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Delhi's air quality showed some improvement on Wednesday (November 11). According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the city's overall AQI was recorded at 299 at 7 AM, placing it in the 'poor' category. However, several monitoring stations continued to record 'very poor' air, with some crossing 350. In NCR, Noida recorded an AQI of 478 and Ghaziabad 591. While poor air quality is usually known to cause coughing, breathing difficulty and other lung problems, its effects can go beyond the respiratory system.
Fine particles such as PM2.5 can enter deep into the lungs and lead to inflammation and oxidative stress in the body. Prolonged exposure may also affect the cardiovascular system and overall physical health. This means that on days when the air is heavily polluted, some people may notice that they feel tired, have trouble sleeping or find it harder to concentrate.
How Air Pollution Can Affect Your Energy, Sleep And Concentration
1. It Can Make You Feel Tired
Feeling tired even though you're following your usual routine could be linked to exposure to polluted air. When fine particulate matter enters the lungs, it can trigger inflammation and put additional stress on the body. Pollution can also make breathing more difficult, particularly for people with asthma or other respiratory conditions. When the body has to work harder to breathe, it can make you feel fatigued.
2. It May Affect Sleep
Polluted air can impact your sleep. Exposure to particulate matter and other pollutants may irritate the airways, causing coughing, congestion, throat irritation or breathing discomfort at night. Even when pollution does not directly wake a person up, respiratory irritation can make sleep less comfortable and may affect sleep quality. This can leave you feeling tired the next morning, causing daytime fatigue.
3. It Can Affect Your Concentration
Air pollution may also affect how alert and focused you feel. The brain needs a steady supply of oxygen and healthy blood circulation to function properly. Inflammation due to pollution and changes in the body's stress response may impact these processes. As a result, some people may have difficulty focusing, mental tiredness or reduced alertness during high pollution.
4. Headaches Can Cause Mental Fatigue
Polluted air can sometimes cause headaches and general discomfort. When a person is dealing with headache, eye irritation, throat irritation or breathing discomfort, it becomes harder to concentrate on work or daily activities. This does not mean every headache or episode of tiredness is caused by pollution. Dehydration, inadequate sleep, stress and other health conditions can also cause similar symptoms.
5. It Can Reduce Your Exercise Tolerance
When pollution is high, outdoor physical activity can expose you to higher amounts of particulate matter because exercise increases breathing rate. This can make a normal walk or workout feel more difficult than usual. Some people may notice that they become breathless faster, feel exhausted sooner or take longer to recover after exercising outdoors. Experts have also cautioned that intense outdoor exercise during poor air quality can increase the amount of polluted air inhaled because of deeper breathing.
6. Your Body May Be Under Inflammatory Stress
PM2.5 is small enough to travel deep into the respiratory system. The body responds to these particles by activating inflammatory processes. This response is useful when fighting harmful substances, but prolonged exposure can put additional physiological stress on the body. That stress may cause symptoms such as tiredness and reduced physical comfort.
What Can You Do On High-AQI Days?
When pollution levels are high, reducing unnecessary outdoor exposure can help lower your pollutant intake. Check the AQI before any outdoor exercise and consider doing your workouts indoors when air quality is poor.
If you need to go outside, wear a well-fitted N95 or equivalent respirator as it can provide better protection against fine particles. Keeping indoor air clean, avoiding smoking and other sources of indoor pollution, and using an air purifier can also help.
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.