Overview of environment and health:
When considering human health, the environment plays a vital role. In most instances, the most influential environment would be the one that exist in our workplace. This would be truer when considering industrial work setting than a usual office environment. But, this does not mean that such settings would not have any influence on our health. At the same time, the environment that we travel in as well as spend our leisure would also affect our health to a greater extent.
How does environment lead to lung diseases?
When considering the illnesses that are caused by the environment exposure, lung diseases would be the most common. Such illnesses are caused because we inhale certain particles, gases, fumes…etc in to our lungs and these may affect the air passages as well as the lung tissues to varying intensity. Although the body defense mechanisms are able to counteract most of these threats, sometimes it would fail. As such, knowing the possible environmental risk factors as well as adhering to preventive measures in such environments would help to a great deal as to how healthy we live in such risky environments.
What are the types of lung diseases and there causative elements?
When considering lung diseases caused by these environmental elements, it can vary and would include allergic reactions, irritations, infections, chronic damage and even cancer. Thus, let us look at some of this exposure and the possible lung diseases which may be a direct result of such exposure.
-Pollens and animal dander
This affect humans by means of allergic reactions and the symptoms related to such disease states may occur during specific periods of a year. In such instances, susceptible people may have to take precautions when being exposed to outside environments and may have to restrict their activities to a certain extent.
-Fumes of chemical nature
These would most often act by damaging the lining of the air passages or lung tissues and thus leading to more long term complications or else severe disease states depending on the type and level of exposure.
-Certain dust particles and asbestos
These particles would reach the alveolar tissues more often and their effect would be more following long term exposure. As such, the ultimate result would range from certain pneumonias to lung fibrosis.
-Smoke
This is a major environmental issue in certain instances as it not only affects the one who smoke but would also affect the persons in the vicinity. The elements in the smoke can cause various lung related diseases including lung cancers.
Apart from this, the pollution that we see in the urban setting would also play a major role in our health and many diseases can manifest, worsen or become chronic owing to such exposures.
