Low visibility, health hazard emerge as smog chokes Lahore

While a blanket of thick smog has enveloped Lahore and adjoining regions in central Punjab reducing visibility and resulting in breathing difficulties and irritation in eyes, health experts have advised people to take precautions to protect themselves from this type of air pollution.
"Smog is a yellowish or blackish fog that negatively affects both the environment and human health. Sometimes it can make breathing very difficult," they said, adding: "Smog can damage the ability of plants to store food and water that also damages the reproduction and plant's growth." They added that smog can create acid deposits in the form of acid rain, snow, fog, gas, and dust. These acidic deposits and acidic rain end up on soil and water that can hurt plants and animals.
Talking about smog effects on public health, experts said: "Smog can cause breathing problems and may cause surge in the incidence of asthma in children." They maintained that particles of toxic chemicals in smog are easily inhaled through lungs and can cause serious problems for health, thus, heavy smog results in a low production of vitamin-D leading to cases of rickets among people.
It can cause severe eye problems, including burning of eyes, they said. Talking about precautions against smog, health experts advised the people to use tissue papers while coughing while they must not touch eyes, face or nose with dirty hands. They also advised people to use face masks while leaving the house and wash hands every time.
They said lack of rain, pollution, smoke from vehicles, factories and burnt crops are worsening smog situation in the provincial capital. They recommend artificial tears for eyes as one way of dealing with smog.
Professor of ENT at Services Institute of Medical Sciences Dr Mohammad Amjad has advised people to move around with face masks to protect themselves from breathing problems as well as eye, nose and throat infections. "People may experience short-term skin and respiratory conditions such as eye irritation, coughing, throat/chest irritation and skin irritation as a result of smog," he said.
On the other hand, the Met Office has released a weather warning describing the smog - comprising nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and other aerosols - as a result of cold high pressure in the upper atmosphere. Suspended matter accumulates in the lower atmosphere, colliding with water vapour which causes a chain reaction that produces smog.