Dust storm in Delhi-NCR
(Representative image)
Strong winds swept across Delhi on Tuesday morning, raising dust and affecting air quality as well as reducing visibility to 1,000 meters, the India Meteorological Department said, quoted PTI.
According to meteorologists, the dusty conditions in Delhi-NCR region are happening due to a combination of intense heat in northwest India over the past five days, parched soil due to the absence of rainfall and strong winds that have persisted since midnight.
With dusty air entering your lungs, here are some crucial tips to safeguard your respiratory health.
Avoid stepping outdoors
Avoid stepping outdoors to prevent inhaling dust particles that can impact sensitive regions of your respiratory tract and lungs. Prefer working from home if possible and cancel all plans to step out unless necessary. If you must go outside, spend as little time outside as possible.
Wear a mask
If you do go outside, do not forget to cover your mouth and nose with a mask. While cloth masks may protect you to some extent, wearing N95 respirator masks can better protect your respiratory health against dust, fumes, mists, aerosols, and smoke particulates. These masks are easily available in nearby pharmacies.
Avoid exercising outdoors
If you regularly workout outdoors, skip it today. With so many dust particles suspended in the air, you may breathe in a larger amount of harmful pollutants. Further, while exercising, you are more likely to breathe through your mouth rather than your nose. This can cause health problems as the mouth is unable to filter out certain large pollutants in the air, unlike the nose.
Vigorous exercise should be avoided in such circumstances, especially if you have asthma, diabetes or any other breathing-related condition.
Use an air purifier indoors
While staying indoors is the best way to avoid the dust-filled air outside, it may contaminate the quality of the air inside your house too. Use air purifiers if you have them, as these help to remove dust from your home and avoid any dust-related irritation. Keep your windows and doors closed.
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Keep washing your hands and eyes
If there is too much dust in the air around you, it is likely to stick to your hands, surfaces and may even irritate your eyes. To avoid any health problems, ensure washing your hands and eyes regularly throughout the day. Use wet wipes or a damp cloth to clean surfaces around your house or work desk.
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