How does the environment affect our health?
For example, if you live by a busy road with poor air quality, you are more likely to have breathing issues. Or if you live in dirty living conditions you may pick up infections. Climate change and increased poverty is only going to make our health worse.
In the UK we are lucky to have the NHS. We don’t need to find the money before we can ring a GP or walk into a hospital. Millions of people around the world are not so lucky.
On World Health Day (April 7th), the World Health Organisation estimates that more than 13 million deaths around the world each year are due to avoidable environmental causes.
Asthma is a common example of a condition that can be caused by environmental issues.
Asthma is caused by swelling of the breathing tubes that carry air in and out of the lungs. This makes the tubes highly sensitive, so they temporarily narrow. It causes breathing difficulties.
Common triggers for asthma include:
- allergies (to house dust mites, animal fur, or pollen)
- smoke, pollution and cold air
- exercise
- infections like cold or flu
Treatments for asthma can be found here
Coronary Heart Disease is a major cause of death in the UK and worldwide. It can be caused by poor diet, smoking and lack of exercise.
The main symptoms of CHD are:
- chest pain
- shortness of breath
- pain throughout the body
- feeling faint
- feeling sick
There are many things you can do to prevent heart disease such as quit smoking, eat better and take regular exercise. For more information about treatment click here
Share your views about your health and the environment, and what we can do to improve here
