Rising pollution levels, COVID scare, seasonal flu: Prepare yourself to keep health woes at bay

Air pollution levels in the city are again on the rise and the nip in the morning air indicates a season change. With winter round the corner, the fear of COVID cases going up looms large at a time cold, cough and sneezing become a common concern. But this is also the time for festivals and the wedding season is right ahead of us. Clearly not a good time to fall sick and miss out on all the fun, isn’t it? With Kolkata’s Air Quality Index (AQI) hovering between moderate and poor of late, the current season change triggering flu symptoms and winter knocking on the door, taking guard against imminent health issues is prudent.Here’s a guide from experts who tell you how to prepare your mind, body and soul for the days ahead.

Crackers, construction work, more vehicles on road bother Kolkata environmentalists
The city’s deteriorating AQI, which breached the 200-mark on Wednesday, has got environmentalists worried. Identifying the harmful activities that are adding to existing pollution woes, environmentalist Biswajit Mukherjee says, “The first and foremost action should be to ban crackers during Diwali this year. We have already appealed to the state government for this. Another major reason for air pollution is the construction work happening across the city. Air quality surrounding those areas is even more worrisome and needs to be controlled. Since local trains are not running currently, the number of vehicles on road emitting harmful gases has also gone up. People from the outskirts are now commuting to the city by road. Besides, a lot of solid waste from municipalities is being burnt along the highways, contributing to air pollution.”

‘Winter season might have a prevalent environmental influence on COVID. Also, COVID cases are likely to go up if pollution rises. Besides, all viral infections have seasonal increments. To guard against these, strengthen your immunity and make your immediate environment less conducive to diseases. For that, living in well-ventilated rooms is important. Avoiding indoor pollutants, like use of too many gadgets, chemicals, sprays, smokes and fumes, is essential. Balanced diet and exercise help. Screenings and medicines for COVID should not be avoided. Keep masks and sanitisers handy and socially distance yourself in public.’
— Dr Parthasarathi Bhattacharya, founder and consultant, Institute of Pulmocare and Research
Healthy living begins with healthy eating
Ever since the pandemic struck us, everyone has been looking for ways to improve their immunity levels. However, according to experts, the focus should be on making the right lifestyle choices. Explaining how that can be done, clinical nutritionist Hena Nafis says, “All the claims about ‘this food is going to keep COVID at bay’ are false. Immunity can’t be built in a day or two. It’s partly what you’ve inherited genetically and partly what your lifestyle is. A balanced diet over a long period is the key. Junk food lowers acquired immunity. Not eating enough, not exercising and too much stress can also lower immunity. If you have a robust immune system and further boost it, you may get auto-immune diseases too. Your active immune system can’t differentiate between the good and the bad, it attacks all cells. Make your immune system function well with enough sleep, by avoiding dehydration, eating right, keeping stress at bay and refraining from tobacco and alcohol.”

Lifestyle goals


Yoga and exercise must for a holistic lifestyle
With rising pollution, those with respiratory conditions will be more susceptible to breathing troubles. There is no alternative to regular exercise that can help keep your body and mind sound. Yoga specialist Ravi Shankar Pandey thinks it’s the synergy between our body, mind and soul that helps keep illnesses at bay. “And what better way to attain that than India’s age-old magical forms of yoga. It increases the oxygen levels in your blood, giving you more energy to perform day-to-day work. The oxygen supply goes up since the length of your breath increases with yoga. Both asanas and pranayams (breathing exercises) are helpful in developing a healthy body. Ujjayi breathing, like an infant breathing that sounds like light snoring, is helpful for any kind of throat infection. It increases your metabolism and strengthens the immune system. Rapid breathing or bhrastrika pranayam gives more oxygen to the lungs and expels more carbon dioxide. Nadi shodhan pranayam purifies the energy channels in your body like blockage in the heart, impure blood or cancer. It cures hormonal and circulatory imbalances. It is slow, soundless and controlled breathing,” he said, adding that bhujanga asana, paschimottanasana and bhrastrika pranayama are also very helpful.