Air pollution can cause asthma attacks, exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), shortness of breath, fatigue and even chest pressure. In addition, these polluting particles can also cause eye irritation.
And according to the World Health Organization, noise pollution is another of the effects produced by vehicular traffic, excessive noise is one of the main causes of hearing loss. Also, as that organism, any noise that exceeds 75 decibels (dB) is harmful.
The effects of noise on health also produce psychological, behavioral and sleep disturbances; decreased attention and decreased school performance.
A study published in New England Medical Journaldemonstrates that the inhalation of gases emitted by diesel fuels produces changes in cardiac electrical activity, “This suggests that air pollution reduces the amount of available oxygen, even tripling cardiac stress during exercise.”
Head. People subjected to borderline emotional situations explode because their levels of tolerance for frustration decrease in the midst of traffic jams; this generates unexpected behaviors, such as aggressiveness, which is expressed verbally or physically.
Ears. Traffic jams generate noise above 65 decibels; exposure to them for more than two hours a day increases the risk of gradual hearing loss. It also causes hearing fatigue, which can cause headaches, irritability, and increases in hormones such as adrenaline (which increases blood pressure and heart rate).
Alterations in the streets with other road actors contribute to generating tensions and health problems.
Stress raises heart rate and blood pressure.
Eyes. Contact with combustion debris and particulate matter causes eye irritation and eyestrain. The increase in adrenaline in the body, due to emotional tension, can cause dilation of the pupils and, consequently, alter, for moments, the ability to visual focus.
Nose. Daily (and cumulative) exposure to irritating elements such as smoke, particulate matter, and construction debris can trigger or exacerbate allergic conditions such as rhinitis, which cause increased mucus secretion and itching.
Neck and shoulders. Postures and stress increase muscle tension; this can cause spasms that manifest as pain, abnormal posturing (to counter the discomfort), and general malaise.
Upper respiratory tract. Inhalation of airborne substances can irritate these pathways, especially the larynx, trachea, and bronchi. This can manifest with dysphonia, cough, increased bronchial secretion and respiratory congestion.
Lower respiratory tract and lungs. In susceptible people (such as asthmatics) exposure to these pollutants can exacerbate allergic processes and cause obstruction of the bronchioles. The prolongation of this situation can complicate pneumonia and infectious processes.
Heart. Stress increases the production of hormones that activate the cardiovascular system, raising heart rate and blood pressure. myn people with premorbid pathologies can trigger complications. In extreme cases it can generate arrhythmias or decompensation.
Lower back. Fixed postures for a long time cause the muscles of the dorsal and lumbar back to contract, which manifest with spasms and severe pain. This situation can exacerbate problems in the vertebrae, in the intervertebral discs and in the nerve roots that emerge from them.
Knees, hips and ankles. Joints that can remain fixed for a long time have retractions and contractures that manifest with pain; In some cases, inflammatory processes, such as arthritis, or degenerative processes, such as osteoarthritis, are increased. They are all painful.
Veins. The stillness congests them, given the decrease in blood return; this can promote inflammation of the veins and the coagulation of blood within them.
Bladder. In people with infectious, mechanical disorders, such as incontinence, and inflammatory disorders, such as prostatitis (which requires evacuation in short periods), staying in the same place and position becomes a difficult situation to manage. The same happens in people with incontinence or irritable bowel.
*With information from the Universidad del Valle Health Agenda, the Colombian Association of Occupational Medicine, the Colombian Association of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and the Colombian Association of Scientific Societies.
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