pressure

The need to use an air purifier to fight air pollution

As you know, air pollution is one of the problems of big cities. You might think that if you don’t leave the house on contaminated days, there will be no danger to your health. If not. Sometimes the pollutants inside the house are even more dangerous than the pollutants outside. These pollutants can be caused by suspended particles from cooking, chemical gases released from wood and plastic products, and suspended particles released by textiles. For this reason, it is better to use an air purifier indoors and in closed environments in general.

Air purifiers can reduce indoor air pollution, but they cannot remove all the polluted particles in the air. However, their use is recommended to all people. The air purifier can absorb pollutants emitted from detergents, adhesives, paints, fragrances, wooden artifacts and decorative items, smells, etc. and clean the air. Especially if you have a heart patient, a child, a pregnant woman or an elderly person at home, it is better to use an air purifier.

Dealing with polluted air for heart patients

For people who are prone to heart diseases, the following are recommended to combat air pollution:

• The best course of action is that people suffering from heart diseases should not leave the house at all on infected days.
• It is better for these people to use special masks that prevent the entry of small particles into the body.
• It is better for heart patients to live in houses with double-glazed windows.
• Avoid leaving windows open.
• Use an air conditioner.
• Attention to a healthy diet should not be overlooked. It is better for all people to use more antioxidants in fruits and vegetables on polluted days. It is recommended to consume olive oil, flax seeds, avocado, broccoli, tomatoes and all leafy vegetables on contaminated days.

If a person develops symptoms of a heart condition during the infected days, he should immediately notify the emergency room and consult a doctor.

last word

We examined the effect of air pollution on the heart in this article. People who are prone to heart diseases should not leave the house on infected days. If these people live in big cities like Tehran, it is better to stay in other cities during the seasons when air pollution is more likely. Of course, this possibility is certainly not available for all people. Heart patients should never stay near factories and industrial centers because the concentration of pollutants in the air is higher in these places. If you see symptoms of heart complications in heart patients, call the emergency room immediately to prevent heart attacks.