Our cities, today, are enveloped in pollution, leading to diseases and disorders especially among three sets of people: Prematurely born babies, now at home after neonatal care; children with respiratory issues and obesity; and the elderly, especially those with existing health conditions.
Here are some effective preventive measures to fight the effects of air pollution:
* Frequently wash and sun-dry quilts. Avoid using woollen blankets unless they are encased in a cotton fabric cover. When taking woollen clothes and bed linen out from storage, ensure the smell of naphthalene balls is eliminated.
* Rather than wearing one heavy garment, children and the elderly should wear layers of clothing.
* Ensure all rooms are reasonably humid to avoid dryness and nasal tract irritation.
* Elderly, non-diabetic people must take a teaspoon of chyawanprash mixed in warm water.
* Avoid processed cheese, cold milk, and curd at night as these cause respiratory problems.
* Senior citizens with respiratory problems may take trikatu chooran with organic honey.
* Avoid oily and fried foods as they clog the micro channels in the body.
* Cultivate pollution control plants such as money plant, areca palm, and bamboo.
* Jaggery taken daily in warm water controls the effects of pollution. (Not for infants.)
* Avoid heavy curtains and upholstery.
* Use house paint with low levels of VOC (pollutants).
* Clean fungal growths in corners and cupboards.