HAZE - YOUR GUIDE FOR STAYING HEALTHY

HAZE - YOUR GUIDE FOR STAYING HEALTHY

WHAT IS 'HAZE' ?

Haze is a phenomenon or occurrence caused by theaccumulation of fine particles in the air whichare barely visible to naked eye. These particlesmay occur naturally or may be an outcome of humanactivities like open burning or smoky dischargesfrom factories and exhaust of motor vehicles. Whenthese particles accumulate in large quantities andsuspend in the air, they can lock out sunlight andvisibility will be greatly reduced.

AIR POLLUTANT INDEX (API)

The API is obtained from the measurement of fineparticles (below 10 microns) and several gaseswhich are hazardous to health such as carbonmonoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide andozone. The API is used as a guide for measuringair quality and its effect on health as follows :

API VALUE STATUS
0 - 50 - Good
51 - 100 - Moderate
101 - 200 - Unhealthy
201 - 300 - Very unhealthy
301 - 500 - Dangerous

HAZE THREATENS YOUR HEALTH

Continuous hazy conditions will cause ill effectsto all people especially those in the high riskgroups such as :

1. Children
2. The elderly
3. Those with illnesses like, Asthma,Bronchitis, Pneumonia, Chronic lung diseases,Heart diseases and Allergies
4. Cigarette smokers
5. Those who work outdoors most of the time

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF HEALTH PROBLEMS AS ARESULT OF EXPOSURE TO THE HAZE?

The effects of continuous exposure to the hazeinclude:
Itchy sensation in the throat, andcoughing, increased phlegm
Difficulty in breathing (wheeze) ornose blockPain, irritation, red and watery eyesItchy skin rashes

If above symptoms persist, get advice andtreatment at the nearest clinic.

PREVENTION OF HAZE-RELATED ILLNESSES

Close all windows and doors to your bedroom.
Boil a kettle (electric) of water in the room andallow the steam to fill the room. Allow 10 - 15minutes for the fine water vapor (steam) tocollect the pollutants / particles in the air andsettle down. After this the room should contain healthier air.

Usage of face and surgical masks are of nouse if they are not regularly changed as they canact as a base for bacteria to grow and result inother infections. Only very close fitting masksthat do not allow air to enter through the sidesof the mask are effective.Limit all outdoor activity as far as possiblee.g avoid outdoor sport or physical activities.

Always wash / bathe as soon as you returnfrom outdoors. This will minimize eye / skinirritation. For minor eye irritation try usingover the counter eye drops e.g Eye Mo.Use your car air-conditioner when travelingin the car.

Drink a lot of water.Smokers are advised to quit smoking.Those who suffer from diseases such as flu,bronchitis, asthma, conjunctivitis, heart diseasesor chronic lung diseases should seek immediatetreatment at the clinic or hospital if theircondition worsens.